August 11, 2011- Marinated Chicken & Home Grown Green Beans

Yes, it's been a very long time since I blogged.  And, no, I am not going to get caught up.  But, tonight's dinner was such a hit that I had to write about it.  I've just been too busy to keep up with a daily blog.

In May, my parents came to town and helped build two raised garden beds in our backyard.  They gave them to me for Christmas.  I have had some successes and some failures in what I chose to plant.  The spinach was a big failure.  The plants came up quickly, and then bolted just as quickly.  The plants never got big enough to harvest from.  One tomato plant just didn't make the transplant.  My broccoli was attacked by worms and then aphids.  We'll see if they ever produce anything to eat.  The lettuce came up quickly, and then just sat there, unproductive.  I'm not sure it will ever grow enough to harvest.  

Our success has come from the herbs, green beans, green onions, carrots, and, to some extent, strawberries.  I've had to cut the cilantro back over and over again.  Right now I am letting it go to see to see what coriander looks like:)  Our carrots continue to grow.  I'm not a big carrot eater, but Katie and Ben like them.  I figure we can donate what we don't eat to the food bank.  The green onions are healthy and growing.  Our strawberry plants have been producing sweet fruit, just not a ton.  

Tonight we harvested five strawberries and enough green beans to feed our family. I planted two kinds of green beans--pole and bush.  Katie and I picked a few of each variety tonight.  After tasting both, I have decided that the pole beans are too stringy for my liking.  Next year, I'm sticking with the deliciously sweet bush beans.  Here's cute Katie with our harvest:)

And, here's how I prepared the green beans:

GARLIC & PEPPER GREEN BEANS

Directions:

1.  Add trimmed green beans to a skillet of boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes, until tender crisp.

2.  Remove beans and set aside.  Dump out the remaining water.

3.  Return the skillet to the burner on medium heat.  Add a little butter and a little olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

4.  Add diced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, and a couple dashes of red pepper flakes.  Saute until garlic starts to brown.

5.  Return green beans to the pan and toss in the garlic, pepper oil, cooking for another minute.

I also served grilled chicken breasts that I marinated in Grill Mates Tomato, Basil and Garlic marinade this afternoon.  Grilled on Direct Medium heat for 9-10 minutes, the chicken was almost perfect:) 

July 20, 2011- Impossible Taco Pie

Our church is a sponsor of Family Promise, an organization which helps homeless and low-income families achieve sustainable independence.  This week we hosted a family of 7-- mom, dad, 4-yr-old girl, 3-yr-old boy, 1-yr-old boy, and twin 2-month olds.  I cannot even imagine having that many children, let alone having them all under the age of 4 and without a home to take care of them in.  This family from Eritrea, a country just North of Ethiopia, was very happy and friendly, despite their difficult situation. I have to admit that I had not heard of the country before this week.  

Katie and I, along with our friend Nancy and her niece, provided dinner for this family at the church tonight.  I made two Impossible Taco Pies.  The five adults and four children consumed 1.5 of the pies I made.  Guess what Katie and I will be eating tomorrow night? :)  Nancy made a wonderful salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds (also called pepita), avocados, and peaches.  The dressing for the salad was delicious too, but I can't tell you what it was made of.  She also made a divine chocolate cake with fresh ginger in it.  Topped with fresh, homemade whipped cream, that cake was a winner. 

After the meal concluded, the kids ran around, played, danced, and colored together for more than an hour.  It was great to see Katie playing with them.  She desperately wanted to be included and didn't want to go home. 

July 19, 2011- Marinated Flank Steak

Katie and I went to Jen, Andy, and Jackson's house for our PEPS gathering tonight.  Since we hosted last time, we didn't have to take anything for the meal this time.  Jen marinated and grilled flank steak that was tender and full of flavor.  She mentioned that the marinade recipe included soy sauce, garlic, cumin, and several other ingredients I don't remember now.  We also had a caesar salad, a couscous salad, and peach cobbler with ice cream along with the meal.  Yum!  

July 18, 2011- Hot Dogs and Cheese Puffs

Tonight I will not win any awards for feeding my child the healthiest foods.  But, she ate well, and we were both happy at the end of the meal.  I grilled Hebrew National hot dogs and served them with Cheetos Puffs.  I sure do love those!  She also had a little bit of cheddar cheese and a bowl of fresh berries.  She didn't nap today and was definitely looking tired while she ate.  Just when I thought she would say she was finished, she asked for more food.  I'm glad I stalled for a bit, but she did end up saying she was done.  

Ben called a little after 6pm, and we got to talk with him for a while.  His first meeting, the big one, went very well.  Whoo hoo!  After the call, I read Katie one more book and took her up to bed.  In less than five minutes she was out.  I'm so thankful that her lack of afternoon nap didn't turn into a terrible bed time.  And now, it's 7:10 and I have the whole evening to myself.  Hmmm, perhaps I have time for a little crafting, reading, TV, ice cream, and extra sleep:) 

July 17, 2011- Chicken Enchiladas

This morning Ben flew off to Maine for a week of business meetings.  My goal for the week is to keep Katie busy and happy.  I guess that should be my goal every week, but it is most important without Ben to back up my lack of patience at the end of each day.  My strategy is to limit the battles I pick with Katie to those things that will lead to someone or something being hurt or damaged, behaviors that we never stand for, and blatant defiance.  As far as food goes, I'm going to let her dictate what she wants to eat.  It will definitely make my life easier this week.  The last thing I want is for Ben to come home to a cranky, exhausted wife.

For dinner, I reheated the left over enchilada from earlier this week.  I sat Katie on my lap and let her be in charge of the fork as much as possible.  She "helped" me cut it into small bites and even let her feed me a couple times.  She thought that was a hoot.  In the end, we were both full and still happy.  Great! 

July 16, 2011- Studio Chicken in Phyllo

A couple weeks ago my friend Jamie sent me a message to see how I was doing.  She told me she missed seeing new recipes on my blog.  She was right--I wasn't trying anything new.  I hadn't realized how much I had gotten stuck in a rut.  This week I made sure to work something new into my menu.  I was just winging it on the enchiladas last night, but tonight I planned something special:)

For one of my bridal showers over six years ago, I got a lovely little cookbook called "A Taste for Love: A Romantic Cookbook for Two" by Elizabeth M. Harbison and Mary McGowan.  I've only used it a couple times, but found a recipe in it this week that I thought I would be brave and try.  The bravery was needed for two things.  1- It calls for mustard which I usually don't like.  2- It is made with phyllo dough, which I've never used before. 

