The next sentence was hard to admit and even harder to write. In the last week, I have had trouble enjoying my son Ben. He always seems to be doing exactly the wrong thing... opposite of what we ask or tell him to do...deliberately disobeying... doing everything he can to frustrate Allen, me, and his siblings. Since Allen and I had been out of town, I gave him a little bit of time to bounce back to our normal. His preschool teacher told me he was not at all cooperating with her and he had NEVER acted up with her before. That particular day he didn't act up just once for her, it was constant. Over the weekend he said his ear hurt and we thought maybe it was all related. Maybe he just wasn't hearing us. I set up an appointment with the doctor and secretly hoped he had an ear infection. I know that sounds horrible, but, you see... IF it was an ear infection, and he wasn't hearing us, then an antibiotic for a few days would fix a lot of the trouble we've had. At least that's what I was thinking. The news? "No ear infections. No strep throat. He's probably just acting like a three-year old." I was determined to try looking forward to my Thursday with him, but I was having trouble.
Here it is at almost 8:00 PM on Ben's Thursday. Wondering how it went? We had an awesome time!!
I let Ben decide most of the activities for the day. First up on his list was the library. Since we had some time to burn before it opened, we went to Hobby Lobby and I let him pick out some garden decorations. We now have two big, beautiful lizards dancing on our fence. We went to the library for storytime and crafts and he sat and listened to everything without even squirming. We made a paper bag puppet together, and his favorite part was cutting with the scissors all by himself. Ben told me he wanted pancakes for lunch, so we headed to IHOP. He was thrilled when the waitress plotted his pancake face in front of him -- it had a banana mouth, whipped cream nose, strawberry eyes, and he got to squeeze the yogurt out to make the hair. He LOVED his silly pancake and kept telling me he loved it. Next up was the used bookstore for a Diego book. Once he found one he was ready to go. This kid was on a mission. We stopped by Target (that was Mama's choice,) picked up the other three kids, came home, ate dinner, and went to watch Will at baseball practice. I REALLY enjoyed my day with him... and I'm glad it worked out like it did. I have renewed my patience with him (for now anyway,) and I saw that he could, in fact, behave quite nicely, politely, and obediently.
When I tucked Ben in, I told him I had a wonderful time with him today and that I look forward to having even more fun with him. You know what that kid told me? He hugged me really tight, patted my back, and said, "Thank you very much, Mama. I had fun, too." I asked Ben what his favorite thing about the day was. His speech was long but perfect.
"My favorite thing today? Um... I liked the library stories and the scissors and the silly face pancake. I really liked the silly face, Mama... And thank you for getting me a Diego book... My favorite was being with Mama and going with you when Jon and Maddie were at school."
.... how can I not enjoy that?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
84 Meals - After the Party
The grocery list included 90 pounds of chicken, 80 pounds of beef, 25 pounds of onions, 11 pounds of baby carrots, 50 large bell peppers, 5 pounds of celery, 15 pounds of potatoes, a gallon-and-a-half of beef stock, and the funny part for our church-based moms group . . .a case of Shiner Bock beer (yes, it all got cooked).
A week and a half ago, my MOPS group came to my house to make dinner. . . or rather 12 dinners . . . for each of us. It was a big project that took lots of planning, lots of shopping, lots of chopping, and lots of cold-space for storage. It was a little intimidating to attack such a big project having never cooked on this big of a scale in such a short time with tons of toddlers underfoot, but I was encouraged by the laid-back, we'll-get-through-it attitude of my friends. Few things make a mom feel on top of the world like taking home happy, tired kids and enough meals for several weeks. We all had such a great time and we're already talking about the next time we do this.
What made it work so well? Primarily, Amarina! She is the one who volunteered to play with the kids outside so we could make meals without interruptions. We had the windows open on the beautiful spring morning and it was fun to hear the kids laughing, and Amarina had a smile every time we checked on her. If you are wondering what the big deal was... she had at least seven (more at times) small kids out there. . .PAINTING!! But everyone outside had fun and the kids were excited to get messy and wet. And by the end of our day, most of them had on only a diaper or undies.
Simone worked at the kitchen table with her little helper. She assembled mostly dry ingredients that didn't need to have a sink nearby: bread mix, spice mixes, repacking bread and cheese that we bought in bulk and broke up into usable quantities.
We had two teams of two in the kitchen: Ema and Jennifer R., Jennifer W. and me. Each pair worked on all 12 of the same recipe, sometimes assembly-line, sometimes parts were done one bag at a time. With only two people per recipe we didn't get in each other's way or have misunderstandings about who had done what already. We made 14 bags of each of 6 dinner recipes, and each of us went home with two of each recipe. We also each took home a bag of beer bread mix. Not including shopping or chopping peppers and onions, we did it all in four and a half hours. Getting over the exhaustion took all of us a few days, though.
