feeling festive

this weekend we saw santa and got a christmas tree.  i even wrapped all the presents we have bought so far.  it's beginning to feel very festive around here.  now if only it would snow.
christmas will come a little earlier this year for our family.  my MIL is going to get to come home from the rehabilitation facility tomorrow and we have our ultrasound on thursday.  send us lots of positive energy and love for a nice, healthy, happy growing baby.  i am 19 weeks along now.

i got some cooking and prep done this weekend, too.  i made some granola, breadcrumbs, hard boiled eggs, and marinara.  i think i will start on holiday baking and homemade gifts this week since our christmas cards arrived last week.  what are you all making for the holidays?  i am going to do some of my hot cocoa mix, applesauce chocolate chip cake, granola, rosemary olive oil bread, and everyday bread with compound butter.  i don't have a giant list of people...so i like to mix it up. i am also looking at doing some of these busy bags and this hand scrub for some folks.
i hope your weekend was grand and your week is even better...
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if you are in the omaha or lincoln area and would like to make the holidays brighter for some families, consider donating soup or pop to PLaiD's 2nd annual holiday souper supper.  PLaiD will be providing soup, rolls, dessert, and drinks to sick kids, their families, and the staff that takes care of them on friday, december 20 at UNMC. check out PLaiD's website for more about what they do.  go here to sign up.

christmas countdown

i had many grand plans for a grand advent calendar this year.  then life got in the way and none of them came to fruition.  every year, as hendrix gets older, christmas gets more exciting around here.  kids make even the biggest scrooges (ahem, mike) get excited for christmas.  i love advent calendars because they help the kid countdown to christmas and they help me stay focused on what matters.  i always like to include special activities like: get a christmas tree, decorate cookies, or go ice skating in his calender.  then for the days when we can't quite DO something...he gets a special treat.
anyways, there i was standing in the kitchen at the end of november wondering how i was going to whip out a calendar quickly and cheaply...when i spotted hendrix's christmas stocking.  it has a calendar on it. ta-da! the christmas advent stocking!  so every day since saturday, i have been putting little treats in there.  he's really been loving it...and so have i.  the santa pez dispenser was a big hit yesterday. thursday is saint nick's day so i will putting a picture of a shoe in his stocking and telling him to check his shoes for a surprise. do you have an advent calendar in your house? how do you fill it?

a month of meals

i've either entered the nesting phase or have WAY too much time on my hands.  however, i have read on quite a few blogs lately and talked with a few friends...apparently planning meals out and doing the shopping for a month of dinners is a money saver/time saver.  i already spend very little on groceries, but lately we have been going over our budget.  mostly, because with this pregnancy comes pregnancy brain, morning sickness, and "ohmygodiamsotired i can't even make a sandwich". it all leads to eating out more and/or prepackaged dinners bought at the last minute. both not all that delicious.
also, i think by not really planning out snacks and lunches and times that i can't bear to prepare food, i end up leaving myself with a kitchen with no back up plan.  supermom isn't making as many appearances these days. hence, the frozen pizza and ravioli on my grocery list.
so....i went down the road of crazy and planned a month of meals. feel free to poach any or all of these for your own planning purposes.
a few things... this plan took me about an hour to do.  i stuck with mostly staple dinners and threw a couple of new recipes in there. i typically have a pretty well stocked pantry so i just needed to replace a few items.  it may vary based on your pantry. the meat, frozen food, and pantry items will be purchased once this month.  some of the produce that keeps well, like carrots, potatoes, onions, and sugar snap peas, will be purchased once. the same with the dairy...some like shredded cheese i can buy once and freeze or some like buttermilk have a long shelf life. otherwise, i will (of course) be making small, short trips to the store weekly based on what perishables i need to stock up on. or telling mike to do it. finally, i  did 26 dinners instead of 31 to allow room for leftovers and the holidays.  also, i will be picking 4 - 6 dinners from the list weekly to make instead of planning every single night of the month. the bulk of my shopping is done at costco, aldi, and fareway.

here is the meal plan:

snacks
cut veggies + dip (ranch seasoning with yogurt)
fruit
quick bread gone healthy (check pinterest)
granola + yogurt
hummus
bean dip
hard boiled eggs
cottage cheese
smoothies (i just buy a bunch of cheap frozen fruit and wing it)
granola bars ( we love these nature valley brand protein bars they sell at costco)
goldfish crackers (i'm succumbing)

lunches
leftovers
grilled cheese
noodles or cheese ravioli
sandwiches

breakfast
whole wheat pancakes
french toast
eggs + breakfast meat
toast
yogurt
biscuits + gravy (clearly reserved for the weekend. i'm not that much of a fatty.)

dinners
1. crockpot chile colorado burritos with rice
2. chili rellano casserole
3. lasagna with salad
4. crockpot chili
5. crockpot beef stroganoff with salad
6. beef satay with ramen in peanut ginger sauce
7. baked sausages with apples, onions, and potatoes
8. italian sausage meatball sandwiches with salad
9. sloppy joes with baked fries and cut veggies
10. baked penne with salad
11. crockpot stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes
12. sausage, bean, and kale stew
13. (venison) steak salad with tomatoes, onion, and bleu cheese
14. tuna noodle casserole with salad
15. venison roast with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots
16. shepard's pie (with leftover roast & potatoes from #15)
17. crockpot korean ribs with rice and braised cabbage
18. baked sausages with colcannon + applesauce (use cabbage from #17 for colcannon)
19. greek burgers with pita, cukes, tomatoes, feta, and onion
20. sausages with latkes + applesauce
21. braised short ribs with polenta and roasted veg (christmas dinner?)
22. venison enchiladas with rice
23. crockpot chili
24. baked fried chicken drumsticks with rainbow salad
25. macaroni + cheese
26. black eyed peas with leeks and kielbasa and cornbread (new years eve)

