Supper Wars: Spaghetti with Sweet Potatoes & Ricotta

Another recipe from the Real Simple magazine Month of Easy Dinners. We've tried four or five over the past two weeks, and I'm sorting through photos to post while I can still remember what the kidlets had to say about them.

The first was the Gnocchi & Roasted Cauliflower, which garnered three positive reviews, one neutral, and one "why are you trying to kill me?" The good news is that all three children have now decided potatoes can be a part of pasta, and have asked if I'll make gnocchi again. (Though only one wants it served with the cauliflower next time.)

This time, Spaghetti With Sweet Potatoes & Ricotta. Stuck very close to the original, aside from making a little extra pasta, since I'm feeding more than four, and adding a few more dollops of ricotta at the end. Knew adding extra sweet potatoes would be pointless, since the two boys weren't going to eat more than one or two token bites of that ingredient.

It took 10-15 minutes to get the ingredients together and prepped.

While doing this, the water was heating for the pasta. Means this

recipe completely avoids pushing one of my big frustration buttons ofsupper-prep, the hurry-up-and-wait stage. Kept busy the whole time, and not just because I was being bombarded with homework questions from third, fifth and ninth grader.

Once the spaghetti was drained and set aside, I rinsed the pot and put it right back on the stove, with olive oil for the sweet potatoes & shallots. That's correct, same pot, which hits another high point of an "easy" meal... less cleanup!

While the potatoes & shallots cooked, I prepped broccoli for steaming, shaved parmesan, and chopped rosemary. (And came up with a 3rd grade level interpretation of wikipedia's entry on metamorphic rock, checked a math worksheet, and repeated "no, you may not watch tv" at least three times.)

By the time for adding pasta back to the pan, along with rosemary and scoops of ricotta, the kidlets were clearing away homework and setting the table. About the same time the last napkin was placed , the first plate was ready for the table.

Like with most meals which the adults like, this met with mixed reviews from the kidlets. B1 & B2 LOVED the ricotta, liked the flavor, but HATED the sweet potatoes. (This is after saying they liked the flavor of the pasta which had been tossed with the sweet potatoes... Ack!) DD was not a fan of the ricotta. Something about the texture when the ricotta is on it's own - she likes it as a filling for lasagna or in ravioli. She did like the sweet potatoes very much, though.

General kid consensus - neutral, leaning toward good-ish. If I want to make it again, that's okay, but could I please not give any of them the parts they don't like. Since this is a little difficult to do with something cooked all in the same pot, TOUGH. I will make it again, and they will eat exactly the same way as they did this time - token bite or two of the least favorite part, then scarfing down the rest.

The recipe in Real Simple says this meal takes 25 minutes. I didn't get it prepped and cooked in 25 minutes. In a perfect world, working in a perfectly ordered kitchen, quiet children studiously doing homework with nary a question, sure. But even at 35-40 minutes start-to-finish, this is still a keeper for easy suppers.

Spiced Blueberry Chutney = YUM!

After first amadeus & chutney on toast, I thought to snap a photo. Good thing, as it went very quickly (and a rather messily) from this point on.

So very good. The vinegar really mellowed in the few days since canning the batch. Was a bit worried by the strong scent during cooking. Will pick up more of the Amadeus at Whole Foods this weekend, and repeat this meal as Sunday lunch. May have a 1554 belgian black instead of the unfiltered wheat beer.

On a "try something new" note for the kids, even though they were having leftovers from Tuesday, they all tried both kinds of cheese. B1 preferred the buttery taste of the Amadeus (if he had to eat it), DD loved the Amadeus, and thought the Parrano was okay. B2 loved them both, and tried to get me to trade part of my cheese for part of his dinner. (Let him have a couple more slices after he finished up veggies.)

More experimenting with presersves: Blueberry Chutney & Plum Preserves

After the recent success with delicious (and properly sealed) jars of blueberry preserves, I decided to try a couple more recipes - plum preserves, and the spiced blueberry chutney I'd seen on Grist.

Along with three of the four pounds of plums and the two pounds of blueberries from my last Costco trip, I needed fresh ginger, shallots and lemons. Followed the recipe on the chutney - cut in half - but decided to wing it on the plums.

Since the plums would need extra time for sitting in the sugar and simmering off water, I started with those. Sliced the plums, then cut each slice into chunks. Mixed in 2-1/2 cups of sugar and set it at the back of the counter while prepping the chutney ingredients.

Poured sugared plums into pot and brought to boil on medium high. Added lemon juice and 1-1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon and brought the temperature down to medium low. (Just high enough to keep it at gentle boil.)

On the other side of the stove, sauteed shallots and fresh ginger in olive oil, then added one cup sugar and four cups of blueberries. Once this came to a boil, I added lemon juice, red wine vinegar, white pepper, allspice, nutmeg and one bay leaf. After it had been at a low to medium boil for 20 minutes, it had thickened quite nicely. Ladled the hot chutney into jars which had been simmering at back of stove.

By the time I'd finished with the chutney, the liquid had been cooking off the plums for about one hour. Used the potato masher to break up any remaining chunks, and brought up to a full boil for ten minutes before ladling into the remaining jars.

