This is not a recipe for those looking for low fat... this is far from it. But it is oh.so.yummy!
Butter Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs, beaten
2 c crushed buttery round crackers crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c butter, cut into pieces
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and pepper. Dip chicken in the eggs then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.
Arrange coated chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Place pieces of butter around chicken.
Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Lunch Box Ideas
This August Lady Bug will start kindergarten. She will go all day (8:45 am until 3:15 pm) and will be eating lunch at the school. So as the first day of school gets closer and closer, I decided now would be a good time to put together this little lunch box idea list!
The boys often help me decide what goes in their lunches each day and some days they even pack their own. They sit down with me when I am doing the meal plan to help me decide what will be in their lunch boxes each day. I created a little check off list that has a columns for the main dish, side items, fruits and veggies for them to check off what they want for lunches each day. They don't particularly like school lunches so we only do school lunch in a pinch.
Here are some ideas we use often in our house. Our basic lunch box has one main meal or sandwich, one fruit, two additional side items (one of which is considered "dessert" but may be just a graham cracker or a cookie) and one veggie.
MAIN DISH:
*Bean & Cheese Burrito - Warm up tortilla just a little so that it doesn't split when you roll it. Add warm beans and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up. Wrap tightly in foil. Place foil wrapped burrito in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes or so to make sure it is thoroughly warmed. I then wrap this in a paper towel and place it in the kids insulated lunch box.
*Pizza Rolls - Using store bought Pizza Rolls, I warm up 4-5 per roll (per kid) on a plate in the microwave. Wrap these tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Pizza Bagel Bites - Bake according to directions. Wrap tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Meat Roll-ups - Take a slice of deli meat and place a thin slice of cheese on top and then roll up. Place in the reusable sandwich keeper. I make 2-3 roll up per child. {I like to take a slice of turkey, then a slice of ham, then a slice of large pepperoni or salami and then the cheese}
*Spaghetti - I use a thermos and left over spaghetti noodles for this meal. I bring water to a boil (either on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave) then add the noodles for a few minutes to warm them up (since they are already cooked). You can either stir in sauce at this point OR my kids also like just butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese sometimes too. Place some in the thermos (remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the noodles, this will help keep the noodles warm until lunch time) and be sure to pack a fork too or your child might be a buttery mess later!
*Almost any left over will work if you use a thermos to keep it hot/cold. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the food, dump out the water just before adding in the warm food, this will help keep the food warm until lunch time.
*Soup - In the colder months we eat a lot of homemade soups and I send the left overs in a thermos for the kids. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are warming up the soup, this will help keep the soup warm until lunch time.
*Taco Salad - for a quick dinner I often make this simple taco salad. It packs up well for the kids to take left overs for lunch. I pack the chips in a baggie and they can crush them at school and add the toppings at school. I pack the lettuce and tomato in a separate container as well. But the limited amount of assembly works well for school. Warm up the beans/meat mixture and store in a thermos. {One mom told me she does a similar thing but sends a small individual sized bag of Nacho Doritos and the kids add in the other ingredients right into the bag to eat. I have not tried this yet, but sounds pretty good!}
SANDWICHES:
Lefty has told me he prefers a sandwich without the bread because the bread gets too soggy, so I have tried a couple tricks over time that seem to help this matter (he will now eat a sandwich with bread, but still prefers it without bread). Trick #1 - I put the "soggy" stuff on the inside. For instance, put a little peanut butter on each side of the bread then put jelly on, this way the jelly never touches the bread, or with deli meat sandwich, put the meat up against the bread the condiments on the meat so that the condiments never touch the bread. Trick #2 - Whole grain breads tend to stay sturdy longer. Trick #3 - Wrap the sandwich in wax paper instead of a sandwich baggie, I read this somewhere before and I have no idea why it works, but it does.
*Peanut Butter and Jelly
*Deli meat and cheese
*Bagel sandwiches - use a bagel and top with your child's favorite sandwich toppings
Wrap sandwiches: - use a tortilla (for these sandwiches my favorites are wheat tortillas or spinach tortillas). Be sure to warm up the tortilla just a bit so it doesn't split when you roll it up. There are plenty of ways to make these, but here are a couple ways I make them. **Note: I stay away from too many tomatoes or cucumbers in a wrap sandwich, only because they tend to make the wrap the mushy sometimes.
1. Meat Wrap with Avocado - Take an avocado and mash it. Spread this on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
2. Meat Wrap with Dressing - Spread a small amount of ranch or italian dressing on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
3. Turkey and Bacon Wrap - Cook 4 slices of bacon and drain off grease. Lay sliced turkey and a slice of your favorite cheese (I use colby jack or pepperjack) on a tortilla. Place bacon strips on top. Roll up tortilla and fold up bottom to secure. Heat up a tsp of olive oil in a pan. When oil is hot, lay turkey wrap, seam side down in the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned. Wrap tightly in foil and place in insulated lunch box.
4. BLT Wrap - Mix together a little cream cheese and mayonnaise (about 1-2 oz of cream cheese and about 1 Tbls mayo). Spread this mixture on the tortilla. In another bowl, stir together 1-2 tomatoes (that have been seeded and chopped), 1 avocado, chopped (optional), lettuce, chopped (sometimes I use left over salad greens), 5-6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, and a little bit of ranch dressing. Mix this together well and place on the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly (for this I use plastic wrap) and place in the insulated lunch box.
