Mom On a Mission: Dinner Updates

     Hay y'all, I'm up and about again. Seems I may have been doing too much without resting enough....isn't that the story of the Mom Life? I mean, really. :) But my body completely gave up and I woke up feeling not-so-good Wednesday morning and could barely get out of bed. So my wonderful hubby stayed home to take care of everything. (Have I mentioned lately how wonderful this man is? Because he is wonderful and I'm so lucky to have him.)

So let's catch up on dinners, shall we?

     Monday, Thing 1 had soccer practice. So after picking her up from school, we ran home to do homework and have dinner before the 6 o'clock practice. Dinner this evening was leftover spaghetti and tortellini (by request). This worked out fabulously and we were able to make it to practice on time. Woohoo! :)

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     Since Monday was leftover night, Tuesday became our Mexican Night for the week. Whether we are having tortillas, nachos or even tacos, we like to have a variety of fillings/toppers on the table so that everyone can make what they like.

     First thing I did was to dice up an onion and toss it in my skillet with 2 Tbsp of melted butter over medium heat. Then I minced up 4 cloves of garlic and added it to the skillet. Stir it up and let it go. When you notice the onions are translucent, turn the heat down closer to medium-low. Stir it occasionally but the idea here is to cook it low and slow so we can get that sweet caramelized flavor.

     Meanwhile, I went ahead and chopped up the fresh cilantro that I got at the Farmer's Market and then I finely shredded up a carrot. I left the cilantro on the cutting board (because it was going to get added to the cheese sauce) and then I put the shredded carrot into a ziplock bag. 

     Then I drained and rinsed a can of black beans. Put those into a bowl and covered it and microwaved it for 3 minutes. When it was done, I drained it and those were ready for the table, too. I pulled out some leftover rice we had in the fridge and added a tablespoon or so of water to it. Cover it and heat it up for about two minutes and its fluffy and tastes like you just cooked it up for the first time. (This is how I get away with re-using leftover rice without it tasting like leftovers.) I pulled out the light sour cream, already-sliced black olives (I buy them whole and slice them up myself, it saves money), green olives and spoons for serving it all out.

     All this is on the counter so the girls can help set the table; to get them more willing to help, I set everything out on the counter that needs to go on the table and they actually fight over who gets to bring it to the table. :)

     Not pictured is the cheese sauce (made using store-brand Velveeta, milk, the chopped fresh cilantro, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dried basil and a dash of pepper). Below is a picture of the finished onions and garlic, which was the very last thing to get put into a dish. 

     Instead of putting everything into bowls with spoons so that it looks all picture-perfect, I serve everything from the tupperware containers that they are going to be put in after anyway to make clean-up a lot easier...and there is a lot less to wash after! My husband loved this idea. ;) The girls love getting their tortillas and picking out what goes in them and then rolling them up to eat. Mexican Night is very popular in our house. :)

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     Wednesday I was out of commission. :(  But since I had already planned out dinners, it made dinner a little easier for my hubby. He made our Breakfast For Dinner: Whole Wheat Pancakes! The girls were jumping up and down when Daddy told them he was making pancakes. :)

Hubby was relieved to find that this is a recipe I have actually written down. :-p

Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice

     In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
     In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil and vanilla.
     Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened; batter will be lumpy.
     Pour about 1/4 cup or so, depending on how large you want your pancakes, into a pan that has been heated over medium heat; you may need to turn the heat down a bit after your first pancake. I use a bit of vegetable oil in the bottom of the pan (I use a silicone pastry brush to coat the bottom of the pan with a teaspoon of oil) or you can use butter or cooking spray -- this is to keep the pancakes from sticking.

     We cook them all up and keep them in a covered dish to keep them warm. The dish goes onto the table along with the toppings we like: peanut butter, Nutella, butter, mashed up bananas, the syrup the rest of the family likes, and the awesome real maple syrup I like that is straight from Canada.

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 So far so good this week! Today's menu for dinner is Butternut Squash soup and sandwiches...mmmm! This is going to be good! :)

Friday's Pizza & a Movie Night

    After last week's lack of planning for Pizza & a Movie Night, I wanted to make sure I was prepared for this week. Since I seem to run short on time some nights (with Kyleigh being in school and all) I figured this was a great reason to try out Trader Joe's ready-to-bake pizza doughs. 