Before I give you the recipe, I have to say that I did the phyllo dough all wrong, but it tasted fine anyway.  Also, I was nervous about the mustard, but the tarragon and cream made a huge difference.  I really liked it!  It's a very rich entree, so we won't be making it frequently.  But, we liked it enough to make again.  Maybe quarterly:)  Okay, here's the recipe.

STUDIO CHICKEN IN PHYLLO

Purchase phyllo dough in the frozen food section of your grocery store.  Be sure to keep it moist by covering it with a damp towel as you are working with it or it will dry and crumble in your hands.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, boneless, skinless and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon peanut oil

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8 cup country Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

10 phyllo sheets

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the chicken pieces, seasoned salt, and flour in a 1-quart plastic bag.  Close the bag and shake until the chicken pieces are coated.

3. Over medium-heat, bring the oil to bubbling in a small saute pan.  Place the chicken pieces in the pan and saute until the juices no longer run pink, about 5 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a warm plate and keep it warm.

4. Reduce the heat to medium.  Whisk the mustard into the chicken drippings.  Add the tarragon and reduce slightly.  Whisk in the cream, blending it all thoroughly.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is reduced by one fourth.  Add the chicken to sauce, remove from the heat, and set aside.

5. Brush a shallow 1-quart casserole with melted butter.  Lay 1 phyllo sheet into the casserole, patting to fit sides.  Brush it down with the melted butter.  Repeat the process with 4 more phyllo sheets.  Fill the casserole with the chicken mixture.  Layer 5 more phyllo sheets on top of chicken, buttering between each sheet. 

6. Trim excess phyllo to within 1 inch of dish edge.  Tuck the phyllo edges under and brush with butter. 

7. Bake for 15 minutes, or until top is crisply browned.

Notes:

1. As I mentioned above, I've never worked with phyllo dough before.  I knew that it was in the freezer and that it needed to be kept moist, but I didn't think to read the box to see that it should be thawed for two hours before using.  Instead, I opened up the box and the plastic bag it came in and started to unroll it.  Yeah...that wasn't the right thing to do.  It just cracked and crumbled apart.  Not having two hours to thaw it, I decided to just go with it.  I took the thin, somewhat frozen pieces and layered them to represent full sheets of dough.  It was a little difficult to brush on the butter since the dough kept wanted to come up with the brush, but I got it to work.

2. I used olive oil since I didn't have any peanut oil.  The substitution worked just fine.  

3. I didn't have a 1 quart dish shallow dish, so I used a 1.5 quart dish with 3 inch sides.  

4. I don't know what makes a dijon mustard "country."  I just bought one that looked more interesting in texture than Grey Poupon.  

5. The 6th step in the instructions didn't make sense to me.  I just put on the 5 layers of phyllo, brushed with butter between each layer, and pushed down the edges so that they wouldn't get crispy.  It seemed to work just fine. 

July 15, 2011- Chicken Enchiladas

I make enchiladas for the first time tonight.  I didn't do much research before deciding to try this.  They weren't bad, but I definitely could work on improving them.  If you have any great techniques or recipes you like for enchiladas, please send them my way:)  While he's never made them for me before, Ben told me during dinner that he usually doesn't mix sauce in with the chicken.  He has only poured it over the top before.  Here's how I made them:

1. I prepped a casserole dish with a little bit of non-stick spray and pre-heated the oven to 375 degrees
2. I took the rotisserie chicken that I shredded last night, heated it in a skillet, added 3/4 cup of mild enchilada sauce and a cup of cheese. 
3. I spooned the chicken/sauce/cheese mixture into three wheat tortillas and placed them into the casserole dish, seam side down.
4. I pour the rest of the can of sauce over the tortillas and topped with more shredded cheese. 
5. The enchiladas baked for 25 minutes.

Katie didn't have a big lunch, so I was not surprised when she wanted to eat dinner before the enchiladas were cooked.  She asked for and ate a bowl of oatmeal along with some cheddar cheese before Ben came home.  When Ben and I started to eat, she came over to ask "Whatcha doin?"  I told her I was eating and asked if she wanted a bite.  To my surprise, she said yes.  And then she said "I like that" and asked to be up on my lap.  There she sat for the rest of the meal, eating my enchilada.  I guess she was still hungry:)

July 14, 2011- Rotisserie Chicken & Salad

I had planned on buying a rotisserie chicken at Fred Meyer on Monday, but we were there too early to get one.  We went to Safeway, which is a bit closer to our house, to pick one up this afternoon after Katie's nap.  It was a fantastic chicken.  Much better than Fred Meyer's if you ask our family.  The chicken was moist and full of flavor.   It was definitely worth the extra dollar or two it costs to buy the Safeway chicken instead of the Fred Meyer one.  I served a salad made of butter lettuce, raspberries, and glazed walnuts for our side dish.  Katie had chicken and raspberries.

After dinner,  I removed and shredded the remaining meat from the chicken bones.  I'll end up using that in a meal tomorrow. 

July 13, 2011- Smoothies

Tonight we were all over the place with dinner.  Ben worked a bit late; so, Katie and I ate before we picked him up from work.  I made fruit smoothies for Katie and me out of the fruit and juice I had in the fridge and freezer.  I didn't measure out the ingredients, but here's what I put in them:

• Frozen banana, strawberries, blueberries, peaches.
• Orange/pineapple/strawberry juice.
• Water to thin it out a bit.

Katie seemed to really like her smoothie. I served it to her in a reused Red Robin plastic cup with a bendy straw.  She called it a fruit drink.  That works for me:)  In addition to the smoothie, she had pepperoni slices and cheddar cheese for her meal.  I had an Atkins food bar since I wasn't very hungry.  

Knowing Ben would be hungry when we picked him up, we took him some chicken strips we had left over from our lunch today.  They definitely hit the spot.  When we got home, he ate a few more of the pan fried chicken tenders I cooked up on Monday.  While no longer crispy, they were still good. 

July 12, 2011- Green Beans and Ground Beef

I've shared this recipe before in previous posts, but thought I would put it directly in this one for quick reference.  The Asian flavors of this meal are simple, mild, and quite tasty.  I appreciate that it doesn't require unusual ingredients.  One of the things I like best about it is that it only calls for a half pound of ground beef.  Since I usually buy beef in pound packages, it instantly gives me half a pound to turn into taco meat.  I often have the taco meat cooking in a separate pan while making this dish.  Hello breakfast burrito!

