This week's menu... plus, a little somethin' for you!

So, I think I'm going to make this a weekly thing...  I mean, I plan our menus weekly anyway and this made it really easy to find my recipes when I was actually ready to cook.  Hopefully you find this helpful as well.

I followed through on most of last week's menu...  with a little rearranging, but that's okay.  Life ne'er  works out as planned, right?  I didn't get around to the cottage pie, so that'll be tonight's dinner.  I also wasn't able to make the quinoa granola 'cause the store was out of unsweetened flaked coconut.  Total bummer.  I contemplated just using the standard sweetened stuff but I think that would make it too sticky-sweet.  So I'll check the store for coconut again when I go next.  No biggie.  And the horchata?  well, I spaced it out...  so that'll have to be added to my list again, too...

This week's menu:

Monday- cottage pie (inspired by these recipes from: New Paradigm Health Cookery, myrecipes.com and marthastewart.com)

Tuesday- Lentils that my mom made for us (recipe from...  I'm not sure where.  Go ask my mom if you want to know, haha) and some baby spinach with a little Marzetti roasted garlic Italian vinaigrette (my current FAVORITE dressing...  so yummy and a little goes a long way!)

Wednesday- summer spaghetti, minus the chicken (from goddessofscrumptiousness.tumblr.com)

Thursday- Honey mustard pork chops with whatever veggie we have on hand (from about.com...  this is one of our family favorites- it's sooo goood!)

Friday- Pizza night!

Saturday- Leftovers....  or maybe going out...  

Sunday- CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE!!!!  Yeeeeah, boyeeee!!!!

...Other things I'd like to make this week:

coconut quinoa granola...  provided I can find the right coconut.

horchata...  provided I don't space it out again.

more bread...  'cause it's delicious.

creme caramel (from foodwishes)...  it just looks awesome.

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BONUS "SURPRISE" RECIPE!!!!!!

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Cottage pie, yo!

3 shallots or 1 medium onion, plus one clove of garlic

4 stalks of celery, rinsed

5 medium carrots, scrubbed

2 small turnips, washed and peeled

2 medium parsnips, washed and peeled

1 package baby bella or button mushrooms, wiped clean

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

a sprinkle of summer savory

sea salt or kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 cup stout beer, such as Guinness

2 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)

about 2 Tbsp olive oil for cooking

4 red or russet potatoes, washed and peeled

Preheat oven to 400°

Roughly dice the first five ingredients.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add vegetables and toss to coat in oil.  While those veggies are cooking, very roughly chop the mushrooms (seriously, put 'em on the cutting board and whack 'em a few times with your knife...  carefully). 

When the shallots (or onions) are translucent and the other veggies are starting to look toasty and smell delicious, add the mushrooms to the mix and let them sit just until they start to sweat.  Dump in the beer and stir in the tomato paste (if you're using it...  I didn't this time) and season to taste with fresh thyme, summer savory, salt and pepper.  Let it simmer and cook off the alcohol; the sauce will thicken a bit.

While all of this is going on, slice your potatoes super thin - think potato chips.

When the sauce has thickened a little bit, turn off the heat (transfer to a casserole dish at this point if your skillet isn't oven safe) and flatten out the veggie mixture.  Top with a single layer of potatoes, drizzle (or spray) with a little olive oil (or butter if you want, but I'm watching calories) and season with a little more salt and pepper.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.  Broil for a couple of minutes to add a little color if needed (but watch it closely).

Enjoy!

.....You could easily add ground beef or lamb (YUM) to this recipe.  Try changing up the veggies, too! I'm going to try it with some peas next time, they would add the perfect pop of sweetness to this dish!

What's on your menu this week?  Please let me know how you like this recipe if you try it!

Stuff I'm planning to feed my family this week...

