I’m now down 5.5 pounds for the month. Eating has been easy but it takes a lot more planning. I’m not just able to throw a quick batch of couscous together to complete our meal. We’re still experimenting with side dishes to find things that we love to take the place of our old favorites. I still haven’t ventured into cauliflower side dishes yet as neither Big Daddy nor I are fans, but I’ll swallow my dislike and give it a try. Like I did with the Brussel sprouts.

Monday Spaghetti sauce and turkey meatballs, salad

Tuesday Hot dogs (nitrate free, all natural beef) watermelon

Wednesday Grilled chicken, sweet potato fries and zucchini fritters (another failed attempt, but I’m getting there)

Thursday Pizza per the Princess’s request.  Since i allow one meal a week to be “free”, it was allowed and okay

Friday Date night!

Saturday Grilled burgers (sans buns) corn and sweet potato chips

Sunday Smoked chicken, corn on the cob and watermelon

I love that watermelon is becoming less expensive as it’s great at dinner.  The kids love it and Big Daddy and I are fans too.

Did you die a little?  I know I did when I came to the realization that removing the vast majority of carbohydrates (and ALL super processed carbohydrates) was going to be what we needed to do for our weight control and our health.  I’ve know for  some time that this was going to be the path we needed to take, but up until now, I wasn’t really ready.  It was a big commitment, but last month I realized that losing carbs was the right path for us and Big Daddy and I gave up the majority of them two weeks ago.

My first weigh in found me four pounds down in a little over a week.  I haven’t been perfect, but I’ve been pretty good and I’m realizing that carbs and my body do NOT like each other.  Each of the times in the last two weeks that I’ve eaten a carb heavy meal (just two) I’ve gotten SO sick to my stomach.  Yuck.  Proof.

I tell you all of this not to encourage you to diet or diet like I am, but to explain why you’re going to be seeing a different slant to my recipes from now on.  I am doing a hybrid program that is mostly primal/paleo.  For explanations on how we’re eating around here now, you can check out www.marksdailyapple.com for more information, recipes, message boards and all kinds of goodies.

This turned into some yummy egg muffins for breakfast. We'll ignore how badly the egg muffins stuck to the pan.

But for now?  Menu plan!

Monday Oven fried chicken, asparagus and green salad.

Tuesday Grilled pork tenderloin, zucchini “tots“  asparagus.  I omitted the breadcrumbs and added more cheese.  They were more like fitters and they were DELISH!

Wednesday-Sauteed talapia (grilled chicken for the kids), mashed rutabagas and a Trader Joe’s vegetable medley in sauce.  As a note, rutabagas take a LONG time to boil.  The aboce recipe suggests boiling for 40 minutes. I think closer to 90 minutes would do it and my rutabaga was cut fairly small.  Of course, your mileage will vary, but allow yourself plenty of time.

Thursday-Smoked sausage, broccoli with cheese sauce, salad (a little more processed than we’d normally eat, but sometimes mama needs a break)

Friday-Pizza with the kids (gut bomb.  Total gut bomb).

Saturday-Smoked pork chops, sesame asparagus and salad with yogurt ranch dressing

Sunday-Smoked ribs (this is the rub and sauce we use on most pork we smoke.  It’s very good.  VERY good), corn on the cob and mac and cheese (this was actually Mother’s Day dinner and we wouldn’t normally eat the mac and cheese.  It was a treat that is currently wrecking havoc on my gut)
Making the change from a meat, veggie and starch to meat and two veggie sides really hasn’t been hard.  I’m experimenting with different recipes to create side dishes that give us a carb-like feel without the carbs.  The mashed rutabaga is really so good (like a potato and an apple had a big ugly baby. It’s a little starchy and very very sweet) as are mashed turnips.  I’m looking forward to perfecting zucchini fritters

The best thing?  I feel good about serving (mostly) whole, nutritious foods to my family.  We’re going to be working on transitioning the girls to this way of eating as well (with a little more room for healthy, whole grain (high fiber) foods).

I’m looking forward to weighing in on Thursday.  For the first time maybe ever.

Well, it means more than that, but if you’re an asparagus fan, spring means cheap, fresh asparagus shows up at the grocery store and if you’re like us you’re taking advantage of that and eating it as often as possible.

We’ve branched out from our usual ways of eating asparagus and now enjoy it grilled, sauteed and roasted, but when I saw this gorgeous recipe show up on Pinterest I knew I had to make it.

It was so good. Soooo good. Despite the fact that my pancetta was slightly salty (and a real PITA to chunk up. I thought I’d be a good foodie and buy a nice hunk at the foodie grocery store and chunk it up myself. Mistake. It’s SO hard to cut).