The original recipe says it serves 4 people.  But, it also says to serve the beans and beef over rice or noodles.  We don't add the rice or noodles when we make the dish.  I count on it making two nice helpings, plus one lunch sized bowl for left overs.  

GROUND BEEF AND GREEN BEANS

from a cookbook called "Recipes I Have Known and Loved"

Sauce:

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/3 cup cooled broth

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (we always used regular soy sauce)

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Main ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound green beans, trimmed and sliced diagonally into 2-inch lengths

2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons finely minced garlic (2 large cloves)

1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (the original recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon...not enough!)

1/2 pound lean ground beef

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Set the mixture aside.

2. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil for 30 seconds over high heat, and add the green beans. Stir-fry the green beans for about 4 minutes-the beans should be tender-crisp and lightly charred in spots. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon, and set them aside.

3. Add the ginger and garlic to the pan, cook them for 30 seconds, and then add the pepper flakes and beef, crumbling the meat with a spatula. Stir-fry the mixture just until the beef loses its pinkness. Drain off all the excess fat from the pan.

4. Stir the reserved sauce once more, and add it to the meat. Cook the mixture, stirring it, for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Fold in the reserved green beans, heat the mixture for 1 minute, and serve.

July 11, 2011- Pan Fried Chicken Tenders

Tonight I made my best pan fried chicken tenders ever.  I didn't change much in my process except I was more patient.  I lightly coated the chicken tenderloins in a mixture of flour, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a little cayenne pepper.  I heated olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat and added the chicken.  I dropped in a little butter to increase the smoke point.  (Thanks Food Network for that tip years ago.)  And then, I waited and waited and waited until they turned golden brown on the pan side before flipping them. 

While they were cooking, I thought I would quickly unload the dishwasher.  Katie was trying to "help", but she doesn't help or listen very well with dishes at this age.  While I was putting glasses into the cupboard, she started to pulled out a large glass mug.  I told her NO, asked her to put it down, but she didn't.  It quickly slipped out of her hands and shattered on the floor.  Thankfully neither of us was hurt.  She cried hard for a minute, but then stayed in the dining room chair and read books while I cleaned up.  So, the patience I needed to wait for the flip side of the chicken to brown came from having to clean up glass in the kitchen.  Hopefully I won't need a glass to break in order for the chicken to be cooked properly the next time. 

We had berry salad of raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries for our side dish. 

July 10, 2011- Cheeseburgers

We made really good cheeseburgers tonight.  Ben grilled frozen hamburger patties from Costco, seasoned heavily with Lawry's seasoning salt.  We both topped the burgers with cheddar cheese and bacon.  I added ketchup and pickles to mine while Ben added barbecue sauce.  Katie ate most of her mini cheeseburger, dipped in ketchup of course:)  We all ate pears to go with our burgers.

Usually I'm not very worried about selecting organic products at the grocery store.  But, I have to tell you, I always find the organic pears to taste much better than the non-organic pears.  Maybe it's simply because they have been picked when ripe.  No matter the reason, I'm thankful for very yummy pears. 

July 9, 2011- Country Style Pork Ribs

Yesterday afternoon I started making Country Style Pork Ribs for Kate and Spencer to have for dinner.  Ben was the first one to prepare them in our house, and he did a great job documenting the process in the following post: http://duckywhit-whatsfordinner.blogspot.com/2011/02/monday-2212011.html.  In order to get out the door for our date last night, I turned the preparation over to Spencer at step #8 in the directions.  We made enough so that we could have left overs for our dinner tonight.  I reheated the pork in the microwave, smothered with more bbq sauce.  I reheated corn on the cob from last week's PEPS potluck for our side dish.

July 8, 2011- Sazerac

Kate and Spencer kindly offered to babysit Katie for us tonight. Date night...what a treat! After getting her settled in with them, I met Ben downtown for dinner and a movie.  We planned to keep our food costs down by sticking to happy hour menus.  We ended up at Sazerac since the happy hour menu was offered until 8pm, two hours longer than most restaurants. 

We started with Crispy "Truffles"-- a deep fried ball of yukon gold potatoes and truffle cheese, coated in bread crumbs, served with truffled aioli.  I really expected a fancy potato chip when I ordered them.  What a pleasant surprise.  Next, Ben had the pulled pork sliders with a mustard based bbq sauce, and I had the cheeseburger sliders with garlic aioli.  We wrapped up the meal by sharing the grilled housemade Andouille sausage.  It had a great texture and a unique flavor.  The food was wonderful, but so were our seats.  

We were seated at the chef's counter, which meant we could watch the chef prepare food while we ate.  The thing we miss most about not having cable television anymore is The Food Network.  We love watching people prepare food.  Tonight it was just like we were part of a live studio audience for a Food Network show.  What fun!  The chef greeted us and said goodbye when we left, but was heads-down the entire we were eating.  I wonder if he likes being watched so closely while he works. 

The movie we saw was Horrible Bosses.  Oh man, that is a hilarious movie!  We were in a packed theater and the whole audience laughed and groaned and jumped as one.  If you liked The Hangover or Bridesmaids, I've got to think you will love this movie!  We will own it for sure.

July 7, 2011- Kalbi Short Ribs

I got Kalbi marinated beef short ribs from the Fred Meyer meat counter yesterday morning.  They grill up really quickly and are usually quite tasty.  Well, I didn't get the best selection this time.  The meat was really fatty and the marinade didn't penetrate the meat like it usually does.  I guess that's what I get for shopping so early in the morning.  We grilled asparagus tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper as our side dish.  

July 6, 2011- Baja Citrus Chicken

If you've read my  blog for a while, you know that we use Grill Mates marinade seasoning packets frequently.  The packaging for each variety lists two or three proteins that the flavors will work best with.  I usually don't sway from that list.  But, tonight I decided to try the Baja Citrus marinade on chicken tenderloins.  It was pretty good.  I don't prefer it to some of the other flavors, but it was just fine.  I marinated the chicken for two hours before broiling it.  I made a salad of butter lettuce, sliced strawberries, glazed walnuts, and poppy seed dressing for our side.  It is such a great summer salad. 

July 5, 2011- Pasta at Pallino's

We left Redmond, OR, at 11am today.  After stops for coffee and gas, and then lunch in Madras at Sonic Burger, we were really on the road at noon.  It wasn't not a quick trip, but we did get home by 8pm with a stop at Pallino's pasta restaurant in Issaquah.  I had pesto genovese with penne and chicken.  The pesto was really good-- not too garlicky or sweet.  Ben had Mama's Meat Sauce with Rigatoni and added sausage.  Katie had a few nibbles on her cheese pizza.  Boy, it was a long day. I'm glad to be home!

