Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Ratatouille with Crepes

new fall(/late summer) favorite!
(Wish I had a nice fancy camera and could take impressive photos- but I don't. So here you go.)

We made these the second time last night for dinner. They are scrumptious!

1 recipe savory crepes from the Joy of Cooking, substituting 1/2 the flour with white whole wheat flour

1/2 large eggplant or one small one, sliced
1 bunch beet stems. (greens and beets used elsewhere. just the stems) washed and chopped in 1 inch lengths
1 bell pepper, chopped (used green the first time, orangey-red the second)
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 can diced tomatoes or 2 diced fresh tomatoes if they still happen to be in season
fresh herbs would be fantastic, but I used dried basil, italian seasoning, and salt & pepper
grated cheese (first time, Parmesan. second time, mozzerella. Just 'cause that's what we had. Both were delish)
(sliced mushrooms would be awesome, also zucchini if you had it. Ooh, and I bet some toasted pine nuts would be divine if you're a big spender like that.)

1. salt both sides of your eggplant slices and let drain in a colander for about a half hour. give it a light rinse and then press with paper towels to dry as much as you can, and then dice. Toss lightly with olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil for 4 minutes, toss, broil for another 4 minutes, toss, broil 4 minutes more.
2. meanwhile, sautee onion in a splash of olive oil. Add beet stems and bell pepper and saute until soft. Add tomatoes & seasonings. Stir in roasted eggplant. Keep warm.
3. make crepes! You'll have to ask Matt for a tutorial on those. They're his masterpiece. I've never attempted.
4. put some veggies in each crepe, top with a sprinkling of cheese, and roll up! You can top with more veggies and cheese if you want it pretty :)

Let me know if you try these! Yum-o!

Monday, October 18, 2010

I'm Running! I'm Running!


I especially enjoy his little warm up head shake before the big event.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Saturday, October 9, 2010

October Resolutions

So, I can't really believe that my new years resolutions have brought me to October already. Wow, time seriously flies.

The Recap:
January - read through the bible in a year. 
February - use the cash envelope system.
March - watch internet time.
April - walk whenever possible.
May - stockpile the freezer. OAMC style.
June- have a healthy baby and try to stay sane.
July - ban high fructose corn syrup from our house.
August- try one "deceptively delicious" type recipe a day.
September - journal pray as a daily part of my quiet times. (SO great, by the way!)
October - so long, corn-fed beef.

that's right, we bought a quarter cow!  Well, an eighth.  We're splitting it with my sister.  And I'm going to make it last for the year. I could probably go on and on about why we decided to do this, but for the sake of time I'm not going to. I am, however, going to recommend two books to you that I've read over the past couple months which have helped nudge me in the right direction: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan.  Both were great reads, and I highly recommend them!

How are you doing on YOUR new years resolutions?

Autumn Meal Plan

So, this is my version of meal planning. A lot of moms I've talked to have told me it's a great idea (maybe they were just being polite? Decide for yourself!) It's been working for me for about a year and a half, so maybe it'll be able to help you too. :) If you're looking for help in this area, anyway.
Basically, it's a lot of work up front, and then pretty much no work ever again. At least that's what I tell myself. I come up with 28 seasonal meals (summer is full of farmer's market produce and BBQ's, fall is full of squash and casseroles, etc.) and then plot them out on a four week calendar. (it's okay to have a few repeats of favorites.) Then I just rotate through those four weeks about three times, lasting an entire season. This way, I actually "meal plan" only once for each season. Each week, I write the planned menu on a white board on the fridge, and if there's a new recipe I want to try I can swap it out for a day. Or if on tuesday I'd rather make thursday's dinner, that's fine too. Switch it up. Over the past year and a half, I've also filled in breakfast, snack, and lunch ideas so that I'm not constantly wondering what to make for my kid all day long. It adds some variety. I stick to these far less than the dinner plans, but I like having them available like a little security blanket.
All that being said, here is my newly revised Autumn Meal Plan. (I like the word "autumn" more than the word "fall." Does that make me weird?)