I think another reason this worked so well as that we all were pretty easy-to-please food-wise. No one was especially picky -- sure, we left onions out of some of the bags, or cut back on the red-pepper a bit, but we didn't really have picky-eaters. The other key? Flexibility!
I've had enough requests for the menu and recipes, so I'm putting them all in one place. Here is what we made:
As soon as my freezer has space, I'm ready to do it all again. ... and yesterday I found a neat cookbook that had the menu, grocery list, recipes, and assembly order all in one book. That may be the way to go next time... multiplied by seven, of course!
A week and a half ago, my MOPS group came to my house to make dinner. . . or rather 12 dinners . . . for each of us. It was a big project that took lots of planning, lots of shopping, lots of chopping, and lots of cold-space for storage. It was a little intimidating to attack such a big project having never cooked on this big of a scale in such a short time with tons of toddlers underfoot, but I was encouraged by the laid-back, we'll-get-through-it attitude of my friends. Few things make a mom feel on top of the world like taking home happy, tired kids and enough meals for several weeks. We all had such a great time and we're already talking about the next time we do this.
What made it work so well? Primarily, Amarina! She is the one who volunteered to play with the kids outside so we could make meals without interruptions. We had the windows open on the beautiful spring morning and it was fun to hear the kids laughing, and Amarina had a smile every time we checked on her. If you are wondering what the big deal was... she had at least seven (more at times) small kids out there. . .PAINTING!! But everyone outside had fun and the kids were excited to get messy and wet. And by the end of our day, most of them had on only a diaper or undies.
Simone worked at the kitchen table with her little helper. She assembled mostly dry ingredients that didn't need to have a sink nearby: bread mix, spice mixes, repacking bread and cheese that we bought in bulk and broke up into usable quantities.
We had two teams of two in the kitchen: Ema and Jennifer R., Jennifer W. and me. Each pair worked on all 12 of the same recipe, sometimes assembly-line, sometimes parts were done one bag at a time. With only two people per recipe we didn't get in each other's way or have misunderstandings about who had done what already. We made 14 bags of each of 6 dinner recipes, and each of us went home with two of each recipe. We also each took home a bag of beer bread mix. Not including shopping or chopping peppers and onions, we did it all in four and a half hours. Getting over the exhaustion took all of us a few days, though.
I think another reason this worked so well as that we all were pretty easy-to-please food-wise. No one was especially picky -- sure, we left onions out of some of the bags, or cut back on the red-pepper a bit, but we didn't really have picky-eaters. The other key? Flexibility!
I've had enough requests for the menu and recipes, so I'm putting them all in one place. Here is what we made:
- Beer Bread
- Chicken a la Provencal
- Slow Cooker French Dip
- Asian Flank Steak
- Sunday Pot Roast
- Italian Meat Loaf or Meat Balls
- Roasted Chicken
As soon as my freezer has space, I'm ready to do it all again. ... and yesterday I found a neat cookbook that had the menu, grocery list, recipes, and assembly order all in one book. That may be the way to go next time... multiplied by seven, of course!
Beer Bread
3 cups self-rising flour (NOT all-purpose)Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. Mix flour and sugar and beer. Pour batter into prepared pan. Cook for 20 minutes. Take pan out of oven and spread melted butter over the top. Cook for 20 more minutes. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Enjoy!
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 bottle (or can) of beer
3 Tbsp. melted butter
So easy! Different beers make the bread taste different.
Chicken a la Provencal
This is one of family-favorites that we picked out of the Super Suppers cookbook. The kids like the red, yellow, green, and purple veggies and we call it rainbow chicken. It is wonderful to have a recipe that is quick and easy and very healthy, too.
4 servings
2. Preheat 2 TB oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet. Cook 5-7 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Removed chicken from skillet and set aside.
3. Add remaining 2 TB oil to skillet along with bell peppers and onion. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add remaining 1tsp salt, garlic, basil, oregano, and sauté for 1 minute more.
4. Return cooked chicken and juices to skillet; drizzle with vinegar. Bring to boiling. Turn heat to low. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until heated through.
MAKE AHEAD
Season chicken, put it in a ziptop bag, and seal. In a separate bag, put all sliced peppers and onions. Put both sealed baggies into a 1-gallon ziptop bag and freeze. Thaw completely then follow instructions above to cook.
4 servings
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 ½ pounds)1. Season both sides of each chicken breast with 1 tsp salt and pepper.
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ C. olive oil
1 C. thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 C. thinly sliced yellow bell pepper
1 C. thinly sliced green bell pepper
1 C. thinly sliced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
¾ tsp dried basil, crushed
¾ tsp dried oregano, crushed
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2. Preheat 2 TB oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet. Cook 5-7 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Removed chicken from skillet and set aside.
3. Add remaining 2 TB oil to skillet along with bell peppers and onion. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add remaining 1tsp salt, garlic, basil, oregano, and sauté for 1 minute more.
4. Return cooked chicken and juices to skillet; drizzle with vinegar. Bring to boiling. Turn heat to low. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until heated through.
