Confused Mom's Guide to Surviving Halloween

It's Halloween. There will be no meal plan today. Enough said.

I did spend a whole lotta time this weekend doing some big batch cooking for the freezer, including enough Skyline to last us until Christmas, several pounds of meatballs, some yummy steamed Asian dumplings with shrimp and pork for both my mom and us, and a giant vat of cauliflower soup.  So, we're not going to starve this week. Just whatever happens to call out to me when I open the refrigerator is what it will be.

Plus, this weekend was Halloween Eve and Halloween Eve Eve and Halloween Eve Eve Eve. You get the idea. So there were parties, festivals, last minute costume touch-ups, even later-minute costume repairs, baking, goodie bag making, school party preparations, and much excitement, anticipation and sugar-loading. I will neither confirm nor deny which of these activities were my idea. It is irrelevant whose idea they were since just because one has an idea weeks and weeks before Halloween does not determine how much one will enjoy that activity when the day actually arrives.

So here is my Official Confused Mom's Guide to Halloween. Probably too late to help anyone out this year, but next year please remember to THINK before your volunteer.

1. DO NOT MAKE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES. I always make my kids' Halloween costumes. It's this weird obsession I have. Probably some psychosis my mother saddled me with during my childhood. Every year, the kids tell me what they want to be, and I start planning. It always seems simple enough in August. In September. Even on October 8th. I mean seriously, how hard could it be to paint a box silver, cut some holes in it, paint on a few buttons and call yourself a robot? That is until your eight-year-old informs you that his robot will have buttons that you can push and a speaker that he can talk into that makes him sound like a real robot. What do you mean, you can't do that MOM??? Tears, pouting, sulking. Not what I call Halloween spirit. 
2. DO NOT VOLUNTEER TO BE ROOM MOM. Those PTA people always make room mom sound like such as easy job. "You will have a helper for each party and several people who are happy to send in all the supplies you will need so you don't have to actually do anything--just call and coordinate everyone and show up at the party." That is until you have eight moms calling your house campaigning to be the one picked to come to the party as your helper so they can see their little darling dressed up in his Spider Man costume along with seven other mini-Spider Men plus fifteen more sugar-hyped kindergartners. Oh, and those lovely people whose volunteer form said they'd be happy to send things for the party, even the one who dotted her "i"s with a smiley face, growl at you over the phone, "Well, how many do you need?" and sigh, "I guess I can do that," when you tell her you will need 24 Capri Suns please.
3. DO NOT MAKE GOODIE BAGS. I know they are cute. I know it is fun to buy candy so you can have the leftovers all for yourself. I know those glow-in-the-dark skull rings are only a buck for 48 at the dollar store and are just so darn irresistible. But the other moms want to do the same thing with all that crap that you do--toss it in the trash. So don't waste your money, time, or gas. 
4. TAKE A BEVERAGE. An insulated travel coffee mug filled with coffee looks exactly like an insulated travel coffee mug filled with hot cider and rum. Or hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps. Or orange juice and vodka. Who's ready for trick-or-treating now? I AM! I AM!!!
5. HAVE A CANDY STORAGE/DISPOSAL/HIDING/DISTRIBUTION plan. Most likely your kids are going to get enough candy to feed a small country for weeks. Mine would not only get sick from eating that much candy, but actually get bored with it waaaaaaaay before it's all gone. So once they have basked in the awesomeness of their haul for a while and had a few pieces, I ask them to pick out their favorite 24 pieces (or however many days it is until Thanksgiving). We put those in a brown lunch bag or ziplock with their name on it, and they get one piece a day until Thanksgiving. The rest I use for.....uh, something else. Yeah.
6. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR COSTUME LYING AROUND. Of course, I say this 78 times to my children before the big day arrives because they like to wear it around, showing everyone who will look how cool their costume is. Leave it lying on the floor and eventually, some part of it will get broken, torn or otherwise damaged. The mom who just made that costume is not going to be happy. More importantly, I am talking about YOUR costume, Mom. Say for example, you peeled your snazzy fake eyelashes off while on your way home from a party and left them stuck on the dashboard of your mom van, you might mistake them for a family of spiders taking up residence in your mom van when you get in it the next morning. You might then pee your pants in fright and in your attempt to escape their viciousness. But only if you are scared of spiders. And haven't had your coffee yet and so cannot tell the difference between spiders and fake eyelashes. And have given birth to three or more children. Just maybe. 
7. DO NOT COOK DINNER. Plan to trick-or-treat with friends, whose house you can hang out at before beggar's night begins so that your friend can make dinner for your kids while you sit quietly in the corner, drinking from your insulated coffee mug, trying to recover from repairing costumes, being room mom and making all those goodie bags.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