July 4, 2011- Cake and Ice Cream

Kate, Spencer, and Jennifer had to leave this morning.  Ben, Katie, and I are staying an extra day so that we can avoid the holiday traffic. Hopefully not everyone else has the same idea;)

We had a small breakfast, and then ended up having a big late lunch.  We stopped at a Mexican restaurant in Tumalo and filled up on nachos. I had hoped to get a grilled hot dog at the golf course snack shop, but it closed early due to the holiday.  We went back to Jennifer's house and fed Katie a small meal of deli meat, cheese, and grapes for dinner.  After we got her to sleep, we sat out on the porch and had left over chocolate cake and ice cream.  Yes, we did indeed have dessert for dinner, and it was good.

July 3, 2011- Steaks, Asparagus, & Baked Potatoes

Jennifer and I have been planning a surprise bridal shower for Kate for several months.  We wanted to have it this weekend in Redmond since many of our close family friends usually spend holiday weekends there too.  Well, in the end, we were the only ones in Redmond this time.  So, we hosted a shower for Kate and Spencer with just our immediate family.  It was quite nice:) 

For dinner, Jennifer purchased lovely tenderloin steaks.  I brought a tin of Aromatica Organics Nebraska Prime Steak Seasoning with me, which was rubbed on the steaks.  Ben was in charge of grilling them, and he did a fantastic job.  The steaks were all cooked perfectly for each of our preferences.  So, the combination of the great meat, the delicious rub, and the careful grilling resulted in excellent steaks.  We grilled asparagus and baked potatoes to enjoy with the steaks.  

After dinner the dogs were walked and then the shower continued.  We played a couple games-- "Future spouse trivia" and "Name that white baking ingredient".  They were fun even with our small group.  After the games were over, we enjoyed a delicious chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries. And, no bridal shower would be complete without a few presents:)  It was a perfect evening!  

Well, I should be honest and say that Katie puked just a little bit while eating cake, but we cleaned it up so quickly that it was like it never happened. Other than that, it was a perfect evening.

July 2, 2011- Brickhouse

For a couple months, Jennifer has been talking about a great steakhouse in Redmond, OR, called Brickhouse.  Tonight we got to eat there.  The ambiance was very cool, and yet, it didn't make us feel odd by having a toddler with us.  Katie behaved quite well as long as she was allowed to watch The Princess and The Frog on my iPod.  She had fish and chips.  Jennifer and I each tried the halibut encrusted in parmesan with asparagus.  She had mashed potatoes while I chose the rice.  The halibut was cooked perfectly and was a large portion.  Kate had the pork rack with apples, onions, and a maple bourbon glaze.  Spencer had salmon, which said was just alright.

Ben had the best meal of the night.  He ordered the Dungeness Crab Fettucine.  It had lovely, big chunks of crab on top of the pasta.  There was a good amount of shredded crab in the cream sauce while really made the dish.  I usually don't order meals with crab in them, but I would order this one again in a heartbeat.  If you find yourself in Redmond or Bend, Oregon, I highly recommend eating at Brickhouse.  You won't be disappointed.

July 1, 2011- Sandwiches and Pancakes

We left Seattle at 12:30 today, driving to Redmond, OR, for the weekend.  We met up with Kate and Spencer, who were driving down separately, in Madras, OR, for dinner at the Black Bear Diner.  Other than a weird situation with a claustrophobic woman while waiting to be seated,  it was a pretty good meal.  I had a pulled pork sandwich with fries.  The barbecue sauce on my sandwich was a bit sweeter than I like it, but it was still very good.  Ben had a great tri-tip sandwich with fries.  Katie opted for breakfast and had chocolate chip pancakes, heavily dipped in syrup, with chocolate milk and fruit.  Spencer had a half rack of pork ribs with clam chowder, and Kate had the California Bacon Benedict.  

After dinner, we drove into Redmond and met Jennifer at Fred Meyer to pick up groceries for the weekend.  If we had driven straight to her house without the grocery store stop, we would have arrived in exactly 7.5 hours.  Not bad considering it included a bathroom stop, long dinner, and a construction zone where we had to drive pretty slow.  The worst part of the trip was that we got a long crack in our windshield when a rock hit our window in the construction zone. 

June 30, 2011- Nachos

Ben got his hair cut tonight after work, and Katie and I met him at the salon.  As soon as we walked out the door, he said "to Cactus?"  So, to Cactus we went.  Ben and I split an order of nachos while Katie had a cheese quesadilla.  The nachos were excellent tonight.  We added chicken and chorizo to the nachos covered in roasted corn, jalapenos, charred tomato salsa, cheese, and buttermilk crema.  Last time I think the nachos were short on cheese.  Not the case tonight.  Oh...so...good!  We are leaving for the long holiday weekend tomorrow, and it is great to not have to clean up after a dinner meal. 

June 29, 2011- Aglio Et Olio with Grilled Chicken

Our friends Laura and David had us over for dinner tonight.  David was in charge of grilling the chicken breasts, tomatoes, and summer squash.  They were all delicious!  Laura made an amazing and simple flavored oil to toss the pasta with.  The pasta dish, Aglio Et Olio, is basically pasta with oil and garlic.  I didn't see the exact recipe she followed, but it included simmering minced garlic and red pepper flakes in oil until the garlic was crispy, but not burned.  She removed the crispy garlic and pepper flakes and drizzled the infused garlic over the pasta.  The crispy bits were served on the side for more kick.  

We brought a green salad with pears, Craisins, and a balsamic vinaigrette to go with the meal.   For dessert, they offered us David's mom's famous mint, chocolate brownies.  We were fortunately to be introduced to these brownies almost a year ago when they got married.  Our eyes lit up when we saw them on a plate:)  Tonight, after dinner, they introduced us to Kinect.  What fun!  We plugged holes in a glass box, jumped in a large river raft, and looked ridiculous doing it.  Katie even got into it, jumping for everything. 

June 28, 2011- Chicken Alfredo and Corn on the Cob

It was our turn to host our PEPS group tonight.  Usually I make something from scratch, but decided I just couldn't add that to my schedule this week.  I opted to purchase chicken alfredo with penne noodles from Costco for our main dish.  It was delicious and super easy.  Preheat oven; bake for an hour; serve.  How nice not to be stressed about getting the food done in time!