This week's menu:

Monday- roasted cauliflower/zucchini/white cheddar soup (from BS' in the kitchen) and spring pea salad with goat cheese (from hilahcooking.com)

Tuesday- red curry beef pot roast (from foodwishes.blogspot.com)

Wednesday- penne with tomato cream sauce, without the shrimp (from Back to Her Roots)

Thursday- mushroom toast (I think this idea came from Angry Chicken, but I searched and searched and couldn't find anything close....  so, yeah, I don't know)

Friday- pizza night! (I like to leave this pretty open; could be homemade, frozen or from a restaurant)

Saturday- leftovers (self-explanitory...  if we don't have leftovers, we'll probably go out or pick up something quick)

Sunday- cottage pie (inspired by these recipes from: New Paradigm Health Cookery, myrecipes.com and marthastewart.com)

.....Other things I'd like to make this week:

crusty french bread...  I had this at my cousin's house not too long ago, tried making it myself and failed...  kind of horribly.  Apparently, the bread just needed to bake a little longer.  When I tried to take it out of the loaf pan, it came out in two halves- top and bottom.  This wouldn't have been such a problem if I hadn't been planning to make sandwiches with it.  Bummer.  Take two.

horchata...  I love this stuff and have always wanted to try making it.  Why not now?  Especially since we'll likely be stuck inside much of the week because of the snow storm that is supposedly headed our direction.

coconut quinoa granola...  I freaking love granola.  I also freaking love quinoa.  Oh, and I freeeaking love coconut.  The whole idea of this just sounds genius to me.  Freaking genius.

I really want to make more granola at home 'cause lots of it has crap that I'm not really interested in eating or feeding to my kids.....  and because my kids like to eat my "special" cereal, so if we keep granola in the house maybe the good chocolate kind that I get for myself will be left alone by them...  maybe.

What's on your menu this week?

Do you have any good granola (or other) recipes you'd like to share?

Working hard, or hardly working?...

Over the past few weeks -well, since around the beginning of the year, I suppose- I've been much more focused on my overall health and well-being.  I've posted about this before, and I've definitely tried to diet and exercise in the past.........  but for some reason it's different this time.  

...I *want* it.

...I *need* it.

...I finally seem to understand that, if I don't do something about improving my health right at this very moment, I probably never will.

So, where does that put me right now?  

Well, on my previous post I mentioned that I had lost 5 lbs., which was great...  buuuuut, even watching what I was eating, counting calories and all, I gained ALL of it back.  Bummer, I know.  

Well, sort of.  It actually put me in a much better place mentally.  I couldn't ignore that eating well alone isn't enough to help me drop the 70 -yes, that's right- 70 lbs. that I'm hoping going to lose.  I also knew that I was so out of shape that, if I wanted to keep myself motivated and stick with it, I'd have to start with something a little easier.  So, I started with yoga.

Yoga.  Oh, I love it so much!  It was the perfect way for me to regain awareness of my body and to test my strength and agility while not pushing myself too far.  Most of the poses are so easy to modify, which was great for my first couple of weeks.  After a few days, I felt that yoga wasn't quite enough though...  so I started doing pilates as well.  I decided to alternate pilates and yoga, and to do my best to not miss a day of exercise (but not come down on myself too hard if I did).

Around this time, I started reading a book that I happened to come across while my husband was dragging the family through Menards and I had to occupy the kids while he went and looked at grease -or something.....  

...the book is called Organize Now!...

...(although mine isn't the fancy expanded version), and it's pretty great.  One of the first things this book suggests is writing a daily to do list then later, getting a planner where you will eventually end up writing down everything you want to do for the rest of your life (pretty much). 

Rather than getting an actual planner, I picked up a sweet little blank book...

...and went ahead and dated the next few months then wrote in -alternating, of course- "pilates, dishes, laundry" and "yoga, dishes, laundry"  .....and what's really amazing is, I followed my plan!  

...Well, for the most part, anyway.

But what counts is that I make a point of not coming down too hard on myself!!!  Change *is* difficult, after all and I'm freaking proud of myself for even attempting to make so many changes and being even partially successful!

Which brings me to where I've been heading through all of this chatter...  Since the beginning of the year, I am currently down in more ways than one!

WEIGHT: 9 lbs!

WAIST: 1 1/2"!