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Brkfst

oatmeal

Pancakes & banana

Cereal

Toast & eggs

Banana, oatmeal

Scones

Veggie & cheese omelet

AM

Crackers @ church

Yogurt & blueberries

yogurt

banana

yogurt

banana

Yogurt & peaches

Lunch

Spaghetti, broccoli,

Orange segments

Rice & lentils, steamed carrots

Chicken & black bean quesadilla,

Applesauce, squash

Fish sticks

Orange segments

Peas

Cheese sandwich, sweet potato

Tomato soup, green beans, pears

Left overs

PM

Kefir smoothie

Cheese cubes

O’s

Kefir smoothie

apricots, peas

yogurt

String cheese

Dinner

Saute’ed beet greens & stems w/ white beans, bread

Garlic salmon, rice pilaf, broccoli

Ratatouille with savory crepes

Classy chicken w/ zucchini pasta or spaghetti squash, bread

curry rice & kidney beans, sweet corn

pizza

Enchiladas,

Sweet potatoes

dessert

Baked apples

Brkfst

oatmeal

Pancakes & bananas

Cereal

Breakfast burrito

Berries, oatmeal

Bagels & cream cheese

German pancakes

AM

Crackers @ church

yogurt

Cinnamon applesauce

Apple

Yogurt

banana

Yogurt & plums

Lunch

PB&J, apple, green beans

Rice & lentils, steamed carrots, pears

Beets & tofu

Quesadilla

Turkey sandwich, pears

Minestrone

Left overs

PM

Kefir smoothie

Cheese & rice crackers

O’s , peaches

Kefir smoothie

O’s & string cheese

Peaches & yogurt

banana

Dinner

Chicken makhani, sweet corn & onion rice, saute’d carrots

maple salmon, quinoa, artichoke or acorn squash

Veg chili with baked potatoes or corn bread & sweet potato

Skillet ziti with chicken & broccoli

Spanish rice bake, zucchini

pizza

Butternut squash risotto

dessert

Poached pears

Brkfst

oatmeal

Pancakes & blueberries

Cereal

Omelet

Banana & oatmeal

Muffins, blueberries

Waffles, banana

AM

Crackers @ church

Yogurt

yogurt

applesauce

yogurt

yogurt

yogurt

Lunch

quesadilla

Ravioli, lima beans

Ham sandwich, sweet potato

Hummus & pita, steamed carrots

Beets & tofu, milk

Chicken noodle soup, peas, plums, milk

Sweet potato burritos

PM

Kefir smoothie

String cheese

avocado

Kefir smoothie

O’s, apricots

Cheese cubes, rice cracker

String cheese

Dinner

Tofu parmesean, fresh pasta, green beans

Teriyaki salmon, stir fry veg, rice

Creamy chicken tortilla soup, salad

Pumpkin ravioli or lasagna, roasted Brussels sprouts

thai fried rice w/ shrimp & chicken, broccoli

Pizza

Spaghetti

broccoli

dessert

Apples in a blanket

Brkfst

oatmeal

Pancakes, banana

Cereal

Egg English muffin blueberries

banana & oatmeal

Bagel & cream cheese

German pancakes

am

Crackers @ church

yogurt

yogurt

apple

yogurt

yogurt

yogurt

Lunch

mac & squeeze, broccoli, grapes

Rice & coconut lentils, steamed carrots, pears

Tuna sandwich,

Cheese cubes

Caesar salad with steak & tortellini pears

Beets & tofu, Peaches

Tortilla soup, avocado

Left overs

PM

Kefir smoothie

O‘s, string cheese

Cracker, peaches

Kefir smoothie

String cheese, O’s

Steamed peas & carrots

String cheese

Dinner

Penne russo ala vodka, salad, bread

Pan seared steaks with saute’d mushrooms (save ½ for Wed lunch), mashed potato, broccoli

tilapia with coconut curry, rice, squash, green beans

white bean & spinach soup, bread

Chicken Tetrazini, rolls, peas

pizza

Chicken teriyaki, stir fry veg, rice

dessert

Sweedish apple pie



I also have many of the recipes on the bottom of the page for easy reference. Dinner made easy!