5. Quick Veggie Wrap - Take a bag of mixed salad greens and mix together with your favorite dressing (my kids like ranch) place in the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
6. Cheesy Veggie Wrap - Another thing I like to do is spread a thin layer of Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese on a wrap tortilla or a wheat tortilla and then put some deli meat and cheese and even some sprouts and lettuce, then roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
7. Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap - Take your tortilla and spread creamy peanut butter on it, then a layer of jelly. Roll up. You can serve it just like this or you can cut it into bite-sized pieces if desired.
Pita Bread Sandwiches: - you can use pita pocket bread for any type of sandwich. My favorite pita is wheat. Use your favorite sandwich toppings, or some listed above or some of these listed below:
1. Tuna Salad Pita - I make mine using canned (and drained of course) tuna, stir in a little bit of mayonnaise and some pickle relish. Quick, easy and not fancy at all.
2. Chicken Salad Pita - I use shredded left over chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Mix together with some mayonnaise, a tsp or so of lemon juice, dash of pepper, handful of slivered almonds, 1 celery stalked diced. Place a little bit of lettuce inside pita pocket and sliced tomatoes if desired. Add in chicken salad. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
3. Taco Pitas - Using left over taco meat this is a great sandwich! I spread some sour cream (and sometimes a little guacamole too) on the inside of the pita. Fill with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, then the warmed taco meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap tightly in foil.
4. Turkey and Hummus Pita - Spread hummus (we like the spicy red pepper hummus on this sandwich) on the inside of the pita pocket. Add in some cucumber, peeled and sliced, a tomato or two peeled and sliced, some deli sliced turkey and a little shredded lettuce. Top off with shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese (you can use swiss slices instead if you want).
SIDE ITEMS:
*Fruit - I always include a piece of fruit. Apples, orange, grapes, kiwi slices (be sure to place these in a small reusable container to keep them from becoming too mushy), banana. Bananas can get mushed up inside a lunch box sometimes so I don't do these very often. If you have some small reusable containers you can make a small fruit salad to put in the lunch box. Since my kids lunch time is only about 15-20 minutes of eating time I like to peel and/or cut the fruits to save them the time and hassle at lunch.
*Chips, crackers or pretzels - when serving a sandwich I always include a small bag of chips. I don't like to use the pre-packaged bags because they are always too many chips for my kids. I prefer to buy a large bag and divide up into our own small bags. My kids like animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, chips, goldfish crackers, ritz crackers (I serve these especially with meat roll ups), wheat thins... the list goes on.
*Granola bars - homemade or store bought are great in lunches.
*Fruit snacks - I have these on hand and throw them in for a little treat now and again.
*Trail mix (also known as Gorp) - homemade or store bought, this is a great perk-me-up item to put in lunches.
A favorite of ours is 1 cup of each of the following: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, mini pretzels, oyster crackers, cheese puff balls, M&M's. Mix all together and put into little baggies.
Since my kids love popcorn too, I will make some airpopped popcorn, add to it a little cinnamon/sugar, a few thin pretzel sticks, some M&M's and some Teddy Grahams. Mix it all together and put into little baggies.
This is another good recipe for Gorp with Cheerios, raisins, and a little chocolate in there too!
*Cookie or other dessert - I will throw in one cookie or one small dessert item in the kids lunches almost every day. A dessert item might be a cookie or it might be a graham cracker or it might be a piece of small candy. I want them to have a mostly healthy lunch, but don't mind throwing in the special item too. I am fortunate enough to have good eaters so it doesn't bother me to give a small treat.
*Dried fruit pieces
*Homemade fruit cups
* Popcorn
* Cheese Stick
* Make your own jello and pudding cups. They are sometimes hard to find these days, but if you can find the yogurt cups with replaceable lids, wash them out (after eating the yogurt of course!) and make jello or pudding to fill them. I only fill them about half way or so because my kids won't eat more than that. Replace the lid and set in the fridge until ready to serve. If you can't find the yogurt cups with lids, you can purchase the Glad containers with lids in the small size for this, they work just as well.
DRINK:
I usually pack a water bottle or a juice box. I know there are complaints about some of the juice boxes being too full of sugar and I am careful of which ones I buy, but I am so lucky that my kids love milk and water that I don't worry too much about a sugary drink here and there. We are also lucky in that the school has a rack of free milk. These milk cartons are from kids who bought hot lunch but didn't open their milk, instead of throwing the milk away they are encouraged to put it on this rack and then other kids can drink it so my kids will often come home with an unopened drink because they chose milk instead.
If you freeze the juice boxes or water bottles slightly they will act as an "ice pack" in the lunch box and be thawed out perfectly in time for lunch OR try these, I haven't made any but they look easy and cheap enough to make several to have on hand.
I am linking up to Works For Me Wednesday - click here for lots of tips and ideas!
The boys often help me decide what goes in their lunches each day and some days they even pack their own. They sit down with me when I am doing the meal plan to help me decide what will be in their lunch boxes each day. I created a little check off list that has a columns for the main dish, side items, fruits and veggies for them to check off what they want for lunches each day. They don't particularly like school lunches so we only do school lunch in a pinch.
Here are some ideas we use often in our house. Our basic lunch box has one main meal or sandwich, one fruit, two additional side items (one of which is considered "dessert" but may be just a graham cracker or a cookie) and one veggie.
MAIN DISH:
*Bean & Cheese Burrito - Warm up tortilla just a little so that it doesn't split when you roll it. Add warm beans and sprinkle with some cheese. Roll up. Wrap tightly in foil. Place foil wrapped burrito in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes or so to make sure it is thoroughly warmed. I then wrap this in a paper towel and place it in the kids insulated lunch box.
