Category: Food

Meal Plan Monday – January 21st Edition

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I get that it’s Tuesday, but I didn’t want to overpost last night… so you get Meal Plan Monday – a day late.

We were out of so many staples this week and I’ve been trying to use up the bits and pieces in the freezer, fridge, and pantry. Lots of improvising and substitutions. With the cold weather, I’ve wanted to make some comfort food and soups. Unfortunately, soups are hit and miss with this crew. (Mostly miss… what is wrong with them?!) I’m also putting my crockpot to use this week!

I’ve looked ahead to our schedule for the week and try to take into account our busyness as I plan out our meals. I like to keep some basics on hand in case I feel the need to just do something simple. I put together a plan yesterday and then tweaked it again today. I’m sure it will change once more before the week is out.

Here is what’s on our menu:

  • Spaghetti & Meatballs (Monday’s meal, in fact. I had frozen meatballs to clear out of the freezer.)
  • Cream Chicken & Rice Taco Soup (new recipe for us!)
  • Crockpot Enchilada Casserole (also a new one – based loosely on this one, but we’ll change it up to make it our own.)
  • Breakfast for dinner (most likely sausage, veggie omelettes, some fruit, and diced potatoes
  • Mystery meals – I fully intend on staring at the freezer and seeing what piques my interest. I’ve got some ground beef set aside, some chicken wings, and salmon that we should use. No real “plan” for these ones, but simple sides like rice and veggie medleys.

What’s cooking at your house this week? Will you be trying anything new? Feel free to share your tummy-warming cold weather favourites in the comments!

Monday, Fun-day!

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If you live anywhere in the Great Lakes area, generally speaking, you’ve probably been hit with the cold snap of the year. (I’m not exactly sure how far this crazy cold extended through North America, but I know that the GTA is cold!) School buses were cancelled last night in anticipation of the extreme weather and beasties were running outside to do their business as fast as they can. I *thought* I had pre-heated my car this morning (hello, remote start!), but it turns out my battery was protesting as much as my kids. (Even if I had won the battle to drive them to school on my way to work, Mother Nature had other plans.)

Now… what’s one day off of school? Well, let me remind you that we’ve had sick days, PA days, and now an inclement weather day. I love the slight sleep-in, but oh my word, I need the routine of regular school days. I love my boys dearly, but they know how to push my buttons!

I worked from the comfort of my kitchen table and eventually my couch. I got things done! The kids agreed if they stayed home from school, they would pitch in around the house (before we knew that I had no way of getting them there.) They got things done. We got things done… then it was a battle to pry them away from screens for the rest of the day.

Our youngest, 11 years old, has been watching cooking shows – Top Chef, Chopped, Nailed It, and SugarRush. These binges always result in his wanting to explore his culinary talents, until he gets bored, at least. Today, he decided he wanted to bake a cake. Good in theory, but I said I wasn’t doing it for him – I would guide him through the recipe, but the work was up to him. Also, I was supposed to do groceries today, and the staples cupboard was pretty bare – we didn’t even have milk.

He pulled out my well-worn BHG cookbook – my go-to for some basic recipes. (It looks something like this… maybe not the same edition?!) He found a chocolate cake recipe and decided this would be his ambitious trial for the day. Man, that kid knocked my socks off. He read through the recipe, pulled out the ingredients, measured and mixed, and put them in the oven. I helped him identify when they were ready to pull out, but he did the bulk of the work with a few learn-by-example steps along the way.

He’s a very opinionated boy – especially when he’s being creative. He wanted a butterscotch filling. So I managed to make a butterscotch pudding to use between layers of the two rounds. First time for me! He also required chocolate icing and wanted to melt down a mix of chocolate & butterscotch chips left over from our Christmas baking to drizzle on top. When it was all put together, I was seriously impressed – for a first attempt at baking a cake – and a layer cake at that – he rocked it!

It was a little dry, but I still cannot believe how well he did. It’s not the prettiest cake in the world, but it’s edible and yummy! A little slice goes a long way. So amidst the chaos of a mad Monday, we made some more memories, practised some life skills, and managed not to freeze any body parts off! (Also, I never lost my cool…) All in all, I’d consider that success… and seeing his confidence sore? It might have had me beaming in pride!