HIPS: 1 1/2"!

I've got a long way to go, but I know that I can do it!  I ended up changing my workout routine for about a month and have been doing "Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred" for ten days now, which is what seems to have melted off that inch and a half!

Anyhoo, in short:

I'm proud of myself and I plan to keep it up.

No, I *will* keep it up!

This is not a diet.  This is not a phase.

This is a lifestyle change.

Tell me about how you've been working to improve yourself and your life!

More natural house cleaning...

Thanks to Hulu Plus, I have a slight obsession with an Aussie show called "Lush House" (you can watch full episodes here).  I swear the host, Shannon Lush, is a flippin' genius.  Who knew you could disinfect with lavender oil?  ...or tea tree oil?  I didn't, so I'm gonna go ahead and assume that you didn't either.  I really want to check out all of Shannon Lush's books now!

I also discovered an amazing resource for family friendly, eco-friendly and budget-friendly cleaning.  Howtocleanthings.com helped me seriously decrease the nastiness of a rust stain in my kitchen sink (which was left by a metal thing that the people who lived here before us used to protect the bottom of the sink)....  I think that, with another treatment or two, it should be completely gone soon!

So, here are a few things that I've tested personally and learned really do work!:

• Lemon oil works wonders.  It not only smells good, it keeps bugs away and can work as a deterrent for cats who like to make nasties on the floor (I'm lookin' at *you*, Fluffy!)
• Clove oil makes my house smell like I just baked Christmas ham and it acts as a mold inhibitor!  Taking Miss Lush's mold spray one step further, I've made an after shower spray for our bathrooms that's easy and non-toxic, so the kids can spray the shower down when they're done!
• Fill a spray bottle halfway with white vinegar, add two or three drops of clove oil and top it off with water.  Give it a shake before you spray it!  Easy peasy.
• Cream of tartar can not only be used for baking delicious goodies, but it can also be used to clean aluminum and rust (as I mentioned earlier)

Do you make any of you own natural cleaners or do you have any "weird" cleaning tricks?

Fingerless mitt pattern (that has been a long time coming)...

These mitts are great on their own for chilly autumn/springtime weather or over a pair of cheap, stretchy gloves for chillier winter temperatures.

O modeling his fancy mitts

(back in October)

You will need:
1 set size 6(7, 8, 9) double-pointed needles
size 9(10, 11, 12) circular needles OR size 9 double-pointed needles
crochet hook (size 6/G;4mm)
worsted/aran (medium weight) yarn (work from the opposite end of the skein for the thumb)

Knitting terms:
k- knit
p- purl
rs; ws- right side; wrong side
sts- stitches
kf&b- knit front and back

Pattern:
Cast on 26 sts.

Divide stitches evenly on needles
work in k1, p1 ribbing for 8 rows.

row 9: (rs) kf&b in first 2 sts. k until 2 sts remain. kf&b in last 2 sts. (30 sts)

row 10 (and all even-numbered rows of body): knit

row 11: k 14 sts, kf&b in next 2 sts, k 14 sts.

row 13: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 2 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

row 15: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 4 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

row 17: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 6 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

row 19: k 14 sts, kf&b in next st, k 8 sts, kf&b in next st, k 14 sts.

Continue increasing in this manner if you want to make the thumb wider- just increase the number of sts between the kf&b sts.

Thumb:
row 21: slip 15 sts onto one needle or crochet hook.
attach the opposite end of your skein of yarn and knit the next 10 sts with another needle.

Knit around the thumb three times (continue knitting to make it longer if you like).  Bind off thumb.

row 21(cont'd): knit off of holding needle to thumb, pick up 1 st before thumb, center st at thumb and 1 st after thumb- knit those 3 sts together.  Knit to end of round.

knit 5 more rows (rows 22-26)

Bind off.  Weave in ends.  If necessary, use loose strings to close small hole at thumb.
Using matching yarn or embroidery floss, stitch buttons onto the outside of the ribbed cuff (opposite the thumb).