*Pizza Rolls - Using store bought Pizza Rolls, I warm up 4-5 per roll (per kid) on a plate in the microwave. Wrap these tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Pizza Bagel Bites - Bake according to directions. Wrap tightly in foil and place in lunch box.
*Meat Roll-ups - Take a slice of deli meat and place a thin slice of cheese on top and then roll up. Place in the reusable sandwich keeper. I make 2-3 roll up per child. {I like to take a slice of turkey, then a slice of ham, then a slice of large pepperoni or salami and then the cheese}
*Spaghetti - I use a thermos and left over spaghetti noodles for this meal. I bring water to a boil (either on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave) then add the noodles for a few minutes to warm them up (since they are already cooked). You can either stir in sauce at this point OR my kids also like just butter and freshly grated parmesan cheese sometimes too. Place some in the thermos (remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the noodles, this will help keep the noodles warm until lunch time) and be sure to pack a fork too or your child might be a buttery mess later!
*Almost any left over will work if you use a thermos to keep it hot/cold. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are making the food, dump out the water just before adding in the warm food, this will help keep the food warm until lunch time.
*Soup - In the colder months we eat a lot of homemade soups and I send the left overs in a thermos for the kids. Remember to let some warm water sit inside the thermos while you are warming up the soup, this will help keep the soup warm until lunch time.
*Taco Salad - for a quick dinner I often make this simple taco salad. It packs up well for the kids to take left overs for lunch. I pack the chips in a baggie and they can crush them at school and add the toppings at school. I pack the lettuce and tomato in a separate container as well. But the limited amount of assembly works well for school. Warm up the beans/meat mixture and store in a thermos. {One mom told me she does a similar thing but sends a small individual sized bag of Nacho Doritos and the kids add in the other ingredients right into the bag to eat. I have not tried this yet, but sounds pretty good!}
SANDWICHES:
Lefty has told me he prefers a sandwich without the bread because the bread gets too soggy, so I have tried a couple tricks over time that seem to help this matter (he will now eat a sandwich with bread, but still prefers it without bread). Trick #1 - I put the "soggy" stuff on the inside. For instance, put a little peanut butter on each side of the bread then put jelly on, this way the jelly never touches the bread, or with deli meat sandwich, put the meat up against the bread the condiments on the meat so that the condiments never touch the bread. Trick #2 - Whole grain breads tend to stay sturdy longer. Trick #3 - Wrap the sandwich in wax paper instead of a sandwich baggie, I read this somewhere before and I have no idea why it works, but it does.
*Peanut Butter and Jelly
*Deli meat and cheese
*Bagel sandwiches - use a bagel and top with your child's favorite sandwich toppings
Wrap sandwiches: - use a tortilla (for these sandwiches my favorites are wheat tortillas or spinach tortillas). Be sure to warm up the tortilla just a bit so it doesn't split when you roll it up. There are plenty of ways to make these, but here are a couple ways I make them. **Note: I stay away from too many tomatoes or cucumbers in a wrap sandwich, only because they tend to make the wrap the mushy sometimes.
1. Meat Wrap with Avocado - Take an avocado and mash it. Spread this on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
2. Meat Wrap with Dressing - Spread a small amount of ranch or italian dressing on the tortilla. Top with some lettuce leaves (I prefer Romaine, but any kind would work), sliced deli meat, cucumber slices and colby jack cheese sprinkled on top. Roll up. Cut in half (my kids only eat a half at a time because the tortillas are so large)
3. Turkey and Bacon Wrap - Cook 4 slices of bacon and drain off grease. Lay sliced turkey and a slice of your favorite cheese (I use colby jack or pepperjack) on a tortilla. Place bacon strips on top. Roll up tortilla and fold up bottom to secure. Heat up a tsp of olive oil in a pan. When oil is hot, lay turkey wrap, seam side down in the skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is browned. Wrap tightly in foil and place in insulated lunch box.
4. BLT Wrap - Mix together a little cream cheese and mayonnaise (about 1-2 oz of cream cheese and about 1 Tbls mayo). Spread this mixture on the tortilla. In another bowl, stir together 1-2 tomatoes (that have been seeded and chopped), 1 avocado, chopped (optional), lettuce, chopped (sometimes I use left over salad greens), 5-6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, and a little bit of ranch dressing. Mix this together well and place on the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly (for this I use plastic wrap) and place in the insulated lunch box.
5. Quick Veggie Wrap - Take a bag of mixed salad greens and mix together with your favorite dressing (my kids like ranch) place in the center of the tortilla. Roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
6. Cheesy Veggie Wrap - Another thing I like to do is spread a thin layer of Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese on a wrap tortilla or a wheat tortilla and then put some deli meat and cheese and even some sprouts and lettuce, then roll up, cut in half and wrap tightly.
7. Peanut Butter & Jelly Wrap - Take your tortilla and spread creamy peanut butter on it, then a layer of jelly. Roll up. You can serve it just like this or you can cut it into bite-sized pieces if desired.
Pita Bread Sandwiches: - you can use pita pocket bread for any type of sandwich. My favorite pita is wheat. Use your favorite sandwich toppings, or some listed above or some of these listed below:
1. Tuna Salad Pita - I make mine using canned (and drained of course) tuna, stir in a little bit of mayonnaise and some pickle relish. Quick, easy and not fancy at all.
