...That's not great.

Don't bum the hipsters out.

We attended my friends' wedding on Saturday evening. It was a very warm day (by Seattle standards) - in the high 90s - but the location was a park and cultural center on the Puget Sound, so it was warm, but perfectly breezy.

I wore my new dress, and even though it was supposed to be WARM, I brought my customary cardigan. The dress has an open back; and I don't usually make it a point to show off any part of the 19 inch scar that follows down my spine from a few inches shy of my neck. 

But the dress and my scar aren't really the point of this post.

RD and I were standing with our friends (not the bride and groom) discussing how much fun this wedding was. The husband (hers, not mine) remarked that there seemed to be a lot of "young people" at the wedding (context - bride is 28, groom is 36, the commenter is 51). We all nodded in agreement.

A few seconds later, it occurred to me:

Was I one of the "young people" he speaks of?

It's no longer clear.

I don't necessarily want/need to feel like one of the "young people".

I just don't want to bum them out.

And, hopefully this time - I didn't. Scar and all.

PS. This was the taco truck featured at the wedding, and OMG, it was delicious. TACO TRUCK!

Christmas and New Years.

I wish that I could be sitting here on this lovely Sunday - the last day of winter vacation (well, for my son, not fore me) - and report that the snow has left us.

Because it has not. It started snowing on Wednesday, December 17 and pretty much snowed off and on until, well, TWO DAYS AGO. In my entire life of living in the great Pacific Northwest, I have NEVER, EVER experienced a time when there was snow on the ground for three straight weeks.

I'm over it.

The holidays continued, of course, and, except for a few travel adjustments and a minor FedEx tragedy (my 2009 family calendars were supposed to be delivered on December 18 didn't show up until New Year's Eve), we proceeded forth as usual.

We headed up north to join my extended family at my parent's place in Bellingham (which is, naturally, just too small for all of us, which adds to the CHAOS).

We sang songs to Grandma.

And opened some presents.

We played a little airplane.

And went to the museum.

Of course, all this fun, change in schedule, PRESENTS(!!) and sleeping in a hotel caused a couple of MELTDOWN CITIES to occur.

But, all in all, we had a wonderful time.

We also attended a family wedding, were I, apparently, had a few glasses of wine, causing the following behaviors.

Hugging my brother VERY closely. (Probably TOO closely if you ask him.)

And dancing like this.

It's the robot. Or something. (You're welcome.)

We also held our third annual family-friendly New Year's Eve par-tay.

Where I served my famous cosmo-by-the-pitcher.

And either said something very interesting or listened to something very interesting.

I also tried to take an artsy-fartsy photo of our party decorations. FAIL.

>

Happy New Year!

Semi-kid approved meal: turkey-spinach meat loaf.

I've been trying to pull some recipes out each week of the notebook where I have been stuffing them and ACTUALLY TRY THEM OUT. I have been getting Cooking Light Magazine for years and until about a year ago, I would read them, see recipes I liked, and them stack them up in the corner. Not helpful.

I finally decided to go through the back issues and cut out the ones I thought RD and the kids would eat. Which, frankly is limited. I don't really like fish (except shrimp), the kids aren't big on fancy sauces (although they continue to amaze me with what they will eat and I need to remember that), but I wanted to try to make dinner something we all could get into and I would enjoy making. 

So! This weekend I decided to try my first meatloaf EVER.

Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 red onion (about 1 cup diced)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fat free milk (I used 1%)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 large eggs whites
1.5 pounds ground turkey breast
0.5 pound extra lean ground beef (I like Laura's brand)
2, 10 oz packages of frozen leaf spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/2 cup ketchup 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. While warming, dice onion.

I LOVE onion, so I don't bother dicing it too well.

Add onion to the heated pan, and saute for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and saute for another minute or so.

Then pull from heat. Now here is where it gets interesting. Combine this onion mixture, breadcrumbs and the remaining ingredients (excluding the ketchup) in a large bowl. It's sorta gross.

(Sidebar: This totally reminds me of that Friends episode where Rachel tries to help Monica with Thanksgiving by making dessert. "First there's a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard, which I made from scratch, then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sauteed with peas and onions, then a little more custard, and then bananas, and then I just put some whipped cream on top!")

Apparently, my first large bowl was not large enough. And, yes, I mixed it up with my hands.

Shape this mixture into a 12 x 5-inch loaf on a broiling pan coated with cooking spray.

Then brush ketchup over the top of the loaf. Finally another use for my basting brush!

Bake at 350 degrees for at least 45 minutes (until a thermometer registers 160 degrees internally). Then let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

The end result, in my opinion, was a decent meatloaf. I will make it again - especially since both kids ate about half a piece each (always a good sign on the first attempt for a new meal) once we convinced them the green stuff was broccoli (you do what you have to do). RD really like it, too, and enjoyed two slices. I think next time I will make sure the spinach broken up into smaller pieces (it through the kids off a bit) or replace them with something else (perhaps broccoli?). I may also try to spice it up a little bit, as I found it a smidge bland for my taste. It is nutritionally sound, and low in calories, so this recipe is a good place to start experimenting from.