MAKE AHEAD
Season chicken, put it in a ziptop bag, and seal. In a separate bag, put all sliced peppers and onions. Put both sealed baggies into a 1-gallon ziptop bag and freeze. Thaw completely then follow instructions above to cook.
Slow Cooker French Dip
I don't know of anyone who has made this and didn't love it. I made it for my neighbor and got in a little bit of "trouble" because her son declared it was the best meal she ever cooked. When adult men, small children, and the moms love it, it is definitely a keeper. I tried it because a friend recommended it to me, and I am pretty sure it came from allrecipes.com. Look how easy this one is:
9 Servings - but this is easy to split into two bags for two meals
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.
MAKE AHEAD
Put meat, broth, soup, and beer in a 1-gallon ziplock bag, seal, then freeze. Thaw completely then follow directions for cooking.
9 Servings - but this is easy to split into two bags for two meals
4 pounds rump roastTrim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.
1 (10 ½ oz.) can beef broth
1 (10 ½ oz.) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 oz) can or bottle of beer
9 French rolls
3 TB butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.
MAKE AHEAD
Put meat, broth, soup, and beer in a 1-gallon ziplock bag, seal, then freeze. Thaw completely then follow directions for cooking.
Asian Flank Steak
We first had this meal when we were expecting triplets and visiting Super Suppers monthly. I was thrilled that it was in the Super Suppers cookbook, too. Although the flank steak is not my favorite cut, it is an economical cut of beef that tastes great when it is marinaded for a day, grilled, then cut right. Sometimes, we use the same marinade with a different cut, too, though.
3-4 servings
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade. Grill steak for 10-16 minutes for medium rare (135 F) turning once halfway through grilling. Meanwhile, simmer marinate over medium heat until reduced by half; keep warm.
4. Let steak stand 5 minutes. To serve, slice meat across grain into very thin slices. Drizzle with reduced marinade.
MAKE AHEAD
Add all ingredients to a freezer bad and freeze up to 6 weeks. Defrost completely in the refrigerator. Continue according to step 2
3-4 servings
1 1-1 ½ pound beef flank steak (or similar)1. Place flank steak in a resealable plastic bad; add soy sauce, lemon juice, onion, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and (if desired) red pepper. Seal bag; turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate 1-24 hours, turning bag occasionally.
1/4 C. soy sauce
2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TB finely minced onion
2 TB packed brown sugar
1 TB toasted sesame oil
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes (optional)
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade. Grill steak for 10-16 minutes for medium rare (135 F) turning once halfway through grilling. Meanwhile, simmer marinate over medium heat until reduced by half; keep warm.
4. Let steak stand 5 minutes. To serve, slice meat across grain into very thin slices. Drizzle with reduced marinade.
MAKE AHEAD
Add all ingredients to a freezer bad and freeze up to 6 weeks. Defrost completely in the refrigerator. Continue according to step 2
Sunday Pot Roast with Vegetables and Gravy
This recipe is a combination one from the Super Suppers cookbook and one from my Fix-It-and-Forget-It Light book. One was written with plans of freezing, the other was created for the crockpot. We just figured out how to use the best of both to make it tasty, freezable, and crock-pot-able (what a word!)
3-4 servings
2. Transfer roast and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm. Turn heat to high. Boil juices until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Remove bay leaf.
3. To make gravy, place 1/2 cup water (or broth) and flour in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Cover and shake to make a smooth slurry, or put water and flour in a bowl and whisk until smooth. With juices boiling, slowly whisk in slurry. Turn heat to medium; whisk until thick. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.
MAKE AHEAD
Prepare through step one. Freeze cooked roast, vegetables, and juices in freezer bag up to 2 months. Defrost completely in refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low heat and continue with step two.
3-4 servings
2 TB vegetable oil1. Preheat oil in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Add roast and brown on both sides. Add coffee, bay leaf, and enough water (or broth) to cover roast. Transfer to a crock-pot (cook on low for 7-8 hours) or, in Dutch oven, cover and simmer about 1 hours or until meat falls apart with a fork. Add potatoes, carrot, and onion. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
1 1-pound boneless beef tri-tip or chuck roast
1 1/2 cups prepared coffee
1 bay leaf
6-8 new potatoes
2 large carrots, sliced
1 1/2 onions, quartered
1/2 C. beef broth
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2. Transfer roast and vegetables to a serving platter; keep warm. Turn heat to high. Boil juices until reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Remove bay leaf.
3. To make gravy, place 1/2 cup water (or broth) and flour in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Cover and shake to make a smooth slurry, or put water and flour in a bowl and whisk until smooth. With juices boiling, slowly whisk in slurry. Turn heat to medium; whisk until thick. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.
MAKE AHEAD
Prepare through step one. Freeze cooked roast, vegetables, and juices in freezer bag up to 2 months. Defrost completely in refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low heat and continue with step two.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)