Coat strings
Using your crochet hook, chain 9 sts. Hold the ends together to form a loop and check to see if the loop fits snugly over the buttons you stitched on the mitts.  Adjust accordingly- add/remove stitches until the loop fits- and be sure to count your sts so you know how big to make the loop at the other end.  Slst into 1st st.  Continue to crochet until the chain is long enough to stretch from one wrist across the shoulders to the other wrist.  Chain enough sts to make your second loop and slst into the last st of the chain (the st *before* the ones you added for the loop).
Weave in ends.

Button the string onto the mitts and put the mitts on.  Now put on your coat over your mitts and the next tome you take your coat off, take the mitts pdf first so they'll stay in place.  No more lost gloves!
I like to make these strings for all of my kids' gloves, homemade or store bought...  It makes life with kids a lot easier.

This pattern and items made using it are not intended for sale, but please feel free to make as many as you'd like for yourself, your friends, family or for donation to charity...  but please give credit to the author and mention my blog when you give gifts made from my patterns.  Thank you!

*****PLEASE NOTE:  This pattern has NOT been tested (aside from by myself), please let me know if you try it out, I would love and appreciate any feedback you have to share!  Thank you!!!*****

I've been a slacker, I know....

Well, happy (belated) holidays and happy new year and all that jazz....  I'll just put it out there and not make excuses:  around the holidays (and, coincidentally, my girls' birthdays), my family and crafting for said holidays/birthdays take precedence over blogging.  I'm sorry.

(from left to right, top to bottom)  A fabric covered, appliqued notebook

that Moo made for me; a Hello Kitty painting that Moo made for Rye;

A Snoopy painting that Moo made for O; Christmas cookie baking!;

an ornament the Rye made for me; bird ornaments that O made for the girls-

he also made one for me and his dad... check him out with his new ukelele!;

a painting the Rye made for Moo; a painting the Rye made for O; and, last but not least,

CHRISTMAS MUMMIES!  ....I know, my kids are strange ones.

I have big plans for 2013!  I don't normally "do" the whole New Year's resolution thing because, let's face it, most of us suck at it...  This year I have decided to simply be a better me.  While there are a few specific goals that fit within my overall big change, I figure that focusing on changing everything that I'm not happy with about myself/my life will be easier in the end than making one minor change that I may or may not stick with.

This might not make sense to anyone but me, and you know what?  That doesn't matter.  Doing it this way, I have to focus on every aspect of my life.  Its not just about eating healthier or exercising, its about improving myself- inside and out.  My physical health, my mental health, my relationships with my kids and my husband, the cleanliness of my house, getting my creative energies flowing again (which has a lot to do with my mental health), etc.

I feel that I've been making excellent progress overall...  I'm using myfitnesspal.com to count my calories as well as making a point of getting off my butt and cleaning things up around here (which helps to burn calories - bonus!).  I'm currently down 5 lbs since Jan. 1st!  I've been trying to crack down on the kiddos about getting their clothes and back packs ready for school the night before, which has significantly lightened the overall moods in or house in the mornings.  I've also started journaling again which, for me, usually -well, used to- include lots of sketching and doodling....  I plan to get back to that soon, too.

What about you?  Do you have any permanent changes that you're working on at the moment? 

Andes mint/vanilla meringue cookies!!!

Holy crap, you guys. 

Seriously.

Like, FOR REAL...

Andes mint/vanilla meringue cookies

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

4 eggs whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1 c. white granulated sugar
1 10 oz. bag Andes creme de menthe baking pieces

Preheat oven to 200°

Place egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and extracts in mixer, turn mixer on to low and gradually increase the speed to medium as the egg whites begin to bubble and get fluffy.  Continue mixing until soft peaks form.

Begin to add the sugar one tablespoon at a time, while slowly increasing the speed to high.  Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, the mixture should be thick and glossy, forming stiff peaks.

Gently fold in chocolate/mint pieces.

Transfer mixture into a piping bag and pipe small peaks onto a parchment covered baking sheet.  Bake for 1½ hours, turn oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven.

Enjoy!