We also served corn on the cob for the first time this season.  I think Katie ate 1.5 ears of corn!  The other families brought a green salad and Klondike bars:)

June 27, 2011- Chicken Strips and Fruit Salad

A few weeks ago I bought a new kind of chicken strip for Katie.  The strips seemed to be restaurant styled, which Katie usually likes.  The instructions said they could be baked or microwaved.  Well, each attempt to microwave them has resulted in very rubbery chicken that she hasn't eaten.  Tonight I decided to bake them for the whole family.  The chicken was much better baked than nuked.  I suppose I knew that already, but I am glad they were good baked.  

I made a fruit salad of pear, banana, raspberries, mandarin oranges, and grapes for our side dish.  Katie had oranges and grapes.  She is quite fickle about her bananas.  She has never eaten them pre-sliced. She went straight from mashed to whole.

June 26, 2011- Chicken Burritos

We made chicken burritos tonight, using the left over diced, seasoned chicken we had from Friday.  I really appreciate how well the chicken reheats.  It is one of the best left-over foods in my opinion. 

June 25, 2011- Prost West Seattle

We took Katie to see Cars 2 late this morning.  It was her first movie in a theater.  She got up and down from her chair several times and asked to watch "Tangled" on my iPod once.  But, all in all, she did pretty well for being only 2 1/2-years-old.  It was actually not a very good movie to take her to.  It had a complex plot about espionage that she couldn't understand and a lot of guns.  I guess we need to do more research before assuming a kid's movie is okay for her. 

After the movie, we went to BJ's for pizza.  We ordered a small cheese pizza for Katie and a medium pepperoni and sausage pizza for ourselves.  The cheese pizza came out, shortly followed by an apologetic waitress.  She dropped our pizza on the way to the table.  Unfortunately, we had to be back home by 3pm to meet a paint contractor.  That didn't leave enough time to make us a replacement pizza.  We were told that the beverages we ordered and Katie's pizza would be free.  That was a fair compensation.  Ben and I each ate a quarter of Katie's pizza, and we went home.

We were determined to have pizza tonight, but it just didn't work out.  We drove to Zeek's pizza, but forgot that there was a community festival on the same block.  That meant, no parking and probably no space inside.  Ben suggested a couple restaurants we could go to, but we stopped at Prost West Seattle. Ben has wanted to eat at this German restaurant for several years and this was our first opportunity. Well, it was disappointing.  First, they were out of the beer he wanted to drink.  It was very sad.  Second, the only thing they had on the menu that we thought Katie would eat was a pretzel.  She took one nibble and said "I don't like that part."  That just meant she didn't like the pretzel.  My bratwurst sandwich was fine, but I'm not a fan of curry ketchup.  Ben's thought his curry wurst would be served on a rye bun.  Nope, it was served with two small wedges of rye bread on the side.  Ben and I both ate enough to be full, but were not satisfied.  Since Katie didn't eat anything other than goldfish crackers, we went through the McDonald's drive through to get her a burger.  

I guess it just wasn't our day to eat out. 

June 24, 2011- Chicken Burritos

I whipped out chicken burritos for dinner tonight.  The chicken tenderloins that I pulled out the freezer were almost defrosted when it was time to start cooking.  That made them the perfect texture for chopping.  When they are completely thawed, it takes a long time to dice them.  I put the diced chicken into a hot skillet with some vegetable oil.  Once cooked completely, I added one and a half packages of Lawry's chicken taco seasoning and a half cup of water.  After the water cooked down, I added the seasoned chicken to burrito tortillas in which I had already shredded cheddar cheese.  We have grown accustomed to using shredded rotisserie chicken for our burritos, but this was equally tasty. 

Katie had some cheddar cheese and left over chicken strips, which were kind of rubbery. 

June 23, 2011- Tea Party

Tonight Katie and I attended the 3rd Annual Chancel Choir Ladies Tea Party.  This was the first time either of us have attended.  I tied a wide lilac colored ribbon onto my sun hat with a large bow.  Katie wore a pink an white beaded headband with a fun pink bow on it.  We took petite tuna fish sandwiches with dill pickles diced inside, a splash of lemon juice, and a few dashes of black pepper.  There was plenty of food to eat, although we didn't bring any sandwiches home with us:)  We enjoyed strawberries- deep in flavor and color, cornbread sandwiches with turkey inside, sandwiches with asparagus, cream cheese, and prosciutto inside, cookies with jam prints, orange cake, and much more.  What a delightful evening!  

Katie spent a lot of time following and "playing" with Gizmo, the resident dog.  She even got to take Gizmo on a walk with Gordy, the man of the house.  Gizmo was a very patient dog with Katie's attention.  When she was done with Katie, she retreated upstairs, must to Katie's dismay. 

June 22, 2011- Cheeseburgers & Hotdogs

We were planning on going to the home of our friends for dinner tonight, but they had to postpone due to a schedule conflict.  So, we ate hot dogs and left-over cheeseburgers with fruit salad for dinner.  I put frozen raspberries, green grapes, bananas, pears, and mandarin oranges in the fruit salad.  It was quite delicious!  

By the way, Mom and Dad, we've used up the last of the raspberries from last year's harvest:) 

June 21, 2011- BBQ Chicken

Ben and I had left over barbecued chicken breasts and a side salad for dinner.  The salad ingredients were romaine lettuce, diced fresh red bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, and a Parmesan and roasted red pepper dressing.  Katie ate the ham out of a sandwich and peas out of the pods.  In the past she has eaten the peas and then moved on to the pods.  Not tonight.  The pods were out.  Oh well, at least she was eating vegetables!

June 20, 2011- Impossible Taco Pie

We had the pleasure of taking dinner to our friends Mike, Naomi, and Oliver this evening. They welcomed Liam into their family on the 7th, and our PEPS group has been taking them meals every couple of days. What a sweet baby Liam is:)  We took two Impossible Taco Pies with us.  We shared one with them tonight and left one with them to eat another time.  We had a salad with romaine lettuce, tortilla strips, Mexican cheeses, and spicy ranch dressing on the side.  I took ham sandwiches, string cheese, and applesauce for Katie and Oliver to eat.  Neither of them ate very much.  Of course, that meant that Katie had to eat once we got home. 

June 19, 2011- Father's Day

Looking back on this Father's Day, I want Ben to remember the really good things and forget the really bad things.  I want him to remember that we went out for breakfast.  I don't want him to remember that Bakery Nouveau was too crowded to go into.  I want him to remember that the coffee he got at Uptown Espresso was delicious.  I don't want him to remember that Katie would only eat the glaze off of her cinnamon roll or that the coffee cake he ordered was dry.  