2. Chicken Salad Pita - I use shredded left over chicken breast or rotisserie chicken. Mix together with some mayonnaise, a tsp or so of lemon juice, dash of pepper, handful of slivered almonds, 1 celery stalked diced. Place a little bit of lettuce inside pita pocket and sliced tomatoes if desired. Add in chicken salad. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
3. Taco Pitas - Using left over taco meat this is a great sandwich! I spread some sour cream (and sometimes a little guacamole too) on the inside of the pita. Fill with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, then the warmed taco meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap tightly in foil.
4. Turkey and Hummus Pita - Spread hummus (we like the spicy red pepper hummus on this sandwich) on the inside of the pita pocket. Add in some cucumber, peeled and sliced, a tomato or two peeled and sliced, some deli sliced turkey and a little shredded lettuce. Top off with shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese (you can use swiss slices instead if you want).
SIDE ITEMS:
*Fruit - I always include a piece of fruit. Apples, orange, grapes, kiwi slices (be sure to place these in a small reusable container to keep them from becoming too mushy), banana. Bananas can get mushed up inside a lunch box sometimes so I don't do these very often. If you have some small reusable containers you can make a small fruit salad to put in the lunch box. Since my kids lunch time is only about 15-20 minutes of eating time I like to peel and/or cut the fruits to save them the time and hassle at lunch.
*Chips, crackers or pretzels - when serving a sandwich I always include a small bag of chips. I don't like to use the pre-packaged bags because they are always too many chips for my kids. I prefer to buy a large bag and divide up into our own small bags. My kids like animal crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, chips, goldfish crackers, ritz crackers (I serve these especially with meat roll ups), wheat thins... the list goes on.
*Granola bars - homemade or store bought are great in lunches.
*Fruit snacks - I have these on hand and throw them in for a little treat now and again.
*Trail mix (also known as Gorp) - homemade or store bought, this is a great perk-me-up item to put in lunches.
A favorite of ours is 1 cup of each of the following: Rice Chex, Corn Chex, mini pretzels, oyster crackers, cheese puff balls, M&M's. Mix all together and put into little baggies.
Since my kids love popcorn too, I will make some airpopped popcorn, add to it a little cinnamon/sugar, a few thin pretzel sticks, some M&M's and some Teddy Grahams. Mix it all together and put into little baggies.
*Cookie or other dessert - I will throw in one cookie or one small dessert item in the kids lunches almost every day. A dessert item might be a cookie or it might be a graham cracker or it might be a piece of small candy. I want them to have a mostly healthy lunch, but don't mind throwing in the special item too. I am fortunate enough to have good eaters so it doesn't bother me to give a small treat.
*Dried fruit pieces
*Homemade fruit cups
* Popcorn
* Cheese Stick
* Make your own jello and pudding cups. They are sometimes hard to find these days, but if you can find the yogurt cups with replaceable lids, wash them out (after eating the yogurt of course!) and make jello or pudding to fill them. I only fill them about half way or so because my kids won't eat more than that. Replace the lid and set in the fridge until ready to serve. If you can't find the yogurt cups with lids, you can purchase the Glad containers with lids in the small size for this, they work just as well.
DRINK:
I usually pack a water bottle or a juice box. I know there are complaints about some of the juice boxes being too full of sugar and I am careful of which ones I buy, but I am so lucky that my kids love milk and water that I don't worry too much about a sugary drink here and there. We are also lucky in that the school has a rack of free milk. These milk cartons are from kids who bought hot lunch but didn't open their milk, instead of throwing the milk away they are encouraged to put it on this rack and then other kids can drink it so my kids will often come home with an unopened drink because they chose milk instead.
If you freeze the juice boxes or water bottles slightly they will act as an "ice pack" in the lunch box and be thawed out perfectly in time for lunch OR try these, I haven't made any but they look easy and cheap enough to make several to have on hand.
I am linking up to Works For Me Wednesday - click here for lots of tips and ideas!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Weekend in Review
Our weekend was fairly relaxing and I love those kind of weekends (this weekend coming up won't be as quiet with birthday parties to go to, hair appointments, errands to run, etc.)!
Friday night Mr. Man had to work late but took us all out to dinner when he got home! Nice reward for us! We also did some car shopping, I found two I really liked but they were a little out of our current price range.
Saturday morning we slept in a little bit and then Spirit and I took a jog (I walked some and jogged some) which felt good! After a simple breakfast Lady Bug and I ran to the grocery store. When we got home to unload the groceries the boys were all gone. Apparently, Mr. Man had taken the boys on a bike ride to scope out some garage sales. They have a small fort (built in a neighbors shed, with neighbors permission of course) and so they wanted some tables and a rug to sit on. They found some deals -- even found a free table-- so they came home to get the van and go back for the stuff.
Saturday evening we allowed the kids to have two neighbor boys sleep over. They watched movies and ate popcorn and candy. About midnight I had to go tell them to settle down and go to sleep. I didn't hear anything else, but it was clear they didn't sleep much. They also made a HUGE mess with popcorn. So Sunday morning I made the kids clean up and vacuum, there were lots of tears (due to the tiredness) and pouting over having to clean up.
Sunday afternoon we all laid down to rest. I told the kids they had to lay down for 15 minutes and if they fell asleep I wouldn't let them sleep too long but if they didn't fall asleep they would have an early bedtime. All 3 kids were asleep as soon as their head hit the pillow! Amazing! {and yet, they insisted they weren't tired! hmmmm!} Lefty slept THREE hours and I woke him up - repeatedly, he just kept falling back to sleep! Lady Bug slept about an hour and a half and Spirit slept about an hour.