All jars were sealed, popped back into the hot water pot, and "cooked" for 10-15 minutes. Once everything had cooled, I had seven jars total, all with the lids popped down.


Opening the first jar of blueberry chutney tonight, to go along with fruit, flatbread and mini-melba toast. Have some Amadeus (buttery) and Parrano (sharper tasting gouda) from Whole Foods to have with it. Just have to decide between a glass of chardonnay or some of the wonder Mothership Wit from New Belgium. (Kids are eating leftovers from last night... they liked last night's turkey/vegetable loaf so well that they asked for it again. Far be it from me to discourage them.)

And, if I've any room left after supper, I'll join the kids in toasting up oatmeal muffins from breakfast and covering them in plums.

In a jam

Blueberry Apple Jam... YUM!

Whole Foods has had fantastic looking two pound containers of blueberries on sale the last couple of weeks. Went through blueberry scones, blueberry oatmeal crumble cake, blueberry waffles with the first package, along with sprinkling a few berries in every bowl of yogurt, ice cream or cereal. This weekend, I decided to try my hand at preserves.

I make jams, chutneys and jellies - in small quantities which go in the fridge or freezer. Have never tried official "preserving" before. Picked up a dozen half-pint ball jars at the local Ace, dug out my largest pot, and got all the necessary implements ready to go.

4 cups blueberries
2 grated granny smith apples (with skin)
2 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Bring to full boil for 10 minutes. Add a small pat of butter if the juices get foamy. Turn off heat and ladle into hot jars. Seal and place back into large pot of hot water. Bring to boil and cover for 10 minutes.
Cool for 24 hours. Check seal on jar lid when cool. If the center of the lid pops up after pressing, store in refrigerator or freezer. If lid center stays down, it's sealed, and can go into the pantry.

All four jars sealed, so we're good to go. The little bit extra was used up right away, on a batch of cornmeal waffles.


Now that I know I can do it, I'm going to try something savory, while the blueberries are still a bargain. I found a recipe for Spiced Blueberry Chutney over at Grist.org, and am hoping to try it out later this week. A batch of pint jars might be in order soon too, as the grape and heirloom tomatoes in the garden are growing like crazy. When the yield is greater than we can eat fresh in a few days, it'll be time to put up jars of tomato basil sauce and spicy corn relish.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 26

Week 26 Shopping:
Whole Foods - $91.70
Publix - $87.24
Total - $178.94

2009 YTD - $3,493.14
Average weekly spending - $134.35


These first two weeks back from vacation are a bit higher, as I'm restocking the fridge & freezer we emptied out before the trip. And, there was the matter of junk food. Publix had both brownie mix and ice cream sales, so it was a good time to restock the items for occasional gluttony. It turned out to be a bit more spaving (spending to save) than spurging though, as the promise of a scoop of ice cream or cold can of yoohoo (don't ask) when we get back home from the pool saved my wallet - and patience - from begging for pricier single serve items sold by our friendly neighborhood ice cream man.

Supper Wars
Meals were fairly simple this week.

Orange Teriyaki Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Jasmine Rice and Broccoli
Father's Day request. Two kids liked the shrimp, one ate under protest. None of them ate the peppers, onions and mushrooms on the skewers. That was anticipated, which is why there was broccoli.

Turkey Tacos, Mango & Black Bean Salad
Still can't get the kids excited about the black beans in salad form. Guess they'll have to be mixed in with the turkey for a while longer. Had ice cold Dublin Dr Pepper with this dinner. No dessert necessary after. (Wish I'd bought an extra three or four cases of the stuff while we were at the soda shop in Texas.)

Chicken Fried Rice
Got a night of leftovers out of this, too.

Brinner!
Spinach & Mushroom omlet, Turkey Bacon, Whole Wheat & Flax Waffles. (No mushrooms for kids.) Turned out to be perfect comfort food on a night we all needed it, too.

Thai Basil Chicken & Sticky Rice
Used thinly cut strips of chicken breast instead of ground chicken, and cut back a little on the red chili to keep from scaring off the kids. Used loads of both Thai and Sweet Basil from the planter. Soooo good. Will post link to recipe soon. Want to make sure I link the one with the step by step photos.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 19

I'm not sure if it's the beginning of the summer drop in produce prices, or the smaller amount I can carry on my two-wheeled grocery trips, but I am liking these last two weeks of grocery bills. (We'll have to see if having the ability to carry to bags' worth of food increases the overall bill, now that I have the panniers.)


The trip to Harry's Farmers Market was with one of the children, so the bike wasn't an option. 20+ miles round trip, in traffic, with the one child in the house who hates being on a bike to the point of actively sabotaging the balance of the adult in the front seat is not on my To-Do list. I would consider hooking up DD for a trip to TJs or Starbucks though. It would have to be early on a weekend morning, when there's very little traffic, but I think she'd be great.