I want him to remember that we had tasty bbq chicken sandwiches for lunch.  I don't want him to remember that Katie had a frantic fit of kicking on her changing table that left me yelling "STOP IT" for all of the neighborhood to hear.  I want him to remember how excited Katie was to go to the Museum of Flight with him.  I don't want him to remember her flopping on the floor of the museum when she didn't want to follow him.  I want him to remember how sweet she was to whisper in his ear and give him kisses.  I don't want him to remember how she didn't want to sit in the plane with him and instead wanted to touch every piece of trash and dirty thing she found on the ground.  I want him to remember how cute she was playing with her new airplane.  I don't want him to remember how she hooked it into my arm to reduce how quickly I was putting her down.  (Yes, it hurt.)  

I want him to remember how good his Diablo burger from Pyramid Alehouse was.  I don't want him to remember how Katie wouldn't eat much of her dinner at the restaurant and started saying she was hungry as soon as we walked out the door. (And, here's where the don'ts outweigh the do's.) I don't want him to remember how she wouldn't stop talking over us while we were trying to Skype with his mom.  I don't want him to remember how she angrily chanted "MILK" during her entire second dinner at home.  I don't want him to remember how she pulled her place mat off of the table and dumped the crumbs on the carpet.  I don't want him to remember how she went spastic on us when it was time to brush her teeth.  I don't want him to remember how she got soo worked up about wanting to brush her teeth, eating more food, and not going to bed that she puked on her changing table.  

I want Ben to remember how funny it was that the Father's Day card Katie gave him at the end of the night said "Dad, I was put on this earth to bring joy and sunshine into your life.  How am I doing so far?"  Ah, the joys of being a dad.  Ben, I love you and am so thankful Katie has you for her daddy. And now for pictures from the good parts of the day:

Check out all of the photos here: http://www.ackersphotography.com/Family/Fathers-Day-at-the-Museum-of/17648045_Vv9nCL#1345389577_HTPnw93-A-LB

June 18, 2011- Cheeseburgers

We hosted our church potluck group, Crock Pots, at our house tonight.  It was a really small group this month, just 5 adults and 3 kids.  While we missed those who couldn't come this time, we did enjoy having a single conversation that everyone could hear and participate in.  We grilled hamburgers, seasoned heavily with Lawry's seasoning salt, and smothered them with cheddar cheese.  Watermelon and chips were served on the side and ice cream wrapped up the meal.  After the meal we played several games of Banagrams.  I love that game and wish we had time to play it more often!

Here are two adorable photos of Katie's friend Esme enjoying her ice cream cone.

And, here are several fun photos of Katie chowing down on watermelon.

June 17, 2011- Luna Park Cafe

I planned on having left over barbecued chicken tonight, but it didn't sound good.  We continued to let carbs entice us by heading to Luna Park Cafe for dinner.  I had a bacon cheddar burger with fries.  Ben had chilli fries with a hot link in it.  Katie nibbled on a cheese quesadilla and had a couple fries.  We all shared an ice cream sundae for dessert.  Ben and I are sufficiently stuffed and satisfied. 

June 16, 2011- Barbecued Chicken

Feeling a little better today, I decided to make the barbecued chicken I didn't make yesterday.  I rubbed four boneless, skinless chicken breasts with our standard bbq rub.  After brushing a little vegetable oil on the grill grates, I cooked the breasts for 10 minutes over Medium Direct heat.  I flipped them after 5 minutes.  At the end, I brushed on barbecue sauce while grilling a couple more minutes. Just now, as I was looking for the post on how to make the bbq rub, I remembered that we usually bbq chicken that is bone-in and skin-on.  That would explain why this chicken was more dry that usual.  The flavor was great, just missing a little moisture.   

I fixed a spinach salad with diced red pepper and a parmesan, roasted red pepper dressing to go with the chicken.  It was quite tasty!

June 15, 2011- Strawberry Shortcake

I took Katie in to see the doctor today, and he said we have a nasty, highly contagious upper respiratory virus.  He prescribed sleep, fluids, and Tylenol.  It will eventually go away.  Ugh...I hate waiting!  

Well, the low-carb diet has been on hold while we struggle to feel better.  Good-for-us food hasn't sounded appealing at all. When I told Ben that I didn't want to eat what I originally planned to fix for dinner, he said that strawberry shortcake sounded good to him.  I just happened to have strawberries and whipped cream and decided to make it happen. So, yes, we had strawberry shortcake for dinner.

My mom suggested using Bisquick for the shortcake.  I had exactly the 2 1/3 cups of Bisquick the recipe called for.  Katie didn't care for the whipped cream and only ate part of her shortcake, but she loved the strawberries.  She is definitely a fruit lover.  It was a delicious dinner/dessert:)

June 14, 2011- Refrigerator Roulette

Ben had plans with a couple friends after work tonight.  Katie and I were planning on going to our PEPS gathering for dinner, but ended up staying home because she wasn't feeling well.  We've been fighting a cold for several days, and I thought we were on the mend.  When she was really fussy after her nap this afternoon, I looked at her throat.  It was swollen and red.  We'll probably end up at the doctor tomorrow to get her checked out.  We have a new baby in our PEPS group, and I don't want to get that family sick.  

When asked what she wanted to eat for dinner, Katie surprised me and said pepperoni.  She never wants to eat it on a pizza, but seems to like it just fine by itself.  Although she told me she didn't want any cheese, she ate a stick of string cheese when I handed it to her.  She also had a few slices of apple.  I had a cheeseburger, using a left over grilled patty from last Friday. 

June 13, 2011- Pizza, Chicken Strips, and Phad Thai

Tonight I got a chance to go out for a movie and dinner with my good friend Melissa.  I realized that we've known each other for 10 years now.  I can't believe it's been that long!  Katie came downtown with me and had dinner with Ben.  They went to Gordon Biersch where he had a pizza and she had chicken strips and carrots.  After dinner, they took the bus back home.  Katie had a blast on the bus!  Ben said she did great on the bus, but wanted to be a bit too independent when walking from the bus stop to the house.  He had to keep moving her back to the side of the road.  Apparently, she prefers to walk down the middle of the street. 

After watching Bridesmaids, which was hilarious, Melissa and I had dinner at Thai Ginger.  I had Phad Thai with chicken while Melissa had a curry dish.  What a fun night!