Side note: we STILL can't find our camera?!
Friday night Mr. Man had to work late but took us all out to dinner when he got home! Nice reward for us! We also did some car shopping, I found two I really liked but they were a little out of our current price range.
Saturday morning we slept in a little bit and then Spirit and I took a jog (I walked some and jogged some) which felt good! After a simple breakfast Lady Bug and I ran to the grocery store. When we got home to unload the groceries the boys were all gone. Apparently, Mr. Man had taken the boys on a bike ride to scope out some garage sales. They have a small fort (built in a neighbors shed, with neighbors permission of course) and so they wanted some tables and a rug to sit on. They found some deals -- even found a free table-- so they came home to get the van and go back for the stuff.
Saturday evening we allowed the kids to have two neighbor boys sleep over. They watched movies and ate popcorn and candy. About midnight I had to go tell them to settle down and go to sleep. I didn't hear anything else, but it was clear they didn't sleep much. They also made a HUGE mess with popcorn. So Sunday morning I made the kids clean up and vacuum, there were lots of tears (due to the tiredness) and pouting over having to clean up.
Sunday afternoon we all laid down to rest. I told the kids they had to lay down for 15 minutes and if they fell asleep I wouldn't let them sleep too long but if they didn't fall asleep they would have an early bedtime. All 3 kids were asleep as soon as their head hit the pillow! Amazing! {and yet, they insisted they weren't tired! hmmmm!} Lefty slept THREE hours and I woke him up - repeatedly, he just kept falling back to sleep! Lady Bug slept about an hour and a half and Spirit slept about an hour.
Side note: we STILL can't find our camera?!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Friday Recipe - Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorites! My family loves it too, but I could eat it more often than they would like to!
Chicken Parmesan
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 Tbls butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
mozzerella cheese slices
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
cooked spaghetti
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
Pour spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place cooked chicken on top of sauce. Lay mozzerella cheese slices over the top of chicken. Place slices of bell pepper on top of cheese. Place in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts over chicken. Serve with spaghetti and sauce.
Chicken Parmesan
INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 Tbls butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
mozzerella cheese slices
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
cooked spaghetti
In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. In a large skillet, brown chicken in butter over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
Pour spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place cooked chicken on top of sauce. Lay mozzerella cheese slices over the top of chicken. Place slices of bell pepper on top of cheese. Place in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts over chicken. Serve with spaghetti and sauce.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Good news or not-so-good news?
I am just not sure yet. I'll let you know when I figure it out, but in the meantime let me share with you what is going on that is making me ponder that question:
About 2 or 3 weeks ago my boss called me into his office. Asked me to shut the door so we could talk. *eek. knees were shaking and my heart was beating a little faster than normal.* He wanted to let me know he would be applying for a judgeship position that opened up at the local court (remember I work for an attorney). He went on to say that if he were to get the job he would start in January.
Well, isn't that just hunky-dory. *eyes rolling*
He needed some help submitting the application so I helped with that. Which was a little awkward. Now we are in the "waiting game". The court is accepting applications until August 6th. So at best we are looking at end of August or September to know whether or not he is even in the running. The applications are reviewed and then a small number of applicants are "nominated" to a committee to then interview those nominees.
Today, I overheard him on the phone with his wife "Guess what honey? Two more judge positions opened up in the court I already applied with! Which is great news! That increases my chances of getting one of judge positions!"
Yea. Great news. For HIM, but certainly not for me I don't think? What do you think?
So then he goes on to tell his wife that the guy making the nominations for who should be interviewed is a good friend of another attorney my boss is close with. And more "good news"-- this other attorney is having a party tonight and the guy making the nominations will be there! Isn't that exciting?
I gotta say, NO. That isn't very exciting for me.
So my boss will be attending a party tonight to schmooze the guy making nominations for applicants to be interviewed for one of three judge positions.
Yippee.
The only one small silver lining here is that the two newest openings won't be nominated until November making the job start later next year.
That might be helpful for me, but who knows?
I have been exploring my options in case I need to find a job quickly. *sigh*
About 2 or 3 weeks ago my boss called me into his office. Asked me to shut the door so we could talk. *eek. knees were shaking and my heart was beating a little faster than normal.* He wanted to let me know he would be applying for a judgeship position that opened up at the local court (remember I work for an attorney). He went on to say that if he were to get the job he would start in January.
Well, isn't that just hunky-dory. *eyes rolling*
He needed some help submitting the application so I helped with that. Which was a little awkward. Now we are in the "waiting game". The court is accepting applications until August 6th. So at best we are looking at end of August or September to know whether or not he is even in the running. The applications are reviewed and then a small number of applicants are "nominated" to a committee to then interview those nominees.
Today, I overheard him on the phone with his wife "Guess what honey? Two more judge positions opened up in the court I already applied with! Which is great news! That increases my chances of getting one of judge positions!"
Yea. Great news. For HIM, but certainly not for me I don't think? What do you think?
So then he goes on to tell his wife that the guy making the nominations for who should be interviewed is a good friend of another attorney my boss is close with. And more "good news"-- this other attorney is having a party tonight and the guy making the nominations will be there! Isn't that exciting?
I gotta say, NO. That isn't very exciting for me.
So my boss will be attending a party tonight to schmooze the guy making nominations for applicants to be interviewed for one of three judge positions.
Yippee.
The only one small silver lining here is that the two newest openings won't be nominated until November making the job start later next year.
That might be helpful for me, but who knows?