There’s just nothing about this recipe I dislike. NOTHING. You cook bacon. And then you cook potatoes in it until they get crunchy and brown and then? You add in asparagus.  And onions.

I think that they must serve this for brinner in heaven. I topped mine with a fried egg and called it good. It would make a great breakfast dish and really sets the bar a little higher as far as brinner fare goes.

Another one dish meal.  Are you catching that pattern?  Easy to make, delicious one skillet meals that are full of veggies and good things.  It does take a little more than 30 minutes to throw this lovely dish together, but that’s just because you want to give your potatoes time to brown and crisp and be everything potatoes can be.  You don’t want to deprive a potato of its true potential, do you?

The Menu Plan!

Monday Pancetta and Asparagus hash with eggs. (This ain’t your mama’s brinner)

Tuesday-We had to make a trip to the home improvement store.  I had barbecoa from Chipole and I’m not at all sorry that I didn’t cook.

Wednesday-Smoked chicken with roasted carrots and roasted brussel sprouts (a simple Ina Gartin recipe in both cases.  I haven’t had brussel sprouts in some time and didn’t like them as a child and thought I’d give it a try.  I still hate them, but I hate five very small ones to be a good example.  Littlebit LOVED them).

Thursday-Busy night at our house, so we’re having a very simple pot roast with carrots and roasted asparagus.

Friday-It’s the weekend, homies.  So, Big Daddy is smoking pizzas.  Have a smoker?  Haven’t smoked pizza? You should.  We are NOT making our own.  We’re buying ours from Aldi’s which seems to make a pretty good “take and bake” pizza for a fairly low price

Saturday-Beef Tenderloins were on sale at the store, so we’re having fillet mignon.   Sans bacon.  With grilled asparagus (it’s in SEASON) and Fauxtatoes.

Sunday-TBD

What spring yummies are you cooking this week?

My favorite meals to cook are healthy meals that are, essentially, one dish. Everything in one that requires no side dishes or extra vegetables. I don’t really like to cook and serve too many casseroles. I really make a push to cook whole foods and to use products that don’t contain preservatives.

That’s why this dinner is so awesome. It meets all those requirements and has the added bonus of being able to use up leftovers. It can be as simple or as complicated as you like. It’s all up to you.

Easy One Skillet Risotto with Chicken and Veggies

1) Assemble your ingredients.  Remember when I said this could accommodate nearly any ingredient you had on hand?  It’s true.  The night I made this dish, I added the vegetables we had on hand along with some  boneless, skinless chicken.  Fresh vegetables WILL take longer to cook.  As will raw chicken.  You can hurry up the process by using frozen vegetables and precooked vegetables.

2) If you’re using raw chicken, chunk it up into bite sized pieces and cook it through.  The smaller the pieces, the quicker it cooks.  You can season your chicken to taste.  I’m currently having a relationship with Montreal Steak Seasoning.  It’s basic, but delicious.

3) While the chicken cooks, chop up any fresh vegetables.

4) When the chicken is finished (of course, this could be a vegetarian meal as well.  Just omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth) remove it from the pan.  Swirl in a little bit of olive oil and add vegetables and 1 and 1/3  cup of uncooked risotto.  Cook it for a few minutes until risotto has begun to brown and veggies have begun to brown/soften.

4) Stir in four cups of your choice of broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat after it boils and cover, cooking for twenty minutes.  As an aside, if you’re using frozen vegetables, you can wait until the last five minutes of cooking time to add them.   This dish is actually very good with some of the frozen vegetables in light sauce like Green Giant makes

5) Once the risotto is cooked, stir in your chicken and stir until chicken has warmed up.

Click Image for Printable Copy of the Recipe

6) Serve.

One pan, one bowl, balanced and healthy AND done in about thirty minutes. Isn’t that great?

The Menu Plan

The weather here has been unseasonable.  That’s the best way to describe it.  After a mild weather, we’re experiencing June temperatures in March.  It means, I’m afraid of what June will REALLY be like.  Thank goodness for a/c.

Monday Thirty Minute One Skillet Risotto (seen above.  Young spring asparagus would be amazing in this dish).

Tuesday Steak on the grill, couscous (another super versatile dish) and corn

Wednesday Grilled hamburgers, potato chips and fire roasted vegetables

Thursday Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Potatoes (NO CABBAGE!)

Friday Date Night.  Thanks to Auntie Awesome.

Saturday It’s Family Movie Night!  I’ll be sharing our dinner, dessert and crafts next Friday.

Sunday Guinness boiled brats, home made potato salad and veggies.  Too good (and too warm) to pass up this favorite).

Sort of.

After I begged for the password.