Who's got a good meatloaf recipe to share?

Kid approved meal: turkey lasagna.

I plucked this recipe out of Cooking Light magazine and made a few adjustments to suit our tastes and needs. The biggest adjustment was to make two 8x8 pans (one to eat now, one to freeze), rather than one 9x13 pan. Also, the recipe called for deli turkey breast and I just thought, "GROSS", so I substituted a pound of ground turkey. Frankly, I delighted with the results; I found the lasagna to be less "cheesy" than most lasagna, but still delicious because it was very flavorful. AND, the kids ate it and liked it. Even though it was my first time making lasagna EVER, it still only took 45 minutes to whip the two pans up. I made it the night before it was on our meal plan (it would take too long to make it, bake it and eat it on a school night). It was great to just be able to come home from work, stick it in the oven and just have to make crescent rolls and salad for the sides. Did I mention the kids actually ate it and liked it? BECAUSE THEY DID.

Sounds like a success in my book.

Ingredients
2  tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped red onion  (how thinly diced depends on how you like your onions)
1 chopped green bell pepper
1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms (I did not include these, as I do not like mushrooms!)
1  garlic clove, minced (I used a couple of tablespoons of diced garlic - we buy in bulk)
1  pound ground turkey
1  teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1  (26-ounce) bottle tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Bertoli)
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon black pepper
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
1  (16-ounce) carton fat-free cottage cheese
Cooking spray
12  cooked lasagna noodles (look for whole wheat to make it healthier)
1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

 

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook ground turkey until cooked through. In another large skillet, heat oil in medium-high heat; add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms (if desired), and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add turkey; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in seasoning and sauce. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At the same time, cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Set to cool/dry slightly on clean kitchen towels.

Combine parmesan, salt, black pepper, eggs, and cottage cheese in a medium bowl.

Spread 1/2 cup turkey mixture in the bottom of each of your 8x8 baking dishes coated with cooking spray. With typical lasagna noodles, cut about a third off of two noodles. Use the two noodles you cut AND their 1/3 sections that were removed to create the first layer of lasagna noodles for one 8 x 8 pan (repeat with two more noodles for your second pan). Then top the noodles of each pan with a quarter of a cup of the parmesan mixture and 1 cup turkey mixture. Add a second layer of noodles (perpendicular to the first set) to each pan, and repeat the parmesan and turkey layer. Add one final layer of noodles, and sprinkle with any remaining turkey mixture (you should have a little bit left over. Repeat layers, ending with turkey mixture. Sprinkle each pan with mozzarella. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes and then enjoy. We sure did.

Meal planning, 9/1-9/5.

We've left the craziness of August behind us and we're back on track in terms of meal planning. Plus, SCHOOL! STARTS! ON! TUESDAY! Holy crap.

Monday, 9/1. It's not Labor Day without a BBQ. We enjoyed honey BBQ chicken, rice and corn on the cob. 
Tuesday, 9/2. Mexi-night; including black wraps of black beans, rice, cheese and chicken. YUM. Side of strawberries.
Wednesday, 9/3. Macaroni and cheese, broccoli and apples. Since RD works in schools, the first week back is always a bit crazy, leaving me to single parent until things calm down a bit. Single parenting = EASY MEALS.
Thursday, 9/4. Rotini with asparagus. This one is a new family favorite.
Friday, 9/5. PIZZA NIGHT. 

Meal planning for 5/4-5/10.

Sunday, 5/4. We did Cinco de Mayo a day early with our traditional "Mexi-night" of chicken and cheese quesadillas for the kids, black bean and rice burritos for the adults and chips and slices of cucumbers on the side for everyone.
Monday, 5/5. Broccoli and chicken pasta. It's a favorite of Bubba's. I usually match this meal with the "Mexi-night" since I can split a package of four chicken breasts between the two meals.
Tuesday, 5/6. Marinated steak with rice and corn on the cob. The kids will be happy with the corn, for sure.
Wednesday, 5/7. Kids' Choice Night.
Thursday, 5/8. I'll be out of town at a training all day Thursday and half day Friday, so RD is on his own for dinner!
Friday, 5/9. It's Bubba's birthday! To celebrate, his Auntie V is coming up from Portland and we'll take everyone out to dinner; wherever he wants to go, except McDonalds.
Saturday, 5/10. Chicken with tomatoes and thyme, served with whole grain rice and veggies. This is a recipe from Real Simple magazine that you can prepare, freeze and then pull it out when you need it. Nothing fancy, but it makes pulling together dinner pretty easy.

Meal planning for 4/28-5/2.

Eh. Better late than never!