I have been exploring my options in case I need to find a job quickly. *sigh*
Monday, July 19, 2010
Happy Birthday to ME!
**WARNING: This post contains NO pictures. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
We seem to have misplaced our camera.
The good news is we are fairly confident it is in the house somewhere, we just need to find it.**
Mr. Man and the kids planned a surprise getaway weekend for me for my birthday which was Saturday. Mr. Man asked me to take off work at 1:00 pm on Friday. After I got off work I came home to a yummy lunch waiting for me. After we cleaned up that we got on the road and headed south of where we live (about a 2 hour drive) to Colorado Springs. We stayed in a fancy hotel that had TWO pools... an indoor one and an outdoor one.
After we got settled into our hotel room a bit, we decided to go get some dinner. We went to a super cool pizza parlor. It was very cool and good food too! The kids had a great time!
After we ate we just drove around town looking at the town, at nothing in particular really. Then we got back to our hotel and went swimming for two hours! We accidentally left the air conditioner set to pretty cold so when we got back to our room we were Freezing!! We took our turns taking a warm shower and getting into our pajamas then settled in to watch a movie.
They let me open my birthday present before going to bed... it was a George Foreman grill that I have been wanting! I was so excited I may have even squealed! {NOTE: I have always enjoyed all presents, even the practical ones. I have a friend who chewed me out for "allowing" my husband to give me practical gifts for my birthday. She said I should only "allow" him to get me fun gifts as presents and the practical stuff can come in between holidays. BUT, that isn't how I roll. I enjoy the practical and non-practical gifts, no matter what holiday (or non-holiday) it is!}
Then Saturday morning, after sleeping in, we casually got ourselves up and about. We headed out for breakfast, then made our way up the mountain to one of the larger peaks in Colorado, Pikes Peak. We rode the Cog Railway to the top of the mountain (Gorgeous view! But you'll have to take my word for it since I can't post pictures!) They tell us that the elevation is so high that the temperature difference is 40 degrees between the top and the bottom. Considering it was 102 degrees in town Saturday, it was still pretty warm up on top.
After getting back down the mountain we stopped in some gift shops to let the kids buy a souvenir. Then we drove around to find a place to eat dinner. I ended up getting a nice steak dinner for my birthday - YUM!
My kids sang happy birthday to me no less than 30 times this weekend! It was awesome! I love my family!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Friday Recipe - Mediterranean Beef Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
I made this salad using left over grilled steak and it was delicious and refreshing. I found the recipe in a "diabetic living" magazine or something when I was waiting at the dentist office. It is quick to throw together, especially if you already have the steak grilled.
Mediterranean Beef Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless beef top sirloin steak
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 c romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 c small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (Optional)
1 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (2 oz)
Lemon Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls snipped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Trim fat from steak. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Grill or pan fry steak to desired doneness. Thinly slice the steak.
Divide romaine lettuce among 4 dinner plates. Top with sliced meat, onion, tomatoes and feta cheese. Drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette.
To make lemon vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar combine all ingredients. Cover and shake well. Makes about 1/2 cup of dressing.
Mediterranean Beef Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb boneless beef top sirloin steak
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 c romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 c small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings (Optional)
1 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese (2 oz)
Lemon Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 tsp finely shredded lemon peel
3 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls snipped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Trim fat from steak. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Grill or pan fry steak to desired doneness. Thinly slice the steak.
Divide romaine lettuce among 4 dinner plates. Top with sliced meat, onion, tomatoes and feta cheese. Drizzle with Lemon Vinaigrette.
To make lemon vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar combine all ingredients. Cover and shake well. Makes about 1/2 cup of dressing.
Monday, July 12, 2010
What's the haps?
I haven't had much to post about lately so today I thought maybe I would just give a short run down on each us:
Mr. Man - after having a week off from work and spending it at home with the kids, he has now worked 8 days straight. He will have a day off tomorrow, work on Wednesday and Thursday and then off again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Spirit - is 9. He thinks he knows it all and he is sassy. But then he can also turn around and be the sweetest kid ever. The roller coaster is really annoying me. He has decided he ONLY wants to wear basketball shorts and t-shirts every day so over the weekend I made him help me sort through the 20 pairs of shorts he has and pick out the ones he wanted to keep. I also insisted he keep a few pairs of jeans shorts for the times I want him looking a little nicer. Even with all that and even though he fights a lot with his siblings, he told me last night that one of the neighbor boys was being mean to Lefty and he told the kid if he couldn't be nice then he should go home. I was pretty proud of him for protecting his brother like that!
Lefty - is 8. He is struggling with trying to be "cool" like the older boys in our neighborhood, but yet he still enjoys playing things that aren't "cool". I watch him try and try to fit in with the older boys and then he gives up and will find Lady Bug to play with. She enjoys playing school with him, he pretends to be the teacher and helps her with worksheets (so she can earn computer time). The other day Spirit was with a friend and so Lady Bug and Lefty and I were driving to run errands and she got upset by something. He looked at her with concern and asked what was wrong. I didn't hear her response to him, but he said "Well, don't worry about that. You're my best friend." That melted my heart! I am preparing for him to turn 9 next year and act like his brother is now (Lord help us all if he does!)
Lady Bug - is 5. She is preparing to go to Kindergarten in August. She is very excited about it all! This weekend we were out shopping and she asked me if she could get her "first day of school outfit". I encouraged her to wait just a little bit. She is growing like a weed right now and I don't want to get her an outfit that won't fit in August. She has been a little whiny and sensitive lately, if she doesn't get her way we all hear about it! Her preschool teachers had been working with the kids in reading preparations. Lady Bug and I were reading a few books last night and she can read some words, I was very impressed! She will be a good reader like her brothers!