Meal Plan Monday – January 14th Edition

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I don’t actually meal plan on Mondays… but Mondays are when I start the meal plan I prepared the previous week. If you’ve been following along over the last few days, you’ll realise that we had some unexpected curveballs thrown our way. Between a sick kid and exhaustion, meal plans didn’t quite go, well, according to plan. This is where flexibility is an amazing mindset!

Meal-planning may help me at the grocery store, but if I have to throw something together that’s a bit simpler or quicker to prepare, that’s just fine. If I’m on the verge of a meltdown and text Kevin to bring home takeout and we indulge in Thai basil beef, mango salad, and rice balls – that’s just fine too!

“You can have a plan, but you have to be flexible. Every day is unpredictable, and you just have to go with the flow.”


 – Jane Krakowski

I think plans and lists and order is important. I also think that they should not be burdens and you shouldn’t feel guilty or upset if you veer off course. Food is nourishment and nourishment is health; peace of mind is also vital to our health and if food is stressing you out or your plans are stressing you out, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Just my two (very uneducated) cents… a happy, healthy you is important. Figure out what that means in your individual case.

My meal plan for this week will include some revisitations on last weeks plans, plus some comfort food, and a quick meal or two. I will plan a meal for each day, but I don’t hold myself to the schedule – we may end up eating Monday’s meal on Wednesday. Wednesday’s meal may be subbed for grilled cheese and soup. Flexibility is key.

  • Monday – Tomato Lentil Soup
  • Tuesday – Italian Sausage & Creamy Spinach Pasta
  • Wednesday – Bacon-wrapped tournedos, broccoli, carrots, fresh bread, salad
  • Thursday – Boneless Chicken Bites, seasoned rice, and “restaurant veggies” (This is how my kids refer to crudites, I guess because they serve carrots & celery with their chicken wings when we go out to eat!)
  • Friday – Spinach & goat cheese omelettes with a peameal, pepper hash
  • Saturday – Peameal Spinach Pizza

My tomato lentil soup will be made using a jar of Soup Girl soup mix – packed full of locally sourced, healthy ingredients, and loaded with amazing flavour! They are vegetarian, so you can use your choice of broth or another liquid base, add in meat (we’ve used chicken in some and leftover beef in others), or just add in a handful or can of your favourite veggie.

I usually make my own cream sauce for pasta, but sometimes shortcut with a jar. The boneless bites are a box of frozen convenience food because Wednesdays are a crazy day and I’m exercising my right to make things easy… plus I usually forget to take meat out at least once a week and this gives me something easy on-hand. That last reason is also why I occasionally do breakfast for dinner. Omelettes are easy and can include anything you’ve got hanging out in your fridge. Great for clearing out your drawers and containers!

So this is my plan… and I may or may not stick to it. It’s a starting point for stocking the pantry and the fridge. It’s a foundation so I don’t have to overthink dinner if it’s been a mentally long day. It also helps me make sure we’ve got a good number of veggie servings squeezed in. It keeps me on budget and ensures I don’t rely on freezer food.

What are you eating this week? Anything new or exciting? I always have a few things pinned that I’ve seen in my web travels, but I have enough ingredients on hand that I’m trying to use what I have before stocking for something new. Happy eats this week!

Veggie & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry

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Our dinner tonight was a quick fix using a ton of veggies on their last legs. Omelettes, pizza, flatbreads, and puff pastry are great ways to use up ingredients you want to get rid of.

Tonight’s puff pastry was light and flavourful – chock full of veggie goodness. Most of the veggies were local grown – bonus points in winter!

I started by caramelizing an onion, then sauteed some frozen leafy greens. I chopped some red pepper and vine-ripened tomatoes and seasoned all of the veggies with Epicure’s Chimichurri seasoning, a pinch of kosher salt, and some fresh ground pepper for depth of flavour.

After coating the thawed puff pastry with olive oil, I topped it with the veggies. My favourite topping – and the one that pulled it all together – was a generous layer of herbed Ontario goat cheese crumbled all over the top. So creamy and savoury.

Finally, it was all baked in the oven at 400° for about 20 minutes. The centre of the pastry was not as flaky or puffy as the sides, but it was all delicious!