Anyways... the numbers:

Week 19 Shopping:
Harry's (Whole Foods) - $50.69
Publix - $15.94
Trader Joes (Bike) - $22.93
Euro. Bakery (Bike) - $1.75
Trader Joes (Bike) - $25.72
Total - $117.03
Year to Date - $2,750.16
Average weekly spending - $144.75

Supper Wars-
Good week on the food front. Only one day where there was any big conflict. It was over a dahl curry with couscous. I may need to give up on that one for a while, other than as a small side dish for the kids when I want it for the grownup supper. Did a bit of convenience cooking this week, by combining prep for two suppers at a time. Made enough lemon-pepper marinade one night to take care of the tuna for that night's meal, and to zip into a baggie with chicken breast for the next night. Then, the little bit of lemon pepper chicken which was extra got used the following evening in fried rice.


Mac & Cheese, Peas

Honey/Maple Turkey Sandwiches, Apples, Baby Carrots

Dahl Curry & Couscous, Salad

Lemon Pepper Tuna, Oven Baked Mac & Cheese, Green Beans
The lighter color of the lemon pepper didn't make it as easy for the kids to think of the tuna steaks as "steak" instead of "tuna" as with the dark soy/honey/ginger. Will need to stick with the darker marinades until they forget tuna is fish.

Lemon Pepper Chicken, Basmati/Wild Rice Medley, Salad

Veggie Fried Rice w/ LP Chicken, Sliced Pears

Mini Cheeseburgers, Roasted Garlic Russet/Sweet Potatoes, Corn on the Cob

Kitchen Sink Granola

In making the last batch of nutty granola, I found a lot of little bits of fruit and nuts we've been mixing in. Rather than sticking with just a few ingredients and ending up with even more little baggies of not-quite-enough-for-another-batch, we threw everything in. Well, almost everything. There were some turkish figs I didn't think would chop well, and I was too lazy to shell a bunch of pistachios, or those would have gone in, too.



In addition to the organic rolled oats, cinnamon and maple syrup, we added:

• English Walnuts
• Cashew Halves & Pieces (salted, so no salt was added to recipe)
• Pecan
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Flax Seeds (only had 1/8-1/4 cup left, so is not much)
  
• Raisns
• Cherries
• Blueberries
• Golden Raisins
• Chopped Dates
• Cranberries
• Diced Apple Bits (added 1/2 way through cooking, as they tend to toast quickly)

It. Is. Amazing.

It tastes decadent, yet is healthy. Had to force myself to eat something other than granola for lunch and dinner.

I don't want to make the simple version anymore, but will, at least until I build up enough of the little ziploc baggies in the pantry again.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 17

Week 17 Shopping:
Publix - $46.67
Whole Foods - $54.87
Trader Joes (Bike) - $31.75
Euro. Bakery (Bike) - $11.75
Trader Joes (Bike) - $8.46
Total - $153.30
Year to Date - $2,520.95
Average weekly spending - $153.30


I'm missing one of my receipts from this week, so my list isn't complete. Used the total charge as the amount, so it's just the items missing.

I needed to take goodies into classes @ school, and there are peanut allergies. The bakery nearest our house runs a peanut-free kitchen, so nobody was left out, as they would have been with anything either home-baked or from the grocery bakery. We tried a loaf of the whole wheat sandwich bread, and will let the kids try the buttercrust this week. With prices of $1.75-$3.50 for the various breads, I think I may be shelving my bread pans for the duration of the hot summer months. It's not quite as low as the per loaf cost of ingredients for homemade, but once you include the extra cost of cooling the house on a baking day when it's 85+ degrees, it's probably pretty close.

With the return of gorgeous weather, I'll be trying something new for Week 18. Info. later today, but a quick glance at the ( ) on Week 17's list ought to give it away.

Supper Wars-

New stuff this week:

5 Spice Chicken with Vegetable Stir Fry,
Veggie Fried Rice
Didn't add as much 5 Spice Powder as recipe called for. Figured the flavor might be too intense if I did. Odd reception of the veggies. Carrots are always a fave. Noses were turned up at the normally loved broccoli, but yellow squash was embraced. Celery got by for the first time, but mushrooms and zucchini were still on the "no eat" list.

Braised Lamb in Beer & Onions, Whole Wheat Rolls,
Mashed Garlic Potatoes, Orange Cauliflower & Broccoli
Kids helped with this dinner, peeling potatoes and garlic cloves. Nobody but me knew it was lamb. This was possible because of the Whole Foods labeling, "New Zealand Boneless Shoulder Roast."

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 13

A few days late posting this, but it took me a while to figure out where the receipts were and what we'd eaten for dinner. Sunday was a lot harder on my brain than I thought it would be. Not the run, but the part about getting up at 4:00 a.m. after a restless night of paranoid dreams about sleeping through the alarm.

Week 13 Shopping:
Whole Foods - $26.20
Publix - $50.34
Trader Joes - $26.81
Total - $103.75
Year to Date - $1,876.43

Average weekly spending - $144.34


Another good week with the shopping budget. Almost made it to another $100 grocery week. Biggest reason for this was the small stockpile of meat and poultry in the freezer. The weekly average is continuing to drop, even if only by a few dollars each week. This week's spending will be higher, as I'm having to pick up the protein from the regular stores, instead of the farmers market. Was planning to make a trip out to Dekalb this week, but there's a lot of work on projects I'm trying to get finished before the kids are out for Spring Break.