Me - Been working and working. I was doing some contract work a few weeks ago which meant I was gone from the house a lot, but it was a short job and I earned some extra cash which was nice! I will be taking a week off in August just before school starts. We don't have any child care coverage for August so Mr. Man will take the first week off, a friend of mine will watch them the second week and then I will take that third week off. I plan to use the time to prepare the kids for school, we'll start adjusting the bedtime to a more reasonable hour and I am planning a Back-to-School party for that weekend. I told a couple neighbors that they could come too if they wanted to. I have a birthday coming up this weekend... WOO HOO (or not!)
Mr. Man - after having a week off from work and spending it at home with the kids, he has now worked 8 days straight. He will have a day off tomorrow, work on Wednesday and Thursday and then off again on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Spirit - is 9. He thinks he knows it all and he is sassy. But then he can also turn around and be the sweetest kid ever. The roller coaster is really annoying me. He has decided he ONLY wants to wear basketball shorts and t-shirts every day so over the weekend I made him help me sort through the 20 pairs of shorts he has and pick out the ones he wanted to keep. I also insisted he keep a few pairs of jeans shorts for the times I want him looking a little nicer. Even with all that and even though he fights a lot with his siblings, he told me last night that one of the neighbor boys was being mean to Lefty and he told the kid if he couldn't be nice then he should go home. I was pretty proud of him for protecting his brother like that!
Lefty - is 8. He is struggling with trying to be "cool" like the older boys in our neighborhood, but yet he still enjoys playing things that aren't "cool". I watch him try and try to fit in with the older boys and then he gives up and will find Lady Bug to play with. She enjoys playing school with him, he pretends to be the teacher and helps her with worksheets (so she can earn computer time). The other day Spirit was with a friend and so Lady Bug and Lefty and I were driving to run errands and she got upset by something. He looked at her with concern and asked what was wrong. I didn't hear her response to him, but he said "Well, don't worry about that. You're my best friend." That melted my heart! I am preparing for him to turn 9 next year and act like his brother is now (Lord help us all if he does!)
Lady Bug - is 5. She is preparing to go to Kindergarten in August. She is very excited about it all! This weekend we were out shopping and she asked me if she could get her "first day of school outfit". I encouraged her to wait just a little bit. She is growing like a weed right now and I don't want to get her an outfit that won't fit in August. She has been a little whiny and sensitive lately, if she doesn't get her way we all hear about it! Her preschool teachers had been working with the kids in reading preparations. Lady Bug and I were reading a few books last night and she can read some words, I was very impressed! She will be a good reader like her brothers!
Me - Been working and working. I was doing some contract work a few weeks ago which meant I was gone from the house a lot, but it was a short job and I earned some extra cash which was nice! I will be taking a week off in August just before school starts. We don't have any child care coverage for August so Mr. Man will take the first week off, a friend of mine will watch them the second week and then I will take that third week off. I plan to use the time to prepare the kids for school, we'll start adjusting the bedtime to a more reasonable hour and I am planning a Back-to-School party for that weekend. I told a couple neighbors that they could come too if they wanted to. I have a birthday coming up this weekend... WOO HOO (or not!)
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday Recipe - Goulash
This is a version of American goulash that my dad used to make when I was growing up. I still make this today and my kids love it.
Goulash
INGREDIENTS:
10 oz macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
1 lb hamburger
16.5 oz can diced tomatoes
small onion, diced
6 oz tomato paste
Brown meat and onions and season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Add browned meat to cooked pasta. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well. Heat thoroughly.
*NOTE: Spirit says this has too many tomatoes for his liking - but the rest of us like it! Mr. Man tops his with parmesan cheese. I always serve this with bread on the side.
Goulash
INGREDIENTS:
10 oz macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
1 lb hamburger
16.5 oz can diced tomatoes
small onion, diced
6 oz tomato paste
Brown meat and onions and season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Add browned meat to cooked pasta. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Mix well. Heat thoroughly.
*NOTE: Spirit says this has too many tomatoes for his liking - but the rest of us like it! Mr. Man tops his with parmesan cheese. I always serve this with bread on the side.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Lovin' it!
Last summer, to save daycare costs, Mr. Man worked his schedule so that he worked every weekend and in turn got 2 days off during the week. The kids spent most of the days when both Mr. Man and I were working with my sister-in-law. They had a wonderful time with her. She is a very active person and took them boating, fishing, camping a time or two, to the park, picnics, bike riding, etc. They really had a great summer.
BUT, we didn't get a lot of "family time" because the weekends are when I am not working, but Mr. Man was and during the week when he had days off I didn't have time off. So from that angle I had a hard time with the routine.
This year, we have a lady who watches the kids in her home. Lady Bug's preschool closed it's doors (for good, after 20 years) and so the staff was suddenly unemployed. The assistant director asked me if she could watch the kids in her home. I was elated! What a relief to have someone so wonderful to watch the kids. It has basically been the ideal situation for us. She can only do daycare for June and July because she found a full time job that starts in August. The kids are having a blast, she does crafts and activities and does a good job of keeping a variety of things for them to do! Today she is taking them on a little field trip which should be fun for them!
