Sunday, November 13, 2011

Week 34 - Baking buzz. . .

I'm not sure if any of you experience this "baking buzz" that I mentioned in the title, but I feel it every year around this time.  It's like I'm anticipating all of the yummy baked goodies that I am going to bake over the holidays.  I started baking during the summer between 6th and 7th grades when we moved from Chicago to Florida.  I didn't know anyone when we moved, so I started baking to pass the time.  I gained a few pounds in middle school thanks to my "boredom," but I also gained a wonderful passion for baking and cooking.  The pounds came off eventually when I was a starving college student. . .   ;)


Zach's 3rd 'Cars' birthday cake!
We celebrated my youngest, Zach's, birthday this weekend with a little party, so I made him this cute little 'Cars' cake!  He was so excited that the whole day was focused entirely on 'Cars.'  My attempt at a billboard sign for his birthday message was a bit of a mess, but it was a graham cracker with a granola bar split in half as the base.  I had to use lots of frosting to keep the granola bars together.  

Onto the weekly menu. . . My hubby has asked that I try to incorporate a new soup into the menu each week because he's been craving soups lately, so I'll do my best to find some good 'Paleo' soups to meet his dietary requirements.  I'm sure some of you remember that 'Paleo' entails no dairy, no legumes and no grains, but everything else is fair-game with lots of lean meats, veggies and fruits. 

Sunday - Roasted salmon with mixed veggies, yellow rice
Monday - Thai chicken in the crock pot (Paleo), shredded cabbage, steamed broccoli
Tuesday - Chili Verde (didn't get to this last week. . . I'm looking forward to it in the crock pot)
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Fajita burgers, roasted sweet potatoes & potatoes, green beans
Friday - Out to dinner
Saturday - Pork roast with red curry sauce, white rice, roasted asparagus

Happy cooking, everyone!  Hope to see some menus soon!

Sarah

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Week 33: A Little Slow. . .

Our family went into slow motion this weekend.  Annabelle and I went on an overnight adventure at the Chattanooga Aquarium with the Girl Scouts!  We slept underneath the sharks!  It was so much fun, but left me exhausted for the rest of the weekend and I don't feel like I've caught up on sleep yet. 

The whole crew after feeding the river otters!
We celebrated Zach's 3rd birthday yesterday!  It's so 'cliche,' but the time really does pass by so quickly!  He was so excited to get his gifts from a few of us last night that he wanted to bring all of his gifts up to bed with him!  He's so adorable!  :)

Now, back to the focus on food. . . We have a light menu plan this week since we have family coming into town this coming weekend for Zach's party.  I'll make the most of the menu and can't wait to see what you all are cooking!

Menu Plan
Sunday - London broil on the grill, grilled peppers & onions and roasted cauliflower
Monday - Spaghetti with marinara sauce, broccoli, zucchini noodles and french bread
Tuesday - Thai basil shrimp, stir-fried cabbage, red peppers and white rice
Wednesday - Crock pot chicken for tacos, white rice, black beans, green beans
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Baked Salmon with mixed roasted veggies
Saturday - Out for dinner

I'm planning on doing quite a bit of baking over the next few months, so recipes might be heavy on the baking side rather than the entrees.  Hope to see your menus this week!

Thanks for sharing and happy cooking!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Week 32 - Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

It is a bit crazy around the house today just from the anticipation of Halloween and all of the candy they will gather tonight!  I can't imagine what the kids are going to be doing after they actually eat some of the candy! 
The Gypsy, the Bride, Jasmine and Nemo!
Now, we can get onto our weekly menu planning!  Halloween was so much fun for the kids and for the adults too!  Our whole cul-de-sac went trick-or-treating together, so it was 9 kids at a time at each house.  They swarmed on each door like a pack of bees!


Below you'll find a photo of our family's favorite veggie right now.  I think my youngest Zach might be the only one who is impervious to this yummy delicacy.  Annabelle and Emilie finally understand that roasted cauliflower is one of the most delicious side dishes EVER!  It only took my making it once a week for a few months before I actually converted them.  Now, they eat it like popcorn!


For the menu this week, here it is:

Sunday - Whole Rotisserie chicken, roasted cauliflower, steamed green beans, white rice
Monday - Pizza with neighbors
Tuesday - Chicken tacos, black beans, white rice
Wednesday - Baked salmon, mixed roasted veggies and potatoes
Thursday - Chili Verde, yellow rice, roasted carrots
Friday - Out of town
Saturday - Leftovers

I hope you all have a great week!  Happy cooking, everyone!