Next week, we'll be taking a half-day trip to the farmers market. Whichever day is not suited to outdoor play will become our food adventure day. I'll figure out some sort of scavenger hunt to keep them occupied. Maybe the search for everything we need for a three course pizza dinner. Wonder if I can steer dessert away from the normal peanut butter and chocolate this time?


Supper Wars -

Cheddar Stuffed Burgers, Green beans
Roasted sweet & russet potatoes
Easy win. Burgers were chicken & turkey combo, prepped & frozen last week.

Parmesan Chicken, Salad
Roast Winter Vegetables
The kids like parsnips when mashed, but not so much when roasted. General kid consensus? Creepy. Squash, potatoes & carrots all okay though.

Baked pasta & broccoli (kids)
Butternut Squash & Mushroom Risotto
The kids tried the risotto, and thought it was okay... except for the mushrooms, which are apparently even creepier than roasted parsnips. (Figured this, which is why there was pasta for them.)

15 Bean Soup, Fresh Whole Wheat Bread
Don't want to talk about reactions to this meal. Not a win with the kids, even though it's one of my favorite soups.

Beef in Beer & Onions, Brown Rice, Broccoli
Used guinness instead of lager, so there were a few faces made upon sight of the very dark gravy. Until they tried it. B2 declared it the best ever.

Garlic Ginger Baked Tofu, Veggie Fried Rice, Salad

Brinner - Bacon, Eggs, Fruit (kids)
Sweet Potato, Spinach & Chickpea Curry
The curry was not for the kids. That wasn't a battle I was interested in fighting Saturday. Found the recipe for the curry here. Modified it slightly by making my own curry paste (onion, jalapeno, grape tomatoes, garlic, ginger, spices), and it was delicious. Plenty of leftovers, which made for the perfect hot food to warm me from the inside out after Sunday's run.

Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)

This is a regular on the menu, and has always been on the "Win" column in the ongoing supper war with the kids. Very easy to make, and there are easy to find substitutions, if you don't have an Asian market nearby. I'll cut thin slices off a small roast, just before prepping the rest for another meal, but you can also grab a pack of the thin sliced/shaved beef from the meat counter at the grocery store. Basil Meatballs (beef or poultry), or Garlic-Ginger Baked Tofu also work well. If you want to keep it completely meatless, use the baked tofu, and make the soup with vegetable broth.


4-6 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 inch piece of ginger, grated & juice squeezed into broth
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
1 Tbs Fish Sauce
1-2 Tbs Soy Sauce (to taste)

4 Servings of Rice Vermicelli (or regular)
A few slices of beef for each bowl

Cook vermicelli according to package directions, rinse and set aside. Combine broth ingredients together and bring to a simmer, while you prep a platter of add-ins:

Basil Leaves
Cilantro Sprigs
Mint Leaves/Sprigs
Chopped Scallion
Sliced Jalapeno
Bean Sprouts

Place a serving of vermicelli in each bowl, and top with a few slices of raw, sliced beef. If you're using a thicker slice, or meatballs, cook them as part of your prep. The thin slices will cook when you pour the broth over top, as long as you have it at a good simmer. Ladle broth over pasta & beef, then serve. Each person can add items from the salad plate to their bowl at the table.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 12

Week 12 Shopping:
Dekalb Int'l Farmers Market - $104.97
Kroger - $10.91
Trader Joes - $6.65
Total - $122.53

Year to date - $1,772.22

Average Weekly - $147.68


It's not quick, but the average weekly number is continuing to drop. Week 12 was a little of a stock up week, at a much lower cost than my trips earlier in the year. I purchased much of the protein we needed for two weeks while at the farmers market, and divided it up for easy cooking - details. Carried us nicely through last week, and a couple of meals into Week 13. There's still a packet of the basil meatballs (chicken/turkey) in the freezer for Saturday.

The shopping for this week is already complete, but I think next week is a good time for another trip to the farmers market. I won't be doing a lot of miles for the first half of the week, so prepping two (or more) week's worth chicken, turkey and beef for the freezer can fill the time.

Supper Wars

Malaysian Fish Curry, Rice, Pineapple - Cucumber Sambal
Very, VERY good, but kids did not like. Wasn't too spicy, so dislike had to be because of their automatic "eew" about fish.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Green Salad
Thin sliced beef, chicken broth, vermicelli and handfulls of fresh bean sprouts, basil and cilantro.

Lemongrass Chicken Skewers, Sticky Rice, Green Beans
Minor grumblings about spiciness, but they liked. Will cut back on the red pepper flakes or green thai chili next time.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti & Meatballs
Salad, Cheesy Flatbread
This went over better than last time I made the whole wheat spaghetti, because I tossed a little of the sauce with the pasta, and they hadn't seen the label on the box. It's so odd that WW ziti, macaroni, etc., are all okay, but they freak out about spaghetti.

Baked Tofu & Veggie Fried Rice

Turkey & Black Bean Tacos Mango Salad
Tried starting sauce with a vegetable and chili paste, like with curries. Love it.

Garlic Ginger Beef w/Snow Peas, Broccoli
Leftover Fried Rice
Left onions rough chopped, for easy removal. No whining.