I am enjoying all the family time we are getting and even though the kids had a super fun time last year with their aunt and cousins I hope they are having fun this summer too!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night the boys and I sat and read a book together. It was really nice to have the boys snuggled up on either side of me reading. At first we took turns reading, but they were so tired that they were having a hard time reading so they asked me to just read. We read two chapters out of a book and then we all headed off to bed. I sent them off to brush teeth and go potty and told them I would be in to tuck them in, by the time I made it to each of their rooms they had already fallen asleep.
Life is so good! I love my family!
BUT, we didn't get a lot of "family time" because the weekends are when I am not working, but Mr. Man was and during the week when he had days off I didn't have time off. So from that angle I had a hard time with the routine.
This year, we have a lady who watches the kids in her home. Lady Bug's preschool closed it's doors (for good, after 20 years) and so the staff was suddenly unemployed. The assistant director asked me if she could watch the kids in her home. I was elated! What a relief to have someone so wonderful to watch the kids. It has basically been the ideal situation for us. She can only do daycare for June and July because she found a full time job that starts in August. The kids are having a blast, she does crafts and activities and does a good job of keeping a variety of things for them to do! Today she is taking them on a little field trip which should be fun for them!
I am enjoying all the family time we are getting and even though the kids had a super fun time last year with their aunt and cousins I hope they are having fun this summer too!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last night the boys and I sat and read a book together. It was really nice to have the boys snuggled up on either side of me reading. At first we took turns reading, but they were so tired that they were having a hard time reading so they asked me to just read. We read two chapters out of a book and then we all headed off to bed. I sent them off to brush teeth and go potty and told them I would be in to tuck them in, by the time I made it to each of their rooms they had already fallen asleep.
Life is so good! I love my family!
Monday, July 5, 2010
4th of July weekend
Saturday morning we got up and immediately got busy cleaning the house, doing laundry and steam cleaning the carpets. The house feels so clean and smells so yummy too!
Saturday evening we loaded up a table top grill, some burgers and all the fixings and headed to a little place over by my office that we have gone to for several years now. We met some friends over there, had a little tail gate party and waited for fireworks. What a great day/night!
Sunday we were pretty lazy most of the day and then went to a Lacrosse game in the evening where we were supposed to watch the game and then fireworks.... it started raining. Just a little at first, then it was really coming down. We sat it out for a bit and then decided to head out. We waited inside for a bit but then it got to be such a severe storm we decided to just head home. There ended up with streets flooding all over the place and people hydroplaning in front of us (scary!). But we made it home safely, even though it continued to pour rain in a storm like I have not seen in quite some time - it was a lot of rain!
On the way home though we turned down this street and right in front of us was a city fireworks show and we could see it so perfectly...we only got to see the finale but it was still awesome (and we weren't getting drenched watching it!)
Hope everyone had a great, wonderful and safe Fourth of July!
Saturday evening we loaded up a table top grill, some burgers and all the fixings and headed to a little place over by my office that we have gone to for several years now. We met some friends over there, had a little tail gate party and waited for fireworks. What a great day/night!
Sunday we were pretty lazy most of the day and then went to a Lacrosse game in the evening where we were supposed to watch the game and then fireworks.... it started raining. Just a little at first, then it was really coming down. We sat it out for a bit and then decided to head out. We waited inside for a bit but then it got to be such a severe storm we decided to just head home. There ended up with streets flooding all over the place and people hydroplaning in front of us (scary!). But we made it home safely, even though it continued to pour rain in a storm like I have not seen in quite some time - it was a lot of rain!
On the way home though we turned down this street and right in front of us was a city fireworks show and we could see it so perfectly...we only got to see the finale but it was still awesome (and we weren't getting drenched watching it!)
Hope everyone had a great, wonderful and safe Fourth of July!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Friday Recipe - Breakfast Bowl
This is very filling and is good topped with salsa! We like this with toast or tortillas on the side. This is a good late-breakfast or brunch meal. For those days when you sleep in and don't want to fix breakfast and turn around and make lunch too! This dish will tide everyone over for quite some time.
2 Tbls butter
8 large eggs
1 (16 oz) bag of cubed frozen hashbrown potatoes
1 lb pork sausage
1 lb bacon
shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese for topping
In a large skillet, melt the butter and scramble the eggs.
In a separate large skillet, cook hashbrowns according to package directions.
In a third skillet, cook and crumble sausage until browned. Drain off excess grease. Put sausage in a large bowl while you cook remaining ingredients. In the same skillet you cooked the sausage, cook the bacon. Drain bacon on paper towels and crumble into bite sized pieces; set aside.
In individual sized bowls, layer hashbrowns, sausage, bacon bits, eggs, and top with cheese.
**OPTION: You could also saute some diced bell pepper, onion and zucchini in a little olive oil and then add that to the eggs to cook in. Then follow remaining directions.
2 Tbls butter
8 large eggs
1 (16 oz) bag of cubed frozen hashbrown potatoes
1 lb pork sausage
1 lb bacon
shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese for topping
In a large skillet, melt the butter and scramble the eggs.
In a separate large skillet, cook hashbrowns according to package directions.
In a third skillet, cook and crumble sausage until browned. Drain off excess grease. Put sausage in a large bowl while you cook remaining ingredients. In the same skillet you cooked the sausage, cook the bacon. Drain bacon on paper towels and crumble into bite sized pieces; set aside.
In individual sized bowls, layer hashbrowns, sausage, bacon bits, eggs, and top with cheese.
**OPTION: You could also saute some diced bell pepper, onion and zucchini in a little olive oil and then add that to the eggs to cook in. Then follow remaining directions.
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