It's Almost Christmas!

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Sauerkraut, kielbasa, potatoes	Dinner with Family: Salad & appetizers Pear Pomegranate Spinach salad Winter fruit salad Bacon wrapped little smokies Bruschetta Cranberry meatballs cheese ball	Chicken tortilla soup	Orange Chicken Brown rice Broccoli Asian slaw	Beef stew	BBQ	Chicken lettuce wraps

Birthday Week Menu!

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs Rice Asian Slaw	Buttermilk Ranch Roasted Chicken and Potatoes Carrots Ranch	Tacos	Out to eat It’s My BIRTHDAY!!!	Balsamic Chicken and Vegetables Rice	Twice Baked Potatoes	Pepper Steak Rice

The Vegan Experiment

My husband, the carnivore, decided he wanted to try to lower his cholesterol.  He suggested a week of vegetarian meals, but I pointed out that there was a lot of cholesterol in animal products (like eggs and dairy) as well, so I (foolishly?) said that if was going to do it right, he needed to eat vegan.  So, this is from the week we all ate vegan (well, we are ate it when he was around...when he wasn't here, we turned into carnivorous beasts, devouring all the meat and dairy we could!).  I also found out that week that I was pregnant with twins...both boys!  So, it was an adventurous week for us!

After doing a lot of searches on Pinterest for vegan recipes, my husband perused the mouth-watering pictures, and chose the ones he thought looked the best.  That particular board also has vegetarian recipes on it though, so I have had to do some modifications to some of the recipes.  Next was shopping.  I figured I would start at WinCo to see what they had.  I was pleasantly surprised to find about 90% of the items on my list there!  After that, I headed to Sprouts, an expensive specialty organic grocery store (coincidentally, that is where I broke my finger while Thanksgiving shopping a year and a half ago).  I will post every day's menu, and if the recipe strays far from the original, I will include my own recipe with the review.

Sunday

Vegan Spinach Lasagna Roll

Breakfast: fasting
Lunch: zesty refried beans on a flour tortilla with tomatoes, red bell peppers, mushrooms, salsa, and cheddar cheese substitute.
Dinner: spinach lasagna rolls, bruschetta, garden salad

Lunch review: My husband said it was pretty good.  He didn't like the raw mushrooms.  He said he would have preferred it if they were sauteed to soften them up a little.

Dinner review: The lasagna rolls were a HIT!  We shared them with 4 of our friends (it made a lot more than the 9 rolls that the recipe says it will make...I used 2 boxes of noodles), and they said they never would have known they were vegan.  My husband said he wouldn't mind eating it more often.

Vegan Spinach Lasagna Rolls (based off of a combination of this recipe and this recipe)

Ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
• 1 block firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and fresh pepper
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• 9 tbsp (about 3 oz) Daiya mozzarella cheese substitute

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, tofu, olive oil, nutritional yeast, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of spinach mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp Daiya mozzarella. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls [Note: I did not put as much of the spinach mixture on the noodles, and I was able to make about 20 rolls, which easily fed 6 adults and 3 children, with left-overs for 2 lunches].

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

Balsamic Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 10 Roma or 4 regular tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 cup fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil (or one pouch), chopped
• 1/8 cup olive oil + extra for basting bread
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs crushed garlic
•  1 french baguette or french loaf, sliced
• Optional--2 cups of mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Chop up all of the ingredients except the bread & cheese and mix together.
2. Slice the bread into 1/4" slices.
3. Place the bread on a baking sheet, baste with olive oil, and cover each slice with cheese.
4. Broil bread until the cheese is melted.
5. Top the bread with the tomato mixture.

Monday

Spicy Asian Noodle Salad

Breakfast: toasted English muffins with peanut butter, smoothies with banana, frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches), vanilla soy milk, coconut milk, flax seed meal, oatmeal, vanilla, and sugar
Lunch: left-overs from Sunday's dinner

Dinner: Spicy Asian Noodle Salad.  I used whole wheat linguine noodles for the pasta.  For the dressing, I used jalapeños and I didn’t use cilantro (I did put some in the salad though).  Instead of mincing everything for the dressing, I just threw it all in the blender to make it smooth.

