august cooking challenge- menu week 3

note: since i'm making a point to eat what's stocked in my fridge or pantry, i didn't need to purchase too many extra groceries this week.  this weekend, i will head to CA to spend time with family.  i hope to keep on cooking through the end of my challenge! :)

for my august cooking challenge, here's what i planned for week 3:

M, 8/15- Salad- "Crunchy Romaine Toss" courtesy of AllRecipes

(rating: B; review: i enjoyed this salad, but will make changes next time: less lettuce, more ramen noodles, green onions, not substitute with red wine vinegar--mistake, meant to use apple cider vinegar, and grabbed the wrong bottle.  otherwise, the taste was distinctively different. :)

T, 8/16- Chicken- "Chicken Spaghetti Toss" courtesy of TasteofHome or "Chicken Spaghetti Salad" (i made the first one)

(rating: B; review: i only cooked it with 1 lb. of chicken, which proved to be too much.  i also boiled the frozen chicken first, and then finished cooking the rest with the onions.  i wouldn't do that again.  i would defrost the chicken, and then cook it with the rest of the ingredients.  i didn't have enough green onions, so i threw in half a chopped onion, as well.  also, i don't like lemon pepper, so i only used pepper instead.  i thought that with all the pasta this dish required, it tasted a bit too bland.  so, i sauteed the rest of the onion with some more garlic in butter and oil.  it tasted better, but next time, i'll make sure to have more green onions.  it might also have been too many noodles for this dish... i thought that it was a good dish, but just need to adjust the amounts here and there.  hubby also liked this.)

W, 8/17- Pasta- "Italian Pasta Bake" courtesy of Pennies on a Platter

R, 8/18- Beef/Turkey- "Ginger and Steak Salad" courtesy of Pioneer Woman

F, 8/19- Vegetarian- "Macaroni and Cheese Casserole" courtesy of Moneywise Moms

Sa, 8/20- Leftovers- "Taco Ring" courtesy of Jenn's aunt

Su, 8/21- Slow Cooker/Casserole- "Taco Soup" courtesy of Jessica

august cooking challenge- menu week 2

note: i'm really proud of myself for week 1... even with twins and although, i sometimes ate at 9p.m.! lol.  i made a point to cook/plan every night... and, minus the night with leftovers, i did just that. :)  i love that i added new dishes to my recipe box.
also, since i did meal planning for two weeks, i had planned to use a lot of leftovers, so this week, i've only had to shop for fruit for groceries!  yay!!! :)

for my august cooking challenge, here's what i planned for week 2:

M, 8/8- Salad- "Shredded Chicken Salad" courtesy of MrsJanuary
(rating: A; review: from the previous night, i used the leftover chicken that my lovely husband deboned for me.  :)  that gave me one less thing to cook/to do, so i immediately started sauteing the full chopped with two peppers-red and green, garlic and oil.  from there, i added the chicken broth that i had used a bouillon cube to create, a full can of tomato sauce, and the spices.  instead of using iceberg lettuce, we chose to use romaine lettuce of which i shredded one of the organic three packs of lettuce from Trader Joe's.  atop, we put the "chicken sauce," as well as parmesan cheese.  usually, i shred my own cheese, but i was limited on time with a hungry hubby's belly. :)  it was DELISH.  i mean, absolutely delish.  when i finally set down to cook it, it had a bit too much lettuce, i'd say, and i decided to grab my previously used, but not entirely used, yellow corn tortillas from thursday night's dinner.  i then ate the mixture in the tortilla like a taco.  yum!!!  next time, i'll just serve as tacos and use less lettuce- yum x2!  and, i'll probably serve it with brown rice and homemade black beans.)

T, 8/9- Chicken- "Baked Honey Mustard Chicken" courtesy of AllRecipes served with brown rice, veggies, and black beans
(rating: B+; review: i quickly made the marinade, but didn't have enough mustard.  so, i used a bit more honey and mixed in some dry mustard.  the "sauce" was very good to put on the chicken.  we glazed the chicken, cooked it, and alongside, i had already cooked homemade black beans, and some frozen quinoa frozen mixture from TJ's- so what, i cheated!  the chicken tasted quite sweet, but not too much, however, my hubby LOVED the quinoa... i told him that he would since it's a "superfood."  as for the chicken, it tasted yummy, HOWEVER, whenever i make something, i always try to think of a way to make it better.  if i had marinated the chicken longer than just cooking it, then it would have tasted more moist.  so, next time, i'll marinate it for at least a couple of hours to allow the juices to really penetrate the meat.  otherwise, great meal!)

W, 8/10- Pasta- "Tomato and Garlic Pasta" courtesy of AllRecipes served with spaghetti noodles and homemade garlic bread
(rating: A-; review: i am so impressed with this dish.  yes, i was able to use up all of my tomatoes, and i substituted 2-3 T tomato sauce for 1 T of tomato paste.  that wasn't what impressed me.  hours later, and the dish's taste is still in my mouth.  i added garlic powder to the sauce, as well as put a bit more basil, himalayan ground salt, and pepper to it.  boiling the tomatoes like this instead of chopping them before and then boiling them was quite brilliant.  got the skin off fast, but also they tasted quite yummy.  this dish tasted as one you'd buy at Olive Garden.  served with homemade garlic bread with butter and garlic powder, i am still impressed that this dish still leaves such a taste in my mouth.  i asked my hubby if i should add chopped onion to it next time, and he said no.  the basil is what really makes this dish.  fresh basil might make it taste better, but i used dry basil.)