Rainy Days in the Kitchen

The last two days have been all about home & hearth. I'd like to say it was part of some awesome homemaking/mom plan, or a part of my sensible training plan and an official "recovery" from the cold & wet 10k, but it wasn't. Just didn't feel like being outside.

Sunday was filled with loads of housework and a bit of experimental cooking. Took B2 along on the Farmers Market trip. He was put in charge of keeping an eye out for a few of the less common items on the list - lemon grass stalks, for example. He enjoyed some much needed time as an only kid, and also enjoyed sampling coffee from several regions of the globe. (He's partial to Columbian french roast and the Turkish blend. Not as fond of the light roasts.)

Turned into a little bit of a stock up trip. Picked up dried apples for the next few batches of granola, replaced a few spices from the bulk bins, and grabbed most of the protein we'll need for close to two weeks. Still, the total was pretty good.


Got home, unpacked all the goodies, and set to work:


Browned up a few slices of bacon, added onions, garlic and a can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes. The sauce was put up for any night which becomes a "fast food" night. Let it simmer on the back of the stove while I did prep for Sunday's dinner, Malaysian fish curry. Chopped veggies, roasted coconut flakes and measured out spices for the curry paste. If I have any decent pictures, I may post the recipe later this week. It was a composite of about three other recipes, and quite tasty. The kids weren't fond of it, but that wasn't really surprising. Even though two of them had a hand in making it, they just couldn't get past the fact of it being fish.

The time I'd normally be running or at yoga on Monday was also spent in the kitchen. Combined the containers of ground turkey and chicken with an assortment of fresh chopped herbs and veggies.


Turned the 4.5 pounds of poultry into ready-to-cook protein for six meals.

Lower Left:
Grated garlic and onions and a handful of basil leaves, chopped. This was mixed in everything, along with a little sea salt and black pepper. Set aside two 1/2 lb packets of the mix at this point and popped them in the freezer, to be used some other time with pasta or rice, or in tacos.

Lower Right:
1 grated carrot, 2 chopped scallions, 2 Tbs of chives, grated ginger and a handful of cilantro, chopped. Mixed with poultry, red pepper flakes, lime juice and an egg white, then formed around eight lemon grass skewers. Popped them in the freezer - they'll get moved down to the fridge 3-4 hours before cooking tonight.

Upper Right:
Bread crumbs (heel Friday's homemade bread), grated parmesan and asagio cheese, handful of parsley, chopped. Added to part of poultry mixture with egg yolk, and formed into 16 meatballs. Eight to a package, then popped in the freezer.

Upper Left:
Grated asagio, cubes of cheddar. Added asagio to poultry, then divided into balls. Added one cheese cube to the center of each, and flattened into burger form. Five burgers, stacked with foil in between, wrapped, bagged and frozen.

Since last night's supper was Vietnamese beef noodle soup (Pho), prepping the beef was next. Part of the top round was thin sliced for the soup; the rest cut small and placed in a ziploc freezer bag with honey, lime juice, teriyaki, freshly grated ginger and garlic. The bag went in the freezer, to be used for beef fried rice sometime in the near future.

Last, but not least, the cookies. A batch of cinnamon oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, ready for school lunches, rewards for trying mom's latest experimental cooking without too much complaint... whatever. Couldn't skip the cookie baking. After all, what could be better for a day you're avoiding cardio than a big bowl full of raw, buttery, cookie dough?

Sun's out today, so I'll be back on the trail. Good thing, too. My freezer is full, and the cookie jar - well - let's just stick with it being a good thing I'm out of the house today.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 11

Week 11 Shopping:
Harry's Market (Whole Foods) - $100.34
Publix - $27.61
Total - $127.95

Year to date - $1,649.75

Average Weekly - $149.98

Lower than last week, but it will take a few weeks before I start making a noticeable difference in my average.

It wasn't a bad week, as far as the budget went. Had I not done the majority of my shopping at Whole Foods (Harry's Market), it could have been lower. But, the weather was gorgeous last week, and a trip to the International Farmers Market would have meant less time to play outside at the park with the kidlets. Plus, we'd not have discovered the additional options for fresh ground nut butters which are not available at either the Whole Foods close to the house, or the Int'l Market. Not Almond or Cashew, as both other places have that. What I'm talking about are the two machines filled with nuts and chocolate chips. We tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter, but have plans to go back in a couple weeks to get the Chocolate Almond Butter. Mmmmmm....

Supper Wars -

Butter Chicken, Brown Rice, Peas, Naan
Tried it with coconut milk, instead of yogurt this time. (Per B2's request.) All three kids loved it. It was pretty good, though it was a bit too mild for me.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Couscous Salad
The chicken was declared the best chicken ever by the boys. Since it's something I've done before, I'll have to attribute the difference to the all natural, free range chicken breasts from Harry's. For the salad, I used a touch too much mint. Will scale back a touch next time.

Garlic Teriyaki Wings, Yucca Buns
Mango Salad, Sticky Rice
Other than complaints about the chicken skin, well received. Again, I think the all-natural, free range chicken makes a difference.

Hoisin Beef w/Snow Peas
Brown Rice, Broccoli
Finally have the onion chop size perfect. The kids are not complaining about the onions, as they're the perfect size to slide off to the side.