Dinner review: My husband doesn't like cilantro or onions (I chopped them really small so he wouldn't see them), and he instantly picked out the flavor.  But, I used them in the salad because I felt it was a major flavor enhancer.  This recipe makes A LOT!  We shared it with 3 other people, and they had enough to eat for a couple days.  2/3 of the people we shared it with requested the recipe.

Tuesday

Sweet Potato Veggie Burger

Breakfast—at mom’s

Lunch—Hummus with mixed chopped veggies

Dinner—Sweet Potato Veggie Burger I used 1 extra sweet potato because I was feeding 2 missionaries too, but this made it way too soft, so I had to add a lot more flour than the recipe called for.  I also added some Panko crumbs to the mixture as well.  We also had baked potato wedges and fruit salad based off of this recipe.

Dinner Review:  This was another hit.  My husband and the missionaries said they wouldn't mind eating it again.  It ended up making a lot, and it was filling, so my husband was able to eat them for a few days.  It would be interesting to try some other varieties of veggie burgers.  I've seen a lot of black bean options out there. 

Wednesday

Breakfast—hash browns with bell peppers and fake bacon

Lunch--leftovers

Dinner-- Southwestern eggrolls, Balsamic cucumber salad

Breakfast review: This also made a lot.  Everyone liked it, but my husband said it tasted much better with salsa.

Dinner review: I didn't get a chance to eat this dinner (OK...so, really, the babies had a major craving for Jack in the Box jalapeno poppers and a strawberry milkshake...), but I heard the eggrolls were a little bland.  It might have something to do with the fact that I forgot to add the cheese substitute...oops!  But, my husband said they were better with salsa...hmmmm...that sounds familiar!  He took the leftovers for lunch the next day, so they couldn't have been too bad.  However, the balsamic cucumber salad was a flop.  It probably has to do with the cilantro again.  I blended all the flavoring together so it was smooth, but the cilantro flavor was still pretty strong.

Thursday

Enchilada Casserole

Breakfast—slow cooker steel-cut oats with coconut milk, prunes, and dried apricots

Lunch—leftovers

Dinner—Black bean and chorizo enchiladas, Oven roasted garlic Brussels sprouts

Breakfast review: Nobody liked it, so I didn't even bother trying it. They even tried adding some maple syrup to it, and they still didn't like it.  Oh well...

Dinner review: This was the biggest hit of the week!  My husband LOVED it!  I was tired, so I made it into a casserole, layering all of the ingredients, instead of individually rolled enchiladas, but I think it turned out just fine.  Since I (and the kids) don't like mushrooms, my husband doesn't like the texture of onions, and my kids wouldn't be able to handle small bits of jalapenos, I blended them all up together until smooth instead of having them in chunks...nobody noticed they were eating things they didn't like.  My husband asked me to start making this weekly (that won't happen, but I will make it more often).  We shared it with our neighbor, and she said she didn't even realize it was vegan, and she asked for the recipe.  I know the Brussels sprouts didn't really "go" with the enchiladas, but they are my husband's favorite veggie, and I only like them when they are fresh and roasted, so I had to fit them in somewhere.

Friday

Breakfast—bagels with peanut butter, smoothies

Lunch—leftovers

Dinner—Spicy bean and rice burrito

OK...so between finding out I was having twins, my son starting karate, and a bunch of other things going on in our lives, I didn't have a chance to make this dinner.  There was still plenty of leftovers from the night before, so my husband ate that while the rest of us scrounged around for something to eat. I would like to try it soon though because it really looks good!

Overall, the week was a huge success!  My husband dropped his cholesterol 67 points in just 6 days!  He had one slip-up of eating a couple small pieces of milk chocolate, but he recognized his mistake, and moved on.  He now isn't liking the taste of meat/dairy as much, and is preferring to eat more vegan and vegetarian meals.  I'm not anywhere near ready to give up my Big Mac and other animal based proteins, but I don't mind incorporating more vegetarian and vegan meals into my weekly menu...for as long as I'm able to still cook (I'm anticipating going on bed rest soon due to the pregnancy).