As with most people, with the start of the new year, we’re working on being more healthy.  We’re trying to exercise more (I have a goal of 20 days this month and it looks like I’m going to make it!) and eat better.  After the gluttony of the holidays, simple light fare in January seems to taste that much better.

In December, Baby Bee and I hit the Scholastic Warehouse Sale (Have you been?  If not, you should go.  You can sign up on-line at Scholastic.com to be notified of the sales).  At the sale, I picked up a Cooking Light compilation entitled Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals.  For the past three weeks, 90% of our at home cooked meals have come from this book, and I’m betting we can try new things we like for several more weeks as well.  I’ve never had such good like from stem to stern with any other cookbook except for maybe the old Betty Crocker standby.

This cookbook is available on Amazon (I get no kick back.  Full disclosure and all that stuff).

Two weeks ago, Big Daddy and I had the Smokey Black Bean Soup with Avocado-Lime Salsa for lunch

It was so good, we’re having it for lunch again this week.  I would like to enter in the statement that neither Big Daddy nor I are big bean eaters, but this soup was really very good AND fast.

The long and short of all this, is that the most of these meals will be coming from Cooking Light and the aforementioned cookbook.

Monday Pressed Italian Sandwiches with Pesto and oven baked potato chips

Tuesday Grilled Romaine Chicken Caesar Salad (more disclosure.  We’ve already had and enjoyed these recipes over the last few weeks.  Since I haven’t done a menu plan I’m able to blog things we’ve actually eaten and give my opinion.  The dressing for this salad was very good, but the recipe calls for you to GRILL your lettuce.  I get the point, but I thought it just made it wilty and soggy. SO, use the dressing recipe, skip the grilling of the lettuce)

Wednesday Zucchini-Potato Pancakes with Eggs and Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Thursday Panko Pan-Fried Talapia with Dijon Green Beans and Crash Hot Potatoes

Friday Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce and Roasted Potato Wedges

Saturday Out!

Sunday Lasagna Cups, garlic bread and salad A Pinterest Find

What’s on your menu this week?  Have you been eating healthier this year?  Trying to?  What’s working for you?

It took a while. I’m not 100%, but I’m close. I decided not to blog during the holidays. I considered it, but I decided not to add any more balls to the load I was juggling and things here stayed quiet.

But, it’s a new year AND it’s Monday! HOLLA! Who missed the menu plan?

Monday Pork tenderloin, crash hot potatoes and asparagus.

TuesdayBlack Bean Soup with avocado lime salsa

WednesdayFalafel with Tzatziki sauce. I can’t find the recipe I’m using on-line and I’m blogging from my phone as my laptop is on the fritz. If it’s good, I’ll share when the laptop is operational again.

Thursday Pistou Halibut and Sautéed Garlicky Spinach

FridaySmoked pizza. 90 minutes on the smoker = delicious.

SaturdayCowboy flank steak Mini Cheddar Potatoes

I’m trying to introduce more meatless dishes into our weekly menu. It’s not a resolution, per se, but a small change. What changes are you making this year?

As of writing this, my new iPhone 4S is out of commission. Baby Bee managed to shatter the screen despite the phone being inside an otterbox case. We have an appointment at the genius bar tomorrow, but I’m crazy sad. And, that’s just the tip of them iceberg lately.

From laptop problems to cat problems to family problemsn, I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. However, this is my favorite time of year and I’m not letting things get me down.

Well, except for the iPhone. I’m totally bummed about that.

We’ve signed up for a new activity on Monday evenings, so for the next six weeks, we’ll crock potting two nights a week; Monday’s and Thursday’s.

Monday Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Tuesday Baked chicken with Dijon and Lime

Wednesday Lemon Feta Chicken with Oregano

Thursday Beef Stroganoff

Friday Lemon Herb Chipotle Roasted chicken, Rio Bravo Rice and Beans a la Charra

Saturday A Smoked Meat Extravaganza!

Sunday Chicken and Dumpling soup

Hoping for a problem free week.  Happy Monday!

I found, for me, that Fall and Winter are the seasons of tradition. Spring and Summer are about new things, but Fall and Winter are about the comforts of tradition and the warmth of doing things the way they’ve always been done.  Carved pumpkins and soups.  Sugar cookies and a well worn pop-up book from which we read the same story every Christmas Eve.  Like I was read to and like I expect they’ll read to their babies someday.

I’m looking forward to sharing our Halloween pictures with you tomorrow, but for now?  A Monday Tradition.  The Menu Plan!

Monday

Carrying on our traditional theme, we’re having our traditional Halloween dinner of Halloweenie Winks and tater tots.  I’m sure most of you have made and eaten these and call them different things, but my Mom always called them weenie winks.  When the Princess was a baby, we added the Halloween twist and they’re our traditional pre-Trick or Treat dinner.