R, 8/11- Beef/Turkey- "Turkey and Parmesan Pasta" courtesy of Moneywise Moms
(rating: B-; review: i thought that dish was okay.  i didn't finish making/eating it until late--almost 11p.m.--but, i served it on leftover noodles.  i thought that it was okay... very liquidy with the diced tomatoes.  not quite flavorful...)

F, 8/12- Vegetarian- "Vegetarian Fajitas" courtesy of Moneywise Moms
(rating: B; review: i didn't have mushrooms nor black beans--not sure where they went--so, i just used one red onion, a red and a green pepper, made my own sauce, and served it on a Trader Joe's homemade wheat flour tortilla with some sour cream.  i thought it was yummy, but my hubby didn't like it.  :(  he rarely likes "only" vegetarian meals...)

Sa, 8/13- Leftovers- "Egg Salad Sandwich" courtesy of AllRecipes
today was a really difficult day, so i didn't make my egg salad.  i did eat leftovers instead.  as for the egg salad sandwich, i have made it before, and it's quite excellent.  very tasty!

Su, 8/14- Slow Cooker/Casserole- "Weeknight Ravioli Bake" courtesy of KraftCanada

august cooking challenge- sample menu

as i posted earlier, my challenge started with the movie julie & julia.  i had to make it realistic for me, a new SAHM of seven-month old twin girls.  so, i decided that, for the month of august, i'd create a very simple meal plan and stick by it.

but, here's the thing: for the past couple of weeks, i haven't been much of a cook because the girls eat up so much of my time and also my hubby is hardly home since he's working so much.  what's the point to cook a glorious dinner when i'm the only one eating it... night after night?  so, G and i talked about the "idea" of cooking dinner more often (remember, it had been weeks!)... well, i mean "me" cooking more.

so, i came up with this plan of certain types of meals on certain days:

M- salad
T- chicken
W- pasta
R- turkey/beef
F- vegetarian
Sa- leftovers
Su- crock pot/slow cooker/casserole

i mean, i always find these incredible recipes... and, then i end up cooking chicken four nights in a row.  i needed something different for us.

so, a week ago, i did a lot of research through the sites i mentioned before, along with my newsletters... and, i sorta cheated. :)  i peeked at the weekly menu plans that Moneywise Moms emails, which then linked me to some other blogs... from there, i planned our menu for two weeks...

check back for what i planned... :)

the movie that inspired my new august cooking challenge

have you seen julie & julia?

a movie that i picked up at the library amongst some others, i have always wanted to see j & j.  for so many reasons.  i mean, i love to try new recipes, i'm constantly bookmarking suggested recipes (almost too many and although i 90% won't get around to making them); get AllRecipes daily, quick and easy recipes emailed to me... i'm more than willing to try something new.  it's like glorified time that i don't have but i wish i could spend on cooking more. :)

so, i watched the movie, and was quite impressed.  i won't divulge the synopsis, but one of the main characters takes upon herself a huge worthy challenge within a certain time frame.  it sounded like a good idea.  i wondered if i could do that.  i mean, the month of august was creeping upon me... would i be able to do something similar but scaled down to a more reasonable possibility?  yes, please.

now, let me back up for a moment.  i get emails everyday from two sites:

1. Moneywise Moms
2. AllRecipes

through some blog trails, i've found some more blogs/sites that interest me in this challenge:

1. KraftCanada
2. Pennies on a Platter
3. I'm An Organizing Junkie
4. Feeding Four
5. VitaMix
6. The Pioneer Woman
7.  Cooks
8.  Simply Alicia (my cousin)
9. Cooking During Stolen Moments: An Affair With My Kitchen
10. Annie's Eats
11. Stephanie O'Dea's "A Year of Slow Cooking" or here

the next time i write... i will share my challenge.  the more i blog about it, the more accountable i'm held. :)

have you seen this movie?  what's your favorite FOOD-related movie?

the good 'ol fashioned crock pot

since the babies have been born, i have struggled with putting healthy meals on the table... in suitable time, of course.  postpartum, food was brought over for us, but that ended.  my family left.  my husband works odd hours, so that meant i was responsible for feeding myself. :)  i needed an easy solution for cooking meals... without spending the entire day in the kitchen.  my girls were too young for me to do that.  they weren't at the point of entertaining themselves like they're able to do now at four months old.
i remembered the purpose of the crock pot... is just that.  to have a meal cooking/prepared, so that when you're ready to eat, it's ready to be eaten. :)  absolutely genius! so, i pulled out my crock pot, ready to start.
only, the problem is that from all the slow cooker recipes (i've picked up a few of those Better Homes and Gardens Special Publications over time), i hadn't found many that were REALLY tasty and worth the time to wait all day for it to cook...
i remembered that my friend, Alissa had a blog for crock pot/slow cooker recipes, so i looked that up... and, found the BEST recipe, hands down.  over time, i have found some other worthy recipes that i'd like to add here, but until then... i'll post links to the yummy recipes that i've found for the crock pot.  i'd also like to post the other recipes that i found which were easy to cook without slaving the day away in the kitchen. :)