    They have a white crust and a whole wheat crust--I picked up two whole wheat doughs. Abby and I did pretty good walking around Trader Joe's without flinging too much into the cart. :) We did decide to pick up some cheese--as we really didn't have any at home. 


    The first thing we picked up, since Abby pointed it out, was cave-aged Gruyere. 


    Yea, this seems pretty random for a 2-year-old to point out. 


    I completely agree. 


    But I'll let ya in on her reasoning--it was pink. Yes, pink cheese. 


    You'd think it was a lock to make it in our cart. But as I kept scanning the cheese fridge, I found something a little more enticing: smoked Gouda. I also picked up some crumbled Feta, which happens to be my absolute favorite cheese. At home I also had black olives, green olives, fresh mushrooms (at Kyleigh's request if you can believe it), fresh minced garlic, fresh chopped purple bell peppers, fresh chopped white bell peppers, and sliced fresh grape tomatoes. If your mouth isn't watering by now, it should be. :)


    So I had picked up two ready-to-bake packages of whole wheat pizza crust for all four of us. One got divided into two unequal parts for the girls' pizzas--the reason being so they could top their own pizzas themselves. 

Kyleigh's Pizza

Abby's Pizza

Then Nate and I shared the second. 

 You can tell which half is mine. haha

Let's break it down.

    I know I usually make a fun dessert, but somehow making the pizzas took way longer than had I made the pizza dough on my own. Go figure.


    The movie of the week? Nate recorded a movie for the girls on our DVR earlier this week. Anyone ever seen 'Hoodwinked'? It's a super cute movie and I definitely recommend it. My favorites are probably the 'Fletch' references. (You remember 'Fletch' and 'Fletch Lives' don't you? With Chevy Chase? Okay, well, if not, that's something for another time.) It's like a spoof off of a lot of popular grown-up movies with a fun story-line of its own. You should check it out.


    So I didn't have any spare time for dessert. But there were no complaints coming from the living room. I mean, seriously, who doesn't love Oreos?? And it also works for me that we rarely have Oreos in the house--so it is quite a treat when they can be found in our pantry. 


    Cupcakes are coming soon! I promise!!

Weekday Mornings

    Here in my neck of the woods, school is back in full swing and I have suddenly become very aware of what my family is putting in their bellies first thing in the morning. Is that cereal going to stay with my kindergartner all morning? Is my hubby really going to eat something when he gets to work? Most likely he'll get too busy and forget to eat until about lunch. As for my bundle of energy, well, I need to make sure her breakfast really counts. Of course without anyone getting bored with what is being served up. I admit, I am bored with the cereal-for-breakfast routine. So let's keep it interesting...

Muffins with a Side of Mondays

    Last fall toward the end of pumpkin season, I bought up some of the last pumpkins I could find at the farmer's market. I took 'em home, steamed them, pureed them, and then froze them so I could break out the fresh pumpkin during the summer--when most pumpkins are unavailable since they are still growing. 

    The first container out in order to thaw was the white pumpkin puree. (Sometimes called Cinderella pumpkins.) I placed it in the fridge on a Tuesday, and on Thursday we had nachos and quesadillas for dinner. Seeing the now-thawed pumpkin, I used some of it in the cheese sauce (along with pureed peas) to increase the nutritional value of probably the one thing my girls would devour. :) They didn't suspect a thing. ::Insert evil laugh here::

    Coming back into the kitchen ready to make muffins, the remaining puree was looking out at me asking to be picked.....so I obliged. :) 

And we came up with---

White Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

Giant Breakfast Muffins--Avocado Banana!

Do I smell a Muffin Monday in the air? Perhaps.


Today it is more of an Avocado Banana Muffin aroma. And these are GIANT muffins! :)

CrockPot Tuesdays: February 8th

    This week I wanted to do something a little different. No soups or stews. This week isn't done when you cover and turn it on. There is more that needs to come together at dinnertime. 
    I'm not quite sure why, but the beautiful weather we have today gave me the urge to have Mexican food for dinner. I asked myself, "how can that translate to the slow cooker?". And then it came to me, use it to make a filling for a soft taco!


So let's get started! 


Get some olive oil heated up in a pan while you chop up one onion.

 As the onion gets chopped, add it to the pan.

 Add in 3 teaspoons of minced garlic.