June 12, 2011- Penne Rustica

Jennifer, Ben, Katie and I drove up to Lynnwood this afternoon to help Kate and Spencer unload their U-Haul trailer.  The trailer was completely unloaded 25 minutes after we arrived!  We all got to meet Kate's dogs Ana and Sota, named for Indiana and Minnesota.  Katie did pretty well with them, but was definitely too nervous to be left alone with them yet.  They are much bigger than she is and would have just knocked her down out of excitement.

After the trailer was unloaded, we went to Macaroni Grill for dinner.  I had Penne Rustica-- roasted chicken and aged prosciutto tossed with Parmesan cream sauce then baked until golden.  Ben and Jennifer shared the same dish, but did not opt out on the shrimp like I did.  We all agreed that they have made their portions a bit more reasonable.  In the past the dish was overwhelmingly large.  Katie had spaghetti with meatballs. While it didn't seem like she ate much, she did keep herself occupied during most of the meal.  Kate and Spencer shared a dish of Pollo Limone Rustica-- roasted chicken sauteed with imported penne pasta, lemon-basil cream sauce and fresh spinach, then baked until golden.

June 11, 2011- Cupcakes

Katie had chicken strips and grapes for dinner.  Ben, his mom, and I had cupcakes for dinner after Katie went to bed.  We ate a late lunch at P.F. Changs and just weren't hungry for another meal.  My cupcake was mint chocolate.  Ben's was triple chocolate.  Jennifer's was mocha flavored.  All were quite tasty.  

Our future sister-in-law, Kate, is moving to Washington to live with Spencer.  She is enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Washington and starts in just a week or two.  They have been on the road, driving here from Chicago, over the past couple of days.  They will arrive tomorrow and we spent the day preparing a surprise for them.  Jennifer and I created "welcome" posters, one for Kate and one for her dogs:)  We let ourselves into their home and left them fancy desserts, wine, flowers, chocolates, an umbrella for Kate, and treats for the dogs. 

June 10, 2011- Cheeseburgers

We grilled cheeseburgers for dinner tonight.  When I went grocery shopping on Monday this week, I bought two packages of hamburger.  I kept the lean meat in the fridge, expecting to make taco meat with it.  I put the fattier meat in the freezer, planning on using it for our hamburgers tonight.  Well, I didn't make up the taco meat and forgot to defrost the meat from the freezer.  So, I ended up using the lean meat for the hamburgers.  I added Lawry's seasoning salt and A-1 Steak Sauce to the meat to add flavor.  By some kind of miracle, the burgers held their form and didn't fall apart when flipped on the grill!  In the past we have added an egg to lean ground beef to help it stick together.  It hasn't been very successful.  Since tonight's grilling experience was positive, I think I'll leave the egg out in the future. 

June 9, 2011- Left Overs

We ate in shifts tonight.  Katie was hungry first and had a chicken strip which she dipped in ketchup.  Ben had a long commute home, so I ate by myself after getting Katie cleaned up.  I ate left over mahi mahi from Tuesday with a salad.  Ben ate a pork chop left over from Wednesday when he got home. 

June 8, 2011- Mesquite Pork Chops

Ben worked later than normal tonight, so I fed Katie before he got home.  She had a slice of left-over pizza for her meal.  Ben and I ate broiled pork chops that I marinated in Grill Mates Mesquite Marinade.  I usually overcook meat.  So, it was high praise when Ben said they couldn't have been cooked better:)  We had a side caesar without croutons to go with the pork chops. 

The best part of the meal was when Katie, who was watching "The Voice" in the den, came running in and said she needed a microphone.  I jumped up, pulled my mic from the closet, told her not to drop it or hit it on anything, and let her go.  She held it up to her mouth, humming and dancing along with the singers.  When each song ended, she would run into the dining room shouting "I did it!"  How awesome!  I love that little girl:)

By the way, "The Voice" is a fantastic new singing competition on NBC.  Far better than American Idol in my opinion. 

June 7, 2011- Roasted Garlic Mahi Mahi

We had sea salt and roasted garlic mahi-mahi with a salad for dinner tonight.  We've had this fish several times and love it.  The fillets come pre-marinated, individually vacuum sealed, and frozen from Costco.  I simply line a cookie sheet with foil, place the fillets on the foil, and bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.  The result is a delicious fillet of fish.  Tonight, I let the fish cook an additional 5 minutes since Ben was still on his way home.  It definitely dried out more than normal, but still tasted great.  

I planned on making a spinach salad with strawberries, glazed walnuts, and poppy seed dressing, but found that my strawberries were too past their peak to use.  The green grapes I used as a substitute were pretty good with the other ingredients.  I still prefer the berries, but it is nice to know I have other options.  Katie ate a few bites of fish along with several grapes for dinner.  I bet she wakes up hungry tomorrow morning.

June 6, 2011- Pizza

Well, it's been over a month since I last blogged. I have notes about what we ate for most of the past month, but the catch up game is just too daunting.  So, it's time to just start again with today.

Ben and I spent the past three days in a photography workshop in the Palouse hills.  The tour was led by Adrian Klein and Kevin McNeal of Northwest Photo Tours.  I gave Ben the tour for an anniversary gift, and he was kind enough to ask me to come along:)  Katie stayed with my parents while we were gone and had a blast!  The tour started Friday at 4pm and ended Sunday around 11am.  We were plain exhausted by the time it was over.  The 3:30am wake up calls and late nights did us in.  Thankfully we planned to come home today and not yesterday. 

After a very long drive home, including a stop to photograph the PSE Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility, we were definitely not in the mood to make dinner.  Katie pushed every one of our buttons during the drive home. As soon as we hit I-5 Ben called in our order to Garlic Jim's Pizza.  We had sausage and pepperoni on a hand-tossed crust.  Katie didn't want the meat on her slices, but did a pretty good job eating her pieces along with some grapes. 

Ah, it's good to be home:)

Thursday, 5/5/2011

I baked mahi mahi fillets from Costco and made brown butter green beans for our meal tonight.  The sea salt and roasted garlic mahi mahi fillets come pre-seasoned and frozen.  Just 25-30 minutes in the oven and they're done.  The flavor is outstanding and all three of us love it.  The green bean recipe came from Cuisine At Home's Weeknight Menus book/magazine.  When I looked up the recipe to see if I had posted it on my blog before, I found that I did a year and two days ago.  I should make it more often since it is quick and easy to make.  The best part is that it only takes two dishes to prepare--a saute pan and a strainer.