Of course, the oldest child refused to eat it (and had already had some frozen pizza for dinner. He didn’t starve.) The youngest has still been living off soup, but surprisingly helped himself to a piece after we had finished. So kid approved? Maybe… just depends on the kid!

Banana Chocolate Chia Loaf – Experimental Baking

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Justin (my supposedly not picky child) has been striking when it comes to breakfast.  With the Christmas holidays, I let it slide as we often seemed to graze or do more of a brunch.   With back to school and the attempt to get back into a routine, it bothers me that he’ll choose to leave the house at 7:30am on an empty stomach (and yet… I totally get it! Breakfast early is a hard one for me as well.)  Instead of the drama, I’ve been adding an extra piece of fruit to his lunch bag… and know that the school office supplies breakfast as well to anyone that would like it, that the first break is fairly early and he’s not going to starve, and that as a mother I’m not a failure because there are plenty of food options in the house.  However… breakfast… it’s the most important meal of the day, right!?! 

I asked him yesterday if he would like me to bake something – banana muffins, lemon poppyseed loaf, etc. to tempt his taste buds.  To him, baked goods are a treat, but with little changes I can up the protein, blend in some extra fruit, and cut back on the refined sugar without compromising the taste. I can also feel better about the breakfast battle.  Our discussion led to the decision that I’d make a chocolate banana loaf…. and it just came out of the oven… and I may have had two small slices for lunch. (And they may have been delicious!)

Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe to share, because lately, I’ve been baking on instinct and prayers.  A bit of this, a bit of that, cross-reference a classic recipe if needed.   This Banana Chocolate Chia Loaf will never be reproduced in the exact same manner, but I’ve had the remarkable luck of each of my dump in the oven and hope for the best endeavours so I’m sure the next one will be just as tasty.

banana loaf

This hug-on-a-plate started with a few pouches of ChiAmigos (in two different flavours because I didn’t read the packages – whoops.)  I added a few teaspoons of PC Organic Chia Seeds.  These were all blended together with three bananas, a cup of flour, a little snack pack of applesauce (it was in Justin’s stocking from the extended family…), some salt, baking soda, baking powder, a good amount of cocoa, less than a quarter cup of oil, some water, a splash of milk, and a quarter cup of granulated sugar.


I used my KitchenAid mixer (best tool in my kitchen!) to blend it all together and then dipped a finger in to taste test.  I found it was missing a little something and didn’t have the rich chocolaty flavour I had hoped for, nor quite the right amount of sweetness.  I added more cocoa and drizzled in some maple syrup.  The finger dip taste test passed muster this time.   Baked for 45 minutes and it came out as perfect as you see in the image above. 

It has a deep chocolate flavour that’s not overwhelmed with banana – it’s not overly sweet on the palate at all.  I think beets or zucchini would work well in a similar concoction for an added veggie boost and it would be simple to use eggs, milk or no milk, oil or applesauce, maple syrup or sugar, or whatever you have kicking around.  It should just have a mix of essential ingredients and be the right consistency going into the pan (slightly softer batter for a cake, a bit heavier for a denser loaf.)  The only thing I feel like mine was missing was an extra banana (I only had 3 and they weren’t extra ripe) and some walnuts across the top would have been perfect!   You could even add in chocolate chips if that’s the way you like it.

Baking is definitely a science… but it can also be a delightful expression of the heart with some experimentation along the way!

 

 

Feeding Others As Feeding The Soul

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When it comes to cooking, I have a love/hate thing happening.  You’ve probably already figured that out If you’ve read previous posts. If you asked me if I enjoy it, tonight’s answer would be that I absolutely love it.  If you ask me tomorrow, my answer might be a vehement no.

As I’ve said over and over, meal planning (or at least a basic framework) is extremely helpful for me, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to enjoyable.  What I have recognized the last few days is that when I know the food will be appreciated, truly savoured and even critiqued with care, that the preparation process is a bit happier.  Having fresh and versatile ingredients on hand is key.  I’ve determined that I enjoy spending time in the kitchen when I don’t see the chaos of the rest of the house and dishes aren’t piled up in the sink.  I also seem to enjoy it more when I allow myself time to just create. Quick meals are handy and wonderful, but give me a day when I have energy and a good block of time to work and I can crank out something delicious!