Menu Planning Monday Oct 24-30

Wowowowowowowowowowowow. I've been a little busy. As in, I think my head might pop off any minute kind of busy. Usually when people say this they are complaining. I am not. I am only being descriptive. The past week has been beyond wonderful. Business is fantastic. In my business, "fantastic" means meeting a lot of wonderful new women who are fun to work with.  That was definitely true this week. I also got to go out of town to the beautiful Pokagon Indiana State Park for a couple of days on a retreat with the women I work with to focus on learning, growth and sisterhood. It was amazing. A. MAZE. ING. I am incredibly blessed to be in the presence of such women of excellence. I can't even describe. Well, I probably can and will but not right now.

But not right now. Because today is Menu Planning Monday, and I haven't even started my menu plan for the week that I usually have all finished up about a whole day before 2:38 on Monday afternoon. I am still going to do a menu plan though because A) I hope someone out there in cyber space is looking forward to seeing my meal plan for the week B)my weeks are chaotic enough without panicking at 4:30 everyday over what's for dinner and C) I am working on learning to being more consistent in all I do.

Since as I said, I don't have a menu plan done already, this is going to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants plan with perhaps more standard family favorites than new recipes. We've all had those weeks, haven't we? So, here it is. Be gentile with me, please.

Day #1: Everything fried rice and shew mai. I know I have some leftover rice in the fridge, some bacon and some snow peas. Other than that, whatever I have that sounds good in fried rice will get tossed in too. Personally, I love a little pineapple in my fried rice. This weekend the in-laws visited and brought some of our favorite Chinese dumplings called shew mai.  They are steamed pork and shrimp dumplings that reheat really well from the freezer in the microwave.  These will go perfectly with the fried rice and be fast and easy enough so that we make it to tonight's skating party on time.

Day #2: Salmon patties and baked potatoes. This is one of my favorite go-to pantry meals. When I need something fast, I can almost always find a can of salmon in the pantry. Baked potatoes are a huge hit with the kids and even thought they take a while to bake, the prep time in minimal. If you need something faster, cut the potatoes into bite-size cubes, toss with a little olive oil and seasoning, turn up the heat and roast them for about 20 minutes.

Day #3: Cheesy chicken pockets. I love these little bundles of leftover chicken and cream cheese wrapped in crescent roll dough. Easy, fast, and decadent.

Day #4: On our movie night this week I am planning to make some homemade pizza rolls from tidymom.com instead of ordering out.

http://tidymom.net/2010/how-to-make-home-made-pizza-rolls/  They look so, so much better than the frozen ones from a box.

Day #5: Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. Who doesn't love spaghetti?  Not to mention, it's fast and easy. We will be watching some friends' kids one night this week, and I always try to make something I know everyone will like so this is perfect.

Day #6: We are going to a Halloween party one night this week so I don't have to cook except something to share for the potluck. I'm thinking it will be this yummy looking corn dip from closetcooking.com who got it from foodnetwork.com.


http://closetcooking.com/2008/08/hot-corn-dip.html

Day #7: Can I ask a little favor? Please send positive vibes, prayers, visualizations, whatever it is that you do--to my husband for dinner out one night this week? I could use a night off from dishes and cooking. For real.


I share my menus on Menu Planning Monday at http://orgjunkie.com/.

http://orgjunkie.com

So Blessed

Some days I love my life more than others. Just like everyone else, I suppose. Today, I love it extra. It was delightful. Wonderful. Blessed. Especially good. 

Nothing exceptional happened really. I got up and got the boys off to school. I usually work out on Tuesdays, which is nice because I know it's good for me, and I have a workout buddy I really enjoy chatting with. However, I knew she wouldn't be there today so I skipped my workout, and after dropping the boys off, crawled back in bed and snuggled with my hubby for a while. Delightful.

After he went to work, the little kids and I made cake pops. It was messy. It was fun. It was super yummy. It reminded me why I love being a mom and why I love having time to spend with them doing everyday things every day. I don't think I believe in quality time. The times with my kids that end up being important aren't usually the ones I planned to be important. They don't tell me secrets, say funny and insightful things, and reveal their wonderfulness because I planned an activity. Usually, I'm just lucky enough to be there when they decide to say it, show it or reveal it. I'm get lucky more often because I am there more often. Making cake pops today reminded me how lucky I am to be able to be there more often. Wonderful.