Grilled Cheese, Sliced Apples
Left the teenager in charge - ducked out for enchiladas and a movie.

Eggplant Curry, Naan
Turkey Burgers (Kids)
The kids tried the eggplant curry, but I knew it was both tangier and spicier than they'd care for. Had basil turkey burgers and crunchy baby carrots for them.

Tamarind Glazed Pork Chops, Sticky Rice
Braised Carrots & Broccoli
Really good. I think I'll add less tamarind next time, or a touch more sugar. The sauce was a bit too sour for the kids, though they did like the flavor of what had carmelized on the boneless chops. The veggies had mixed results. In a complete switch from the norm, the girl loved the broccoli, and the boys ate all of the carrots.

Butter Chicken - a supper war victory

I've made this before, a few times. Two children liked it each time, even though they thought the last time was a bit too spicy. B2 thought the idea of yogurt in dinner was disgusting, so has been fussing every time. I asked him last week if he'd mind giving it another try if I used coconut milk, in place of yogurt. He said yes, so I did.

I prefer the flavor with yogurt, but this was good too. Other variations include using tofu, tempeh or roasted vegetables in place of chicken.

1 large onion, rough chopped
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & rough chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, peeled
1-2 small plum tomatoes (or a cup of grape/cherry tomatoes)
3-4 inch piece of fresh ginger
3 Tbs Cashew Butter (or a 1/3 cup cashews, added to food processor)
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp curry
2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked pepper
2-3 Tbs Canola (or high heat oil)

Grate the ginger, and squeeze the juice into the blender. (Toss the pulp) Place all of the above ingredients, except the oil, into a food processor or blender, and blend it to make a curry paste.


Heat oil over medium high stove - add curry paste. Simmer the curry paste until much of the moisture has cooked off, and it's become quite thick. At this point, start watching for it to take on a shiny quality, as the the oil starts to break. (That's what you want to see before adding yogurt or coconut milk)

2 cups plain yogurt, or 1 can of coconut milk
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs,
or 2-3 breasts, cut into bite size chunks

Stir yogurt into paste. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often (it will stick). Add chicken pieces. After it comes back to a simmer, cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Scoop chicken out to serving bowl, then raise the temperature back to medium high. Bring the sauce to a boil, and cook until you see the oil separating (see photo). Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving dish and serve with rice. We like to have Nan and green peas. (I was lazy Sunday, and purchased the Nan, instead of making it.)

In case I had any doubts about declaring this an official win in the ongoing challenge to get the kids to eat something weird (as in anything with flavor), my daughter & son were looking over my shoulder while I pulled the photos off the camera.

"Ooh! Mom, when can you make that again?"

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 10

Week 10 Shopping:
Publix - $64.02
Trader Joes - $14.52
Trader Joes (Bike) - $20.82
Whole Foods (Bike) - $50.06
Total - $149.42

Year to date - $1,521.80

Average Weekly - $152.18

You know when you're zipping along on weight loss, and you hit a five or ten pound milestone, and just can't quite get past the "speed bump" on the way to the next part of your goal?

That's where I am with the grocery budget. I'm pretty solid on the average of $30 per person for the week, but that's where I am.


I could get it lower, by shopping for conventional items at the chain supermarkets. I'm just not sure it's possible while I'm purchasing any organic fruits and veggies, along with grass fed beef and cage free eggs. Hopefully, the arrival of spring and summer will mean lower prices on a lot of the produce, as locally grown stuff becomes available. And, there was the $25+ spent on supplies for nutty granola on Friday. We should get four batches with the nuts & fruit, though I will need more rolled oats. Assuming that's roughly $6/batch, I could just purchase a box of granola each week. But I'm not sure that's a savings I want to take. DD & I had a great time making the granola, it's absolutely delicious, and we know exactly what's in it.

For the next few weeks, I'm going to try holding steady at the $150/week average. As the local produce hits the shelves, I'll see what I can do to try and drop to $125-130.

Another good thing about spring, it is a lot nicer for frequent small trips and errands by bike and on foot. I'll be saving on gas, if not on the groceries. This past Friday, the weather was lovely, and I rode to pick up the bib for Saturday's 10k, and then kept pedaling right on down the road for the nuts/seeds/fruit shopping spree.

Supper Wars:
I was in the mood for a bit of the spicy stuff this week, so there are a couple of suppers with kid/adult designations. I had them try a bite, but then eat a meal in their own comfort zone. As much as the kids need to keep trying new things, I'm not pushing the chili and curry very hard. They get to keep trying heat in small doses.

Black Bean Chili, Salad
Baked Pasta w/Beef & Sausage
Kids weren't fans of the black bean chili, which I expected. They did try it though, before scarfing down their Pasta.

Turkey Tacos, Black Bean Chili, Salad
Oddly enough, a bit of the chili, mixed with the turkey and stuffed into a taco shell - gets past the "eww" factor with the kids.

Teriyaki Chicken, Green Beans
Brown Fried Rice

Casserole Roasted Chicken with Butternut Squash
Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Parsnips, Petite Peas
As usual, the butternut squash is only a hit with one of the three. Will keep trying.