Tuesday

Double Dinner and a carry over.  Mama’s Meatballs and gravy over egg noodles with veggies

Wednesday

Double Dinner! Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Thursday

Slow cooker Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork with couscous and veggies

Friday

Date Night!  If I can confirm with Auntie.  ;)

Saturday

Family Movie Night (and probably the easiest one yet!)

Sunday

Penne with Chicken Thighs, garlic bread and salad

What are some of your favorite Fall and Winter traditions??

We had a lovely fall weekend with my Dad and some very good friends in Northern Michigan.  Have I posted about how much I love Michigan?  I think I might have mentioned it in my birthday post from this past year, but if I haven’t let me tell you know.

I love Michigan.

But I never want to live there again. Which is a totally different story.

Anyhow, I usually need to take Mondays for myself to recuperate from what we’ve done over the weekend and that means I’m late with the menu plan.  BUT, never fear.

We are having an insanely busy week this week.  Tonight was our only free night this week and we had to take our poor old kitty cat to the vet.

She’s the white kitty.  On the right.  The kitty on the far left passed away four years ago.  The large annoying one in the middle is still going strong.  Kitty goes back to the vet for surgery tomorrow and I’m not sure the news is going to be good and I’m afraid we may not have her longer.  She was mine and Big Daddy’s first baby and despite people asserting that she’s “the devil” or “evil” she’s really just the perfect cat and they’re jealous and don’t appreciate her unique personality.

So, if you can spare a good thought for my kitty, I’d appreciate it.  She’s 12 but I’m pretty sure she has another 10 years of spunk in her.

And on that depressing note, how about the menu plan!

From now on, I’m referring to meals we’re making for the freezer as double dinners.  I’m not once a month cooking and freezer cooking doesn’t sound very descriptive or snappy.  I’ll use a * to denote which dinners will be double dinners (doubled, with the extra batch frozen).

Monday

Sausage Potato Casserole

Tuesday

Mama’s meatballs and gravy over egg noodles*

Wednesday

White Chicken Chili*

Thursday

Cider Braised Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Sage

Friday

We’ll be prepping for our big party, so it will probably be pizza night

Saturday

We’re having a Halloween Spooktacular and I’ll be serving from traditional cool weather fare along with some yummy, spooky goodies

Sunday

TBD-based upon how tired we are.

I’m also planning on making up a few loaves of Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread for breakfast eatings as well.

Really, don’t be stressed.

But I’ve already bought four Christmas presents.

But no stress.

And now hate mail, mmkay?

I’m happy to accounce that last week we ate the LAST meal from our August Once a Month (or, really batch) cooking.  I’m not sure why it took us so long.  Wel, that’s not true.  I do.

True Once a Month cooking would never really work for us.  It’s not because it’s not a fantastic concept, but because Big Daddy and I like to play a little more on the fly when it comes to menu planning.  It means that, on Thursday, if I get a taste for chowder, we’re having chowder.  No matter how many meals are waiting in the fridge.

BUT, some things about OAMC cooking really is great.  We all loved having some pre-made breakfast and lunch options to change up what really become mundane meals.  AND, it means on busy nights, cooking is pretty easy.  Just remove dinner from the freezer the night before and reheat.  Easy peasy.  That convenience also keeps us from eating out which is why I’m going to stock up the freezer again.  Not because I “cook for a day and eat for a month” but because it keeps us on the straight and narrow (and out of the drive thru line).

The reason I worte all of that out is because this weeks menu will be pulled (and doubled for later eating) from the fabulous Once a Month Mom website. I’ll be honest.  I don’t look for my own OAMC recipes anymore.  Tricia offers FIVE different monthly plan and I”m sure to find enough we like over there.

Monday

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf, and scalloped tomatoes

Tuesday

Salsa chicken over rice with veggies (We’ve made this dish in the past and it’s very good.  I serve it over rice as noted above, but you can eat them in Tacos or as a sammie, if you’d choose)

Wednesday

Meatballs and gravy with crash hot potatoes and veggies

Thursday

Chicken and stuffing bake, cranberry sauce and veggies

Friday

I plan to either eat something cooked by my Daddy OR cooked over a campfire

Saturday

Fabulous brew food with some great friends.

Sunday

Sausage Potato Casserole with corn bread

This week, I will also be making a batch Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup to stick int he freezer in individual portions to be eaten for lunches. I’ll be making up Early Morning Power Pitas for breakfast

* did you need further proof that I’m really a 12 year old boy??

**whenever possible, I substitute healthier options into our meals.  Ground turkey instead of ground beef.  2% cheese instead of whole milk cheese, light sour cream, etc.  I’m pretty picky about taste and these small substitutions do make a difference as far as fat and calories go without it making much difference in regards to taste.