Monday, 4/28. Balsamic marinated chicken breasts (I just use a balsamic salad dressing), brown rice and corn on the cob. The kids were SO excited to eat corn on the cob - except Sis kept asking if she could eat the stem part. I'm imagining a whole summer filled with tons of it. And I'm okay with it.
Tuesday, 4/29. BBQ pork, asparagus with salt and pepper and wild rice. I use this recipe - except I cut it in half, since we don't need that much. And I'm still amazed that my kids eat asparagus.
Wednesday, 4/30. Kids' Choice Night. RD will be home early with Bubba (from taekwondo), so he'll get to choose a variety of fried foods to be cooked up. Oh, and I'll insist sides of broccoli and strawberries. On these nights, RD and I usually fend for ourselves (I'm planning on making some home-fried potatoes and fried eggs).
Thursday, 5/1. Flank steak, roasted red potatoes, garden salad. For the salad, I'm thinking mixed greens, red onion, grape tomatoes, cucumber and oil/vinegar dressing. Something simple.
Friday, 5/2. Our Friday standby, Boboli pizza: cheese, pepperoni and onion. I'll pick up some corn and the cob, too, so I'll be the best mom ever. Just in time for Mother's Day.

Meal planning for 4/12-4/18.

Trying to get back on track with our family's meal planning.  Everything seems to run a bit smoother around our house when I do. 

Saturday, 4/12. Boboli pizza: cheese, pepperoni and onion.  Broccoli on the side (fresh for Sissy and cooked for Bubba).
Sunday, 4/13. Crockpot chicken and rice.  This is basically this recipe, minus the sherry and plus a cup long-cooking brown rice.  I'll also add carrots for the last 4 hours.  We'll serve it with fresh strawberries. 
Monday, 4/14. Breakfast for dinner. The kids will have chocolate chip pancakes and apples, and we'll have fried eggs and seasoned red potatoes. 
Tuesday, 4/15-Thursday, 4/17. I'll be at a conference in the Tri-Cities, hopefully enjoying their 70 degree weather.  RD's on his own. 
Friday, 4/18.  BBQ short ribs on the grill.  My hope is that the weather will continue to be lovely and we can have our first meal out on the deck of the season.

Meal planning for 3/1-3/7.

Well, based on my previous post you may have picked up on that pretty much everything last week did not go as planned; including our meal planning.  As for the meals that we did serve last week - the kids were not big fans of the pot roast; but we LOVED it.  It worked perfect to serve it and then make the soup the next day.  I'll definitely be doing that again. 

Here's the plan for this week.
Saturday, 3/1. Baked penne (moved from last week).  This will still work as lunch for me a few days this week. 
Sunday, 3/2.  RD will serve leftovers or chicken noodle soup as I'll be delivering The Sister and SP to my parent's house.  It's The Sister has her way, we'll be having Taco Time sometime during her visit.
Monday, 3/3. Chicken with tomatoes and thyme (moved from last week), still to be served with brown rice and veggies (more lunches for me!).
Tuesday, 3/4. Marinated steak and onion roasted red potatoes.
Wednesday, 3/5.  I'll be chauffeuring The Sister and SP again, so RD will probably serve macaroni and cheese.
Thursday, 3/6. "Big Salads" for the adults and grilled cheese sandwiches with apples for the kids. 
Friday, 3/7. Pizza!  'Nuff said.

Baked penne recipe.

I've had a couple of requests for this recipe, so I'd thought I put it up in a post.  The original basis for this recipe comes from Parenting magazine, but I've made my own adjustments to make it work (and I think taste) better for our family. 

Spaghetti Sauce
This sauce is the foundation of the Baked Penne and it's also great by itself with the addition of meat (sausage, beef or faux meat product) over pasta.  The original Parenting recipe required the dicing of  2.5 pounds of beefsteak tomatoes (which I did once, but it's time consuming), so I substituted the canned diced tomatoes and canned tomato paste. 

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1, 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1, 12 ounce can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cans of tomato products, then add about 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes.  You can divide this recipe but using 1, 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes and 1, 6 ounce can of tomato paste.

Baked Penne
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound dried penne (we use whole wheat)
Spaghetti sauce recipe
1/2 cup heavy cream
15 ounces ricotta

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Oil a 4-quart casserole dish.  Cooke the pasta according to the package directions.  Either make or reheat the spaghetti sauce and stir in the cream.  Add the cooked penne and toss.  Spoon the pasta into the prepared casserole dish and top with dollops of the ricotta.  Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. 

Additions, notes, etc.
We add more garlic than listed, because we LOVE garlic.  You can also try the "Itailian" flavored diced canned tomatoes, for more flavor.  You can also easily add cooked ground beef, savage or faux meat when tossing the penne and the sauce.  I've also tried adding a thin layer of homemade breadcrumbs before baking it - YUM.  Also, you can easily divide this recipe in half if you have a smaller household.  Enjoy!