Lentils & Couscous Curry,
Baked Pasta (leftover)
Broccoli & Carrots
Again, the spicy stuff was a bit much for the kidlets.

Smothered Potatoes, Spinach Salad
Leftover Roasted Chicken
The potatoes are thick sliced, browned in butter with spices. Onion slices are added, then the whole thing is topped with chicken, beef or vegetable broth and allowed to simmer down until it's all absorbed by the potatoes. It's really delicious, and the kids won't eat the onions, so I end up with more onions than potatoes on my plate - which I love!

Saturday night was sandwiches and fruit, picnic style. The first two Harry Potter movies were being shown back-to-back, so the younger kids & I made an evening of it. (It was guys' night out for the oldest child & dad.)

$100 Grocery Week? Maybe so.

With Tuesday's shopping trip, and the Kroger shopping on Sunday, I'm up to $76.49 for the week, so far.

Rode to Trader Joe's. My quads were surprisingly shaky. I had been feeling fine since Saturday's half marathon, except for my bruised & blistered toes. Or, so I thought. Had to drop my seat about an inch, so my feet would reach the ground for a solid stance. The normal tiptoe perch was not cutting it. I was dangerously close to testing out my helmet's ability to protect my head from the asphalt.

Anyway, enough griping. Here's how $21.40 filled out the bike basket:


Yes, that's another bag of flour. I had the right amount figured for 2-3 loaves of bread each week, and breakfast muffins, but completely forgot to figure in the extra required for hamburger buns, pizza dough, and biscuits this week. 'Doh!

I'll need to make one more trip to the store Friday morning, but I don't need much. Fingers crossed, pencils sharpened, list ready to go. (The list is on the iPhone in Grocery IQ, so there's not actually any pencils needed. I just like the mental image of myself with a ledger book, pencil and green eyeshade.)

And, Tuesday night's Try Something New - Warm Tuna & Tomato Salad:


Cooked strips of tuna ( two yellowfin steaks picked up at TJs a couple months ago) over high heat, then tossed garlic, ginger, salt, chopped scallions and halved grape tomatoes into the pan drippings. After a couple of minutes, added fresh chopped cilantro and mint, and placed on shredded cabbage, with a dressing made of brown sugar, lime juice, white wine, fish sauce and red pepper flakes.

I didn't hit the kids with the whole dish, but they did try a strip or two of the tuna (after it'd been tossed with dressing) with a side of pasta with white sauce and green peas. I called it "steak", until after they'd tasted it. After the two fish-shy young'uns said they liked it, I asked them if they'd like me to cook tuna steaks again sometime. They said yes. Big old win for mom!

$100 Grocery Week?

After lamenting my inability to get the grocery spending down as far as I'd like, I decided to change it up a bit this week. For starters, the biggest part of the shopping was done at Kroger. The produce section is generally better than the Publix near my house, so it's the right choice for a week where I'm semi-avoiding Whole Foods. Second, I'm doing the remainder of my shopping in two small trips, one Tuesday, and one either Thursday or Friday. These small trips will be by bike, to either Trader Joes or Whole Foods. It will probably end up being one of each, as WF is the place to go around here for bean sprouts, which I'll be needed Friday night. (TJ's packages are equally fresh, but availability can be spotty.)

Sunday's shopping: $55.09. It would have been a smaller haul by bike, if I could have worn something other than flip flops on my post-13.1 mile toes. (Not pretty.) Took my three reusable bags and filled them all, plus the one gallon of milk. If I managed to put together the right plan for suppers, shouldn't be much more than $40 for the rest of the week.

Now, off to start bread and bake a batch of cinammon oatmeal cookies for tomorrow's packed lunches. There's no room for Keeblers or Nabisco in the budget this week, especially not with this Triple Brownie ice cream indulgence. It's excellent when drizzled with a bit of hot all natural peanut butter from WF, btw.

Update:
In less than three hours, I fixed, with help from DD:
Supper - Stirfried Pork with Corn (Thai)
Dessert - Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies (for tonight & the next few days of lunches)
Breakfast - Oatmeal Flax Muffins (2-3 days), AND
Bread - Honey Oat/Whole Wheat (two days of packed lunches)

WooHoo! Took until the end of the day, but today did turn out to be quite the productive day. Good thing we went for that hike earlier, because DD and I snacked on an awful lot of cookie dough.

Mmmmm, cookie dough.

Grocery Challenge & Supper Wars - Week 7

2009 Grocery Challenge - Week 7

Whole Foods - $67.99
Trader Joe's - $21.60
Publix - $29.90
Week 7 total - $119.49

Year To Date - $1,060.20

Weekly Average - $151.45

Pretty good week for the grocery shopping/budget. I did need to restock on flour and other baking supplies, but since this was week three of the four, it means I'm getting closer to having the proper amount during my stock-up shopping. Last month, I didn't even make it 1-1/2 weeks.

Trader Joe's Trip:
Whole Foods Trip:

Week 7 Grocery Lists:


I'm a little discouraged, though I am glad to be see I'll probably be back under $150 for the weekly average with Week 8. In order to get the average under $120-125, I may need to back off on the Whole Foods shopping, and make do with conventional produce from the supermarket. OR, make the farmers market trips an every two weeks thing, instead of every four.