Wednesday, 5/4/2011

Ben helped me get the house back in order after last night's PEPS group.  I can't believe how far the toys were scattered in our house.  Crayons were everywhere.  We had left over chicken fajitas for dinner tonight.  Ben added shredded cheese to his and I added a bit of hot sauce.  I was pleased with how well the chicken reheated.  It was still moist and retained some of the smoky grill flavor.  Since I didn't include the recipe for the chicken last night, here it is.

CHICKEN FAJITAS
from The Weber Gas Grill Cookbook

Ingredients for the marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin


Additional ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each
1 red onion, cut into 1/2" slices
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2" slices
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and cut into quarters
6 large flour tortillas
1 avocado, sliced
Salsa

Directions:
1. In a shallow, non-metal container combine the marinade ingredients.  Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Add chicken to the marinade, turning to coat each side.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, turning occasionally.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the marinade and discard the marinade.  Grill the chicken breasts, onion slices, tomato slices, and bell pepper quarters over Direct Medium heat until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, turning once halfway through grilling time.  The chicken and onion will take 8 to 12 minutes and the tomato and bell pepper will take 6 to 8 minutes.  Wrap tortillas in foil and place on cooking grate.  Heat for about 1 minutes.  Cut the bell pepper into strip and slice the chicken.  Place chicken, onion, tomatoes, bell pepper and avocado in warm tortillas and roll up to eat.  Serve with salsa.

Tuesday, 5/3/2011

It was our turn to host our PEPS group tonight. I decided to make chicken fajitas before I knew Ben wasn't going to be home for the evening.  He had a business dinner he had to attend.  I knew I could postpone, but I thought I could handle it on my own.  Yikes, I was wrong.  At about 4:30, I realized that I still had a lot of preparations to do to make the house friendly for five kids to be running around.  The group was scheduled to arrive at 6:30 and the table of craft materials had to go upstairs, the folding chairs had to come downstairs, the bathroom needed cleaned, the diaper pail emptied and moved into Katie's room, the counter cleared and cleaned, the dining table uncovered, toys gathered and arranged for play, etc.  And, I still need to cut up the peppers for the meal.  I barely got everything done before the first family arrived.  Well, I got everything done except for turning on the grill.  That definitely should have been done before they arrived.  I answered the door looking quite frazzled and immediately left Katie with Mike and Naomi while I ran out to turn on the grill.

I placed the marinated chicken directly on the grill and the veggies, tomatoes, red onion, and bell peppers, on a tray on the grill.  The propane tank ran out while I was cooking the food.  I'm not sure when it ran out, but my guess was that it stopped right after I flipped the chicken.  I wasn't confident that I knew how to safely remove and replace the tank, so I asked Andy for help.  Turns out, I would have done it correctly, but I am very glad to have had help.  Anyway, it took me an hour to get all of the food grilled, ready for everyone to eat, and finally sit down myself.  I learned that preparing fajitas on a grill takes a lot of coordination and that timing is crucial.  The flavors were good, but the veggies were cold by the time I ate.  I need to thank the other parents for watching Katie while I managed the food prep and Naomi for cutting the peppers for me.  

This was a meal that just took way too long to prepare, and it was next to impossible to have everything finish cooking at the same time.  Also, I barely had enough peppers and tomatoes to go around. I have tons of chicken left over, but the veggies are all gone.  Oh, and I totally underestimated how much salsa our group would consume.  I thought that one container of salsa would be enough for the chips and fajitas.  Nope.  That was a bad estimate.  By the time I was ready to eat, I was able to scrape maybe one teaspoon of salsa out of the container.   So, never again will I host the group by myself.  I definitely needed my other half tonight. 

At the very end of the night, I did my best to take a group shot of the kids.  Talk about impossible! They wouldn't stop moving, and I chose the wrong lens.  With all of the dinner prep, I forgot to prepare for the photo.  Here's the best of the photos I took.  Again, I definitely needed my other half tonight.  

Monday, 5/2/2011

Katie and I did our weekly grocery shopping this morning, including a trip to Costco.  Later in the month we will be hosting a potluck at our house, and are going to be grilling hotdogs and hamburgers.  I don't want to have to make the hamburger patties myself, so I bought a package of pre-made, frozen burgers.  Knowing that we won't need 25 for the potluck, I decided to grill up a couple for our dinner tonight.  Well, they are not as good as our burgers.  They were pretty bland in fact.  Next time, we will definitely have to add some salt and pepper to the burgers while they cook.  I'm sure they can taste better than they did tonight.  We had a caesar salad on the side. 

Sunday, 5/1/2011

My plan was to make a taco salad for dinner.  The plan went a bit sour when I realized I only had half a packet of taco seasoning in the pantry.  Since the ground beef was already browning in the skillet, I had to improvise.  I added chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, cummin, salt and black pepper.  And then, I doubled it.  The result was a decent substitute.  It was lacking something, but was definitely edible.  While a taco salad was my original plan, we ended up having taco meat with cheese melted on top with a simple iceberg lettuce salad with chipotle ranch dressing on the side. 

Saturday, 4/30/2011

My parents and I got so much accomplished today!  It rained this morning, so we couldn't do much outside.  While mom and I played with Katie, my dad started to organize and clean out the garage.  He took a trip to the local building materials donation shop to get rid of light fixtures we no longer needed.  When he was done organizing, he had given us back three feet of space from side to side in our garage.  Whoo hoo!  When the rain stopped, my mom and I set out to weed the terrace to make room for the raised beds.  Katie spent her time watching Toy Story on my iPod in her stroller.  It's the only movie I have in a digital format, and she loves it.  The iPod gave my mom and I enough time to fill our yard waste bin with extra debris ready to go in next week's bin.  Dad got the structure for the two beds built today.  We'll mix the soil and fill them tomorrow.  

Katie and I picked Ben up at the airport this afternoon.  Katie ran to him, hugged and kissed him, and told him she loved him.  What a happy reunion!  We then met my parents at Anthony's Home Port in Des Moines for dinner.  Katie and my dad had fish and chips.  Ben had steak and coconut prawns.  He was really disappointed in the steak.  While cooked perfectly, it was lacking flavor.  The prawns and his caesar salad were excellent.  My mom and I started with spinach and bacon salads, topped with dill vinaigrette.  The salad was delicious!  I really wish I knew how to make that dressing.  Yum!  We also each had halibut for our main dish.  Mine was pan fried and her's was oven baked.  Both were perfectly tasty.  Dinner with my family-- what a wonderful way to finish a day.