Hbn

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I'm On a Roll!

Wahoo! 2 weeks in a row! :) Maybe I can get the hang of this consistency thing yet...I'm still not perfect, but I'm getting there. I think once I tackle all my big projects, I will be able to keep on top of the regular, every day things. Last week my big project was my closet and my craft area, both of which had lost their floors. I am proud to say that both have found them again! This past week I finally took down all the Christmas stuff and cleaned out under the stairs, which is now holiday central. I also pulled out all the clothes that were too small for the kids. This week I want to get rid of all the piles I have formed throughout the house. So, by this time next week, I should be pile-free!

OK...this is supposed to be a cooking blog, not a cleaning blog, so I'll get back on topic. The previous week we had some winners! I already mentioned some of the dishes I made, but there were some more good ones! I liked the flavor of the ratatouille with sweet Italian sausage, and the picture on Facebook got great reviews. There was a TON of ratatouille leftover though, and I'm not sure how much I would care for it without the sausage (I am for sure a carnivore).

The roasted chicken turned out great! I wish I could have enjoyed it fresh and hot, but I pulled it out of the oven right when I had to run out the door to a church meeting. But even eating it cold when I got back was good. it was very tender and perfectly cooked.

The minestrone was OK...but, like I said, I'm a meat-lover, so it could have used some browned ground meat in there...I think that would have put it over the top...of course, then it wouldn't have been minestrone soup anymore.

I did not have a chance to make the no noodle lasagna because we ended up having a guest who specially requested my tacos. Any visitor who has a favorite dish that I make, I try to please! :) So, I will be making it this Sunday. I also didn't make the cauliflower crust pizza because my husband went out of town, and I wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good low-carb recipe without him, so I made frozen pizzas instead ;) I moved them onto next week's menu.

The Parmesan chicken bake was good. As my sister suggested, I just eyeballed the ingredients. I did make my own marinara sauce instead of buying premade, and I thought it was pretty tasty. It is a nice alternative to the full-on Parmesan chicken, which takes a lot of effort. This way, you get the same flavors without all the work! I would recommend having extra sauce on hand to pour on top if you are serving this over spaghetti, as traditional Parmesan chicken is served.

The Chicken Paprikash was different. I didn't have the chance to make my own noodles, so I just cooked some egg noodles really quick. I liked the different flavor, and the kids loved the meat too! There was a lot of sauce, so I don't think it needed the extra broth. The sauce would have been good over the leftover noodles (there was no leftover meat), but, alas, I have a super efficient, wonderful husband who poured all that delicious sauce down the drain as he cleaned up from dinner...I guess I really can't complain too much!

Asian lettuce cups are always a big hit in my house. Unfortunately, my grocery store didn't have any fresh ginger, so I used powdered. I also just eyeballed all the ingredients and added as my taste buds seemed fit. I added shredded carrots and it was the perfect splash of color that the dish needed. We topped the lettuce cups (actually, more like a lettuce bowl) with chopped peanuts, scallions, and fried rice noodles. YUM!

Here is the next week's menu:

Sunday

TDF Roast Potatoes Carrots rolls

Monday

Crispy Cheddar Chicken (use roasted vegetable ritz and buttermilk) Penne pasta Green beans

Tuesday

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Wednesday

Lemon Chicken Garlic Rice Pilaf (brown rice?) Broccoli

Thursday

Slow Cooker San Francisco Pork Chops (double sauce) Mashed potatoes (twice baked) Garlic carrots

Friday

Carne Asada salad/nachos (romaine lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, olives) Low carb “chips”?

Just a quick note. As you are planning your meals and looking through all the recipe websites and blogs, always read the reviews or comments. I got some great ideas for variations of certain dishes this week that I'm excited to try! I'm especially looking forward to the carne asada salad/nachos, the twice baked mashed potatoes, and the crispy cheddar chicken! YUM!

Back on the Band Wagon!