Supper Wars -

Hoisin Beef, Brown Rice, Three Pea Toss
Amazing how the kids managed to eat all the peas, snow peas and sugar snaps, without touching the red onions. Next time, they'll be chopped smaller.

Turkey Soft Tacos, Corn, Mango Salad
The turkey was cooked with all fresh veggies and herbs. Amazing flavor, and the onions, garlic, tomato and jalapeno were all diced small enough to avoid comment. Or, they ate too fast to notice what was in the turkey.

Baked Ziti, Broccoli, Salad

Roast Chicken Breast, Roasted Veggies, Sugar Snap Peas
The roasted veggies were picked through, so may need to stick with familiar sweet potatoes, carrots and red potatoes for a while longer, before sneaking in baby zucchini.

Chicken Noodle Soup, Cheese Whipping Cream Biscuits
Yes, I know how "bad" whipping cream biscuits made with a cup of heavy cream and half a stick of butter are for us. Don't care.

Tofu baked in Miso Sauce, Fried Rice, Petite Peas
Mixed White wine, red miso paste, soy, ginger and brown sugar to make the sauce. The kids thought it was okay, but prefer the less sweet marinade of soy, ginger and sesame.

Saturday is sandwiches and hot cocoa, given that we're all a bit wiped from the first half of our day.

The standout for this week, other than the whipping cream biscuits with cheddar cheese, has to be the Three Pea Toss. Almonds, mint, red onion... yummy!

Next week should be fun, as I'm planning a couple of suppers out of my Thai cookbook. Wonder if I can get fish balls past them?

Links:
2009 Grocery Challenge
Supper Wars

Happy Belated Yoga Day

Saturday (25th) was National Yoga Day. Yeah, I didn't know there was an official day for it either. Found out from MizFit's weekly poetic Friday post. I was on a long run Saturday, so hot yoga was on Friday and Sunday for me. The belated yoga day was Tuesday (27th), when I had a yoga buddy. We struck a deal for mid morning, mid week yoga. (No babysitting issues.) Since it would be taking up his lunch break, I was going to have to cater the post-yoga meal. No problem.

Three hours before class - Vanilla whole milk yogurt on blueberries and half a banana, topped with two tablespoons of ground flax. Was slightly under four ounces of yogurt, and the fruit portions were fairly small, too. If you've not taken the hot bikram classes, the room is kept around 105 degrees, so you really don't want much in your stomach when you walk through the door into the studio. As for the whole milk yogurt, I know. The fat content is higher, we can get the same nutrients and calcium in the lower fat versions... blah, blah, blah. Don't care. Just like with ice cream and cooking with butter - having the whole version, we're satisfied sooner, and eat less.

The 90 minute class was great. I think I'm finally starting to get my knee comfortably stretched back out from Saturday's 8-miles of unwrapped knee. Yoga buddy liked the class, so much that he wants to go again. If I can drag the teenager out of bed early enough to watch his younger siblings, the early Sunday morning class is probably a go.

As for the food? Lunch - avocado and mango in honey/ginger/lime dressing, with chopped cilantro and celery. Topped with roasted cashews for protein (and salt - definitely needed salt after class), and a clementine.


And, because I'm being photo happy today, supper. Boeuf Bourguignon, cooked straight out of the Julia Child cookbook. Served up the mushrooms to the kids too, as their "try something different" for the day. (Technically, a "try it again, maybe you'll like it this time" for the day. And, it may be working. DD ate not only the mandatory single half a mushroom, she also chose to eat a second. Yea!) Sides of green peas w/butter and mashed potatoes and parsnips with garlic. And, a glass of Cab from Argentina.


Overall, a good day. Looking forward to (fingers crossed) another class with the yoga buddy on Sunday.

Fun with fried rice

Whether it's veggie-fried rice as a side dish with skewers of marinated & grilled chicken or loaded up with cubes of baked tofu or chicken, fried rice is a weekly dinner favorite in our house. To be honest, I think I could serve it every other night for a few weeks before getting any complaints.

It's easy to make, and cooking the rice in the morning while packing lunches means super speedy prep for dinner. Just 15-20 minutes to a homemade one-dish meal. What more could a mom ask for on a busy sports / music / homework night?

Last week, I saw a photo of Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu over at Running with Food. It looked delicious. I've served tofu fried rice, with edamame succotash on the side, so this sounded like a good fit for the family.

The combination for the liquid was a little different than what I usually fix. I usually use a little bit of chicken or vegetable stock (ice cube form, stored in freezer), and add a bit of soy sauce and ginger. RWF's recipe uses soy sauce and more ginger than I use (garlic and red pepper flakes optional), so the flavor is just a little different. Without the extra broth, the rice was ready a few minutes faster - and I can't say I noticed any lack of the flavor for skipping it.

There were only a couple of things I changed in making this. First, I used an egg, not egg substitute. Second, the kids prefer tofu with a sturdier texture, so the tofu was pressed for an hour or two, to remove some of the water, then cubed and stir-fried in garlic sesame oil.

It was really tasty, and will probably be repeated around here sometime soon. Now, to see what else RunningWithFood is cooking.....