While we wait for the onion to start browning at the edges, let's get the rest of the ingredients: a packet of taco sauce (found in my pantry from a little while back), one can of chickpeas that has been drained and rinsed, a small can of tomato paste, and one can of chili ready diced tomatoes.

Once the onions have started to brown, add in one pound of lean ground turkey. When the meat is almost finished, add in some chopped fresh cilantro.

Just after the meat has been browned, pour the contents of the pan into the CrockPot.

On top of the ground turkey mixture, add in the can of chickpeas, the undrained can of diced tomatoes, the can of tomato paste, and the taco sauce.

Stir it all up, cover, and turn on to high. It's going to cook for about 4 hours. The plan is to make some cheese sauce before dinner and heat up the refried beans. Then, on the table, we will set out the tortillas, shredded mozzarella cheese, green olives, the ground turkey mixture, Greek yogurt, and then the cheese sauce and refried beans. Is it dinnertime yet?? :)

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How did it turn out?? I've been keeping y'all in suspense, really sorry about that. :)
    It seems like 4 to 5 hours on high works well. With an hour left, I added in about a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and about a tablespoon of lime juice. It smelled so soul-warming!

     It turned out great! It was a wonderfully hearty yet figure-friendly filling for some soft tacos. We had refried beans, green olives, and shredded mozzarella wrapped up with it in some whole wheat tortillas. We topped them off with a good dollop of Greek yogurt and cheese sauce. Yumm!!

CrockPot Tuesday: January 4th

To utilize my slow cooker more, I have decided to devote every Tuesday to making a CrockPot dinner. A new year, a new challenge! 

   As you know by now, when it comes to cooking up dinners, I like to go into the kitchen without a plan--just an idea. Last night, I was looking for a recipe for inspiration or even to follow (hey, I didn't say I never use a recipe) but nothing was working for me. So when I went into the kitchen this morning while the girlies played together, all I knew was that I planned on using the beef that has been in my freezer for quite some time. 

   I started by drizzling some Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing in the bottom of a pan (that has a lid) over medium heat. I then dumped the frozen chuck beef in the pan and sprinkled kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over top. Then it was covered and left to cook up for a bit. I returned about 15 minutes later, flipped it over and replaced the lid. This time it probably went about 20 minutes, with me checking it occasionally. I was satisfied with how it looked after that; it was closer to being medium-rare. 
   When the beef was finished cooking, I turned it out onto the cutting board. Starting by cutting it into thick slices, I proceeded to cube it--still in large pieces. The juices on the board were tinged red so I left the juices on the board and placed the cubed beef in the CrockPot. The juices in the pan were a nice brown so I poured that into the CrockPot over the beef. 
   Now it is time to add the can of diced tomatoes, the can of chili beans, the can of vegetable broth, and about a cup of frozen peas and carrots. 

I diced up three peeled Russet potatoes and added those in as well. Set the CrockPot at low heat and stir up the contents, cover and let it go!

   With three hours to go, I decided to toss in about 1 cup of cooked rice. 

Now to cover it back up and let it finish for 6 o'clock dinnertime!

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    While this goodness slow-cooks up, let's look into what defines soup and stew, courtesy of an awesome Christmas present from my mother-in-law. The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion, written by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst, is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. For a bookworm and foodie, this is a fabulous gift! 

    Okay, getting back to comparing soup and stew. Reading in the Food Lover's Companion, soup is defined as "any combination of vegetables, meat or fish cooked in a liquid". There is no consistency or temperature that makes a soup, well, a soup. The flavor of soup can be enhanced by making it a day ahead and letting it refrigerate overnight, or adding a garnish before serving. So the term 'soup' could really be applied to most liquid-y things.

    Now we shall examine 'stew'. The basic gist of it is a soup that is cooked (or "stewed") for a long period of time. This allows tough meats to become tender and allows the flavors to become more enhanced and blended together.

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Final update: I'm sure you are all wondering how this turned out and how my picky eaters received it.

    It was fabulous! I loved it! My hubby loved it! My picky 4 year old actually asked for bites of it! (she was eating something else at the time) My 18-month old wanted the beans and peas from it! It was a huge success (yes, that is considered a success in my house, haha) and my husband loved it so much that he's having it for lunch after having it for dinner the night before! 