Over the last few days we had roast beef with potato wedges and a salad. The wedges were great (tip: parboil the potatoes first!) but the roast itself wasn’t so yum. However, layered between a soft and crusty bun with havarti and gravy the next day made it a quick and pleasant dish.  Yesterday, I found a recipe for a creamy chicken and rice soup that I loosely followed and it was so flavourful. Tonight, I knew I’d be using the remaining two chicken breasts in a pasta dish, but wasn’t entirely sure where we were going until I started pulling things out of the fridge.

Now… I hate to admit this after my complaints about the fusspot, but I am not a huge fan of pasta.  Tonight was a winner though. I seasoned and baked the chicken while prepping my veg.  Put the (spaghetti) noodles on to boil.  (I didn’t have anything heartier in the cupboard.) Sauteed some onion, lots of garlic, baby spinach, red and yellow peppers, and some diced tomato.  Seasoned with a blend of herbs and spices, a sprinkle of salt, and lots of ground pepper.  Added some heavy cream (whipping cream) and parmesan.  It was a flavorful, creamy sauce.  Added the prepared seasoned chicken. Stirred it all in with the noodles and baked with a light layer of marble on top.  It was truly a use-what’s-on-hand meal, but it was tasty… and 3 out of 4 approved.  (Because, you know, I can’t win with the fusspot.)  Will I be able to recreate it? Maybe, but the chances aren’t good as I didn’t write a thing down.


I made muffins today… used a multigrain pancake mix we don’t enjoy as pancakes and lots of bananas and cocoa.  I made an apple/pear/oatmeal/granola dish with fruit that was on it’s last legs and some leftovers from the pantry. I loved spending the time just mixing and stirring, following my instincts and taste buds.  I used recipes as a launching pad rather than a strict formula.

I also wanted to feed my family food made with care and love – a way of expressing my affection and making mealtime more than a pitstop in a busy day.  Perhaps dishes seasoned with love actually do taste better…and attitude going in to little acts of service and kindness make a huge difference in how it feels when you’re elbows deep in saucepans and mixing bowls, or making any other gesture of caring.   Maybe it’s time to let dinner become an act where we feed not just our bodies, but also our souls.

Menu Madness

Published on by Lindsey B.2 Comments
The weeks I write out a meal plan and grocery list are the weeks I actually stay in a budget of sorts and don’t go mad when the dinner hour strikes.  I do meal plan most weeks, but the secret to this being successful for me is having an emergency meal or two on hand (something quick like grilled cheese or something frozen.) I’ve also started to include the boys in the decision making (and occasionally the prep depending on my mood.) I’ve also learned through trial and error that including classic, no-think meals is better than looking at my Pinterest boards and thinking I’m Martha Stewart.
Looking at the events of my week is also a big plus for being successful. There is a time for experimenting with something new, but if I’m having a week when I’d rather grab takeout than cook, all the meal planning in the world isn’t going to help me.  I need easy, peasy, no fuss ideas… and I need to remember to thaw my meat.
I know it’s only Wednesday, but it’s been hectic and I’ve not been feeling great.  Historically, tonight would be a great night for pizza (nothing wrong with pizza… but we’ve been a bit too lenient with that lately.)
So menu madness it is…. simple meals, taking an hour when I can to prep, and allowing variations from the plan.  (On Sunday, we ate subs because someone didn’t remove all the packaging before throwing the chicken in the crockpot and didn’t realise until I went to make the sides.  That was a meal plan fail… but points for trying, right?)
This weeks menu looks a little something like this:
– chicken wings, home fries, and fresh veggies (Kaleb’s pick – also the meal I ruined)
– Tex-Mex rice casserole packed full of veggies! (2.5 out of 4 approved)
– pancakes, sausage, and lots of fruit (breakfast for dinner never gets a complaint!)
– meatball soup and grilled cheese (something warm before we go out tonight)
– chili masquerading as a hearty beanless tomato sauce (I had left over ground beef to cook.  I will eat it as chili, the others may choose to eat it over noodles.  It’s already to go so tomorrow will be an easy meal!)
– chicken balls, rice, and salad
– crockpot stew or French dip sandwiches depending on my enthusiasm
None of these choices are elaborate, or even guest worthy, but they required very little prep – perfect for a crazy week when I can’t quite find my feet!