Cheese and Pasta Delight (A rating)
- instead of buying alfredo sauce (let's face it, with twins, it's hard for me to get out of the house, and i decided to do this last minute the second time), i made my own alfredo sauce from here.  the first time, i bought the alfredo sauce, and i think that it actually turned out yummier with a homemade sauce.  now, with a homemade sauce, you obviously can adjust the calorie intake. :)
- i used a can of chicken, drained (from Costco)
- the first time i did mozzarella cheese, but the second time, i did swiss.  since i usually have mozz on hand, i'd probably do it with that again... to alleviate an extra trip to the store or an extra thing to pick up.
- i used different pasta shells, both times, the dish turned out fine.
- this dish is SO easy to make.  i was pleasantly surprised with all the ingredients meshed well together.
- i think that i used a 4qt. dish, and it made enough food, but the thing is... between my husband and me, it's gone within two days!  :)
- it's also SO yummy to reheat for the following day!  the chicken, alfredo sauce, and veggies really blend well together!

Slow-Cooked Corn Chowder (A rating)
- sometimes, if i'm in a rush, i'll cook this for three hours on high.
- use a thick ham; i think used ham bone... forgot if that's what it's called.  but, it's much tastier with a thick ham.
- fresh parsley works just fine.
- my husband and i were quite impressed with this dish.  very easy to make with few ingredients, yet still nutritious enough.
- i either used a 4qt. or 6qt. and it was just enough for all of the soup.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (A- rating)
-  i pureed the chicken (as mentioned before).
- i didn't do the tortilla strips as they say to do them.  i just put them on top.  i used very THICK handmade tortillas from Trader Joe's.
- this made A LOT of food.  i used my 6qt. slow cooker dish.
- we really liked this dish, too.

King Ranch Chicken Casserole (A rating of me adapting it to a slow cooker recipe; B rating for taste- have to adjust a few things, obviously)
- i turned this into a slow cooker recipe.  it's cooking now, so i'll write about how it goes.
- it says to cook for 30-45 minutes, so i set the timer and put it on low for six hours.
- i lightly greased the dish with butter.
- for the chicken, i boiled about four boneless, skinless chicken breasts, threw them in my Vitamix, and pretty much pureed them into ground chicken breast... i eat it better that way.  sort of a mind trick to eat meat for me.  we'll see how that turns out, too!  :)
- about the cheese, i didn't put it in yet, and won't until the last hour, so that middle layer won't have the cheese in it. 
- i put two chopped garlic cloves in the soup mixture.
- i substituted cream of potato for cream of chicken since i didn't have the latter on hand.
- i've had a similar version of this but NOT from this online recipe and definitely NOT in a slow cooker!  so, we'll see how it turns out!  fingers crossed! :)
- i omitted the green peppers.
- i used Trader Joe's fresh yellow corn tortillas (i think that they taste better), as well as its packaged chicken broth (not canned).
- i used my 4qt. dish, and the layers really ended up being high in the dish... so, we'll see if that affects anything.
what i learned:
- part of this dish came out burnt because i had it on so long, i think.  i ended up putting parmesan cheese in with an hour and 15 minutes left.  
- i won't do parmesan again.  probably mozz next time. :)
- don't know if i'll puree the chicken again... maybe small chunks, instead. 
- won't do cream of potato again... the potatoes made it a bit sweeter, we noticed.
- finally, i thought that the juice layer might be too much liquid, but it ended up working out just fine.  somehow, i need to eliminate so much juices and create more carb layers so it cooks better in the pot.  not that it didn't cook well; just the way that the recipe is designed for a larger casserole, other adjustments have to be made. :)

yummy smoothies

ever since i "officially" found out that i was PG many moons ago, i've woken up... STARVING.  literally, waking up between 5-7a.m. (depending on work), and my stomach is  GROWLING.

for twins, the dr. wants me to eat 3,500 calories A DAY!!!  i was eating all of the time... every couple of hours.  STILL, it wasn't enough.

so, i started to make smoothies every morning, and it turns out it's been a great creative way for me to get even more nutrients than i was before..... what i love best about making my own smoothies is controlling what i put in my smoothies... the ingredients that i cannot control at a smoothie shop/jamba.

i especially love strawberries in them!  the trick is to put in half & half, frozen fruit, regular fruit, a bit of sugar, a bit of vanilla, and a bit of ice.  :)  usually, it's enough for my husband and me.

one night, i made my favorite smoothie, razzmatazz from jamba.  not to be biased, but i think that mine was greater. :)  here's the razzmatazz recipe:

1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 sliced banana
2 cups raspberry sherbet or sorbet (about 3 large scoops)
1 1/2 cup ice

blend ingredients until smooth.

every morning, i enjoy myself a sweet drink of a yummy smoothie with a straw... yum!