    Okay, so Kyleigh and I made whole wheat biscuits to go with the stew and they were finished and ready to consume at about 6 o'clock pm. The total cooking time for the beef stew was approximately from 10 o'clock that morning till 6 o'clock that evening, about 8 hours. After putting our servings into bowls, I topped each with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

    This was a wonderful, stick-to-your-ribs, warm-you-up-from-the-inside kind of meal. Very savory and comforting and all-around delish!

    I hope you will try this recipe, it is just that good!

Nearly done with the fantastic beef stew and biscuits!

Whole Wheat Biscuits

     3/4 cup butter, room temperature

     1 cup whole wheat flour

     2 cup white wheat flour

     2 tsp kosher salt

     3/4 tsp cream of tartar

     1 Tbsp baking powder

     1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

     1 1/2 tsp onion powder

     1 1/2 cup milk

     1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin tins and set aside.

  Slice the butter into pats and place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. (Or, put the sliced butter into a mixing bowl; proceed.)

  Add in the remaining ingredients except for the milk and cheese. 

  If using a stand mixer, beat the ingredients in the bowl together. As everything is coming together, beat the milk in a little at a time. Once all milk is incorporated, stir in the cheese. (If not using a stand mixer, use a pastry blender or two knives to cut butter up into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Then stir in the milk and cheese.)

  Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough into the prepared muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Place on a serving plate and enjoy!

25 Days of Christmas in Cookies

Day 20: Peanut Butter Candy Cups
      Recipe found on the blog of The Spiced Life




    Yep, another peanut butter cookie recipe. My father-in-law loves peanut butter, remember? :)




     1 cup shortening
     1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
     1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
     2 large eggs
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     1 cup smooth peanut butter
     1 cup white wheat flour
     2 cups all-purpose flour
     2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp salt


   Whisk together both flours, the baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
   In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the shortening and then beat in the peanut butter. When it is smooth and evenly blended, add the sugars and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. 
   Stir in the flour mixture. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, or until it is firm enough to roll into balls.


   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease the mini muffin tins, or line with mini paper cups. 
   Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place in the prepared mini muffin tins.
   Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and add the chocolate candy pieces or chocolate and peanut butter chips. Return to the oven for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges of the cookie cups are lightly browned.
   Remove from the oven and sprinkle the insides of the cups with M&Ms, Reece's Pieces, or mini marshmallows.
   Let cool in the muffin pans.
   Enjoy!!

25 Days of Christmas in Cookies

Day 5: Fudgie Mint Chip Cookies

      Found on TravelEatLove's blog. This recipe was originally from Cooking Light for Chewy Cocoa Fudge Cookies

    From time to time I wonder which yummy desserts I can make into cookies. I've fiddled with ideas but have yet to successfully transform a dessert into a scrumptious cookie. While I can't take all the credit for this particular transformation, it was a success! Which dessert does it resemble, you ask? My Mom's Layered Mint Fudge. It is a holiday tradition to have this fudge for as far back as I remember. The fudge is a rich, 3-layer deliciousness. The top and bottom layers are rich chocolate enclosing a layer of mint white chocolate. Going through the Christmas season without this fudge is unthinkable! So let's get to the cookie. 
    When biting into these cookies, the first thing you notice is the brownie-like crust immediately followed by the rich fudgy inside. Keep going and you discover gooey dark chocolate chips and gooey mint white chocolate chips. Oh my! This cookie was a perfect finish to lunch with its refreshing minty aftertaste. It is a delectable cookie with a light minty finish...so it is easy to have more than one!




makes about 17 cookies

    1/2 cup all purpose flour
    1/2 cup whole wheat flour
    1/4 tsp baking soda
    1/8 tsp salt
    5 Tbsp unsalted butter, sliced into pats
    7 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    2/3 cup granulated sugar
    1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
    1/3 cup Greek yogurt
    1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    3/4 cup dark chocolate & mint chip mix


  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the cookie sheets and set aside.

  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt; set aside.

  In the microwave for about 30 seconds, melt the butter. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, cocoa powder and both sugars. 

Stir in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour until it is all moist. 

Lastly, stir in the chips.

  Using a greased 2 Tbsp measuring spoon, scoop out the dough and drop onto the prepared sheets. Space out the balls of dough about 2 inches.

  Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pans for a few minutes to let them firm up. Then, transfer from the cookie sheets to the wire racks to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

  Here is my little helper..."cleaning" the whisk after we were finished

using it to mix up the sugars, cocoa powder and butter. :)