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so far, i have spent about $100 - 150 less than i typically would for the whole month. we shall see how the rest of the month goes...i will give updates.  also, let me know if you all try this or already do it.  i'd love to hear your thoughts.  so far, i really like having a fully stocked kitchen with all the ingredients to make over half of these meals. now if only we could get a massive snow storm...
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check out january's month of meals plan and to read more about what i learned by planning dinner out for a whole month!

tilapia with mustard cream sauce

years ago, when mike and i first started dating i used to make him dinners that included fish or chicken. then i learned that he thinks fish or chicken are diet meat. he's a farm boy, what can i say? sure we still eat fish or chicken, but not as often as i'd like. most of the time it is red meat or vegetarian with a side of meat for mike. plus, nothing sounds less appetizing then chicken when you are pregnant.  fish, though, i crave and love when i am pregnant. i have been craving this recipe that was one of the first meals i ever made for mike.  back then i am sure i served it with something very expected like rice and asparagus.  this time i served it with roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts.  it was as delicious as i remember and so easy.  wonderful for this holiday season where we need something fast, easy, and healthy for dinner. sure it has cream in it, but it is a minimal amount so you won't die. also, last night i felt baby #2 move for the first time (and boy was it having a party!!) so perhaps we have another fish lover in this family. hendrix chose to dip his dinner in the sauce because that's what toddlers do...they dip their food.
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tilapia with mustard cream sauce
4 tilapia fillets (or any similar white fish)
salt
pepper
fresh thyme
3/4 c. of chicken broth
2 T. cream
2 T. Dijon mustard
heat olive oil in a skillet.  season fish with salt, pepper, and thyme.  cook fish for 1 minute each side in  heated skillet. add chicken broth and bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes. carefully remove fish and keep warm.  at this point you can add a bit of sliced mushrooms or chopped spinach if you like.  if you do then just cook until veg is cooked through. whisk in cream and mustard.  cook until warm, about 1 minute.  serve sauce over fish. 

thankful tuesdays

good advice if you are preparing the feast.

we're all thankful for something this time of year. hopefully.  even in my family's darkest moments we have found gratitude.  i know this year has been full of ups and downs for everyone including my family.  i do hope that we all have a chance to gather on thursday, eat good food, and take a moment to give thanks.  here's what i am most thankful for...

• my husband, my son, and the growing, very hungry baby in my belly 
• the super folks  heroes at the heart ministry center that delivered thanksgiving meals for over 400 families in the omaha metro last saturday
• my brother and his family who are making our thanksgiving feast
• all the coats the preschool parents, parishioners, and CCD children at our preschool collected for the heart ministry center's clients
• my MIL is getting better everyday and can use a walker and get herself out of chairs.  she'll be home in a couple of weeks!!
• that i live a world where a parent can overcome his greatest grief to celebrate his children and make life better for other kids through art.
• that it is tuesday which means it only two more days to my favorite holiday!!

have a happy thanksgiving all!

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feeling guilty about all the yummy food? drink a smoothie.  smoothies solve almost all problems.

blueberry banana smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 c. frozen blueberries

1 1/2 T/ ground flax seed

1/2 c. vanilla yogurt

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk 

blend together in blender and feel the guilt melt away. 

homemade runzas

an actual runza.  

last week i posted runzas on my must haves for the freezer and had a few folks ask me what a runza is...besides telling them that they are bread stuffed with deliciousness, i thought i would share my go to recipe.  these are definitely a weekend kitchen project. however, they freeze/reheat great and are pretty fun to make. kids can easily help fill and fold the runzas, too.

homemade runzas
{filling}
2 lbs of ground meat, preferably beef
1 large onion, chopped
salt
pepper
1 medium head of cabbage, shredded
american cheese, optional
{dough}
4 1/2 c. flour, divided
1 /2 c. sugar
2 pkgs. (4 1/2 t.) of active dry yeast
1 t. salt
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. shortening
3/4 c. milk
2 eggs

{make dough} combine 1 3/4 c. flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.  heat milk, water, and shortening to 120 degrees.  pour over flour mixture and add eggs. beat with standing mixer for 4 minutes.  stir in remaining flour. knead, with standing mixer,  until smooth and elastic. about 6-8 minutes. cover for 1 hr.
meanwhile {make filling} in large dutch oven, saute onion in a bit of oil or butter.  add meat and brown.    add cabbage and cook until wilted.  season very well with salt and pepper.

{assemble runzas} on a large floured surface, roll out dough.  you want the dough to rolled out to a little more than 1/4 inch thickness.  this is where it can get tricky...you now need to divide your rolled out dough into a even number, same sized rectangles. they should be about 8" x 6".  fill half of the long side, of each rectangle, with your meat filling.  add cheese if you so desire. fold the dough over the meat filling and pinch the sides to make sure nothing delicious escapes. repeat.

{to eat immediately} place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown

{to prepare for freezing}  place on a baking sheet and  par bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for no more than 10 minutes.  cool completely and individually wrap in plastic wrap and then store in a freezer bag.  good for up to six months.

{to heat from freezer} wrap runza in foil, bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

hunkering down + planning

i've decided to spend the day planning next year's garden and planning our advent calendar activities.  weird, i know.  i think i have a bit of a cold and still have morning sickness combined with nesting.  so i have to make the best of a stupid situation. i may or may not make dinner. also, i am excited for my new glasses that are supposed to come today.  in the meantime, make yourself some oatmeal...

pumpkin pie oatmeal

1/4 c. of canned pumpkin

1 generous T. of brown sugar

generous sprinkle of baking or pumpkin pie spice

1/2 c. of oats

1 c. of water

combine ingredients in small pot and cook on med until cooked through.  about 5 minutes.