It's a new year...time to get back on track! Any good New Year's Resolutions? Mine is consistency...I want to stay more on track with cooking, cleaning, and child rearing. So far, so good...of course, we haven't even made it a week yet...hopefully I won't burn out too quickly. My husband asked me where Tansy was the other night. I told him she stayed behind in 2011!

OK, so along with my resolutions, the hubsters wants to lose 25 lbs by the time his grandpa comes to visit in a couple months. So, back to no/low-carb meals. Thank goodness for Pinterest! I just did a search for "low-carb" and there were a ton of yummy-looking ideas to try out. I tried looking up low-carb recipes on AllRecipes, and their search engine for that category was seriously lacking...most of what you get is condiments.

As usual, I get to splurge on Mondays since it is just me and the kids, so we typically have an Italian something with noodles. Also, since Saturdays are usually a bit hectic, and we usually have a ton of leftovers in the fridge, I'm designating Saturdays as leftover day. If we don't have enough leftovers, we can order pizza or go out to eat. Or, if we don't get to something planned during the week, I can make it on Saturday instead.

Here is this week's menu:

Sunday

Black eyed pea gumbo Buttermilk cornbread salad

Monday

Pesto chicken Florentine with sun dried tomatoes salad

Tuesday

Tacos

Wednesday

Greek chicken salad Dressing

Thursday

Rotisserie chicken Carrots potatoes

Friday

Minestrone soup

So far, I've made the gumbo, chicken Florentine, tacos, and Greek chicken salad. The gumbo was OK. I used dried beans that I started soaking the night before and I added creole seasoning to the gumbo. The rice needed more liquid and more cook time, even though I cooked it much longer than it asked for. The chicken Florentine was a good, quick meal. I used jarred Alfredo sauce to make it one step easier. I think it would be really good if I used home made Alfredo and pesto sauces. I think Our Best Bites has a good Alfredo sauce, if I remember correctly....I also used a full bag of spinach and added sun dried tomatoes. Unfortunately, I had to deal with a kid with the stomach flu right as we sat down to eat, so I had to eat mine cold. I bet it would have been really good when it was hot!

Tacos is always an interesting discussion in our house...and it was when I was growing up too. We currently have a German exchange student living with us, and he asked me how my tacos always looked so perfect and the filling never falls out...why, thank you! For starters, you eat tacos from the side, not the top! ;) But, the rest, I believe, is all in the construction. There were quite a few heated debates at the dinner table when I was younger about the proper taco filling order. I still stand by my order: meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, scallions (most folks call them green onions, but they're really scallions...), sour cream, salsa. Really, there is no other way, no matter what other people try to tell you!

We had the Greek chicken salad yesterday. I scaled back the dressing to 10 servings, but then had to make a second batch. I used one batch for marinading the chicken, and the other for us to put on the salad. I used equal vinegar to oil, and I emulsified the oil into the rest of the dressing in the blender. I did add lettuce to the salad to make it more filling. The dressing was good...but I like the Our Best Bites Greek dressing much better. But, for a quick, easy dressing with me having all the ingredients on hand, it wasn't too bad!

The chicken for tonight's dinner is setting up in the fridge right now, and in a little while I'm going to pop it in the oven to roast nice and slow. I have a feeling that my house is going to smell amazing for the rest of the day! Too bad I got the kids' cold, and I can't smell much of anything right now.

Part of my resolution is to plan my menus on Thursdays and shop on Mondays, so I'm not stressing on getting my grocery list together before I go to the grocery store, leaving me plenty of time to shop while the older 2 are in school. So, here is next week's menu:

Sunday

No noodle lasagna (add sliced zucchini, use fresh spinach) Marinara sauce (double batch) Garlic bread salad

Monday

Parmesan Chicken Bake Spaghetti salad

(Idea courtesy of Cecily...she said to ignore the bad reviews it got...she loved it! I'm assuming she did some sort of GF breadding for it instead of the croutons.)

Tuesday

Italian Sausages with Ratatouille

Wednesday

Chicken Paprikash Nokedli salad

Thursday

Asian lettuce cups

Friday

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Next week I'll let you know how the foods have turned out!