I worked at my "job" some today. I consider my real job being a mom, but I also contribute to our household income as a consultant for Mary Kay. I also don't like to call it a "job" because I don't think that does it justice. I love what I do. I love that I can work it into the nooks and crannies of my life, that I get to play makeup and hang out with fun women. But today, the one thing I am so, so thankful for is the opportunity to be around people who inspire me and make me a better person for being in their space.

My friend Liz picked up a brand new pink Cadillac today. I don't know what number this is--14 maybe? Doesn't matter. Actually, the Cadillac doesn't really matter either. Don't get me wrong--a pink Cadillac is a big deal. It takes a lot of work, dedication, skill and commitment. And it's darn beautiful. It's the second most recognizable company symbol in the country, second only to the Coca-Cola logo. Yep, big deal.

But more important than all of that, more important than our company's list of requirements you have to meet to get one, I know what it really takes. It takes being a woman of your word, doing what you say you are going to do, so that the women you work for and with believe in you. It takes being a woman of inspiration, lifting others up with your words and your spirit and your energy. It takes dedication and commitment, to do the work you know you need to do when no one but you is looking or holding you accountable. It takes the ability to breath belief into people, that they can dream a dream bigger than they imagined possible and actually make it happen. It takes being classy, ladylike, ethical, honest, stylish, polite, positive, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. All the time. I get to hang out with these women all the time, just because I do this job. So blessed.

So blessed....because you know what happens when you hang out with people a lot? You start to be more like them. I know I can't claim that list. Yet. But I know that each time I get to be in the presence of these amazing women, I am becoming a little more and a little more like them. And even if I never get to pick up my very own pink Cadillac from the dealer, sign my name and walk out with the keys, the pay from this work is more valuable than I could have hoped for.

This work, this day, this life....especially good. So very good.

Menu Planning Monday Oct 17-23

Apparently, there's this whole phenomenon called Menu Planning Monday started by Organizing Junkie that food bloggers everywhere take part in. You can check it out here:

http://orgjunkie.com/2011/10/menu-plan-monday-oct-1711.html

I found out about it at Skinny Mom's Kitchen, whose recipes I've been loving lately.  You can check it out here:

http://www.skinnymomskitchen.com/

So, I've decided to join the crowd and call mine Menu Planning Monday too. Here's this week's menu:

Day #1: Taco Cornbread Casserole. Doesn't it look amazing?

You can find the recipe here:  http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/08/taco-corn-bread-casserole.html  Apple crisp too, since we picked 43 pounds of apples yesterday. Pretty sure there will be more apple recipes in my near future.

Day #2: Balsamic onion and potato frittata. I can't wait.  It looks sooooooo good.  Check it out: http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/balsamic-onion-potato-frittata

Day #3: Chili and cornbread

Day #4: Stuffed baked potatoes. I will put out some leftover chili, cheese, sour cream, bacon, and whatever else happens to be hanging out in the fridge.  I am thinking some fried apples would make a lovey side dish for this as well. 

Day #5: Even though Fridays are usually pizza and movie night at our house, I've been trying to find yummy, easy, kid-approved recipes to replace ordering out.  I think this might do the trick: http://tidymom.net/2010/how-to-make-home-made-pizza-rolls/. They love love love the hideous frozen-from-a-box version of these so hopefully they will like these at least as much. If I am feeling adventurous, I might try my hand at homemade bread sticks. I'll tell you a secret. Yeast scares me. But...my oldest says that's what he misses most about ordering out for pizza on Friday nights--the garlicky, cheesy bread sticks from the pizza place down the street. So for him, I might face the yeast.

Day #6: Chinese lettuce wraps and braised baby bok choy. I am SO looking forward to this. Baby bok choy is one of my very favorite veggies, and I've been wanting to make lettuce wraps for a while. 

Day #7: Creamy Tomato Soup and cheesy garlic bread. Unless we have a refrigerator full of leftovers, in which case we will have leftover night. 

I know that's a lot of new recipes for one week, but when I get bored with what I'm cooking I fall off the menu planning bandwagon. So, I might get to Thursday and decide that we're having PB&J and tater tots for dinner, but that's not the end of the world. And if not, it's going to be a really yummy week!

This week's menu is review 10/16

Oh, wait a minute! I didn't have a menu last week. Actually, I kinda sorta did; I just didn't post it because I never finalized it. I didn't really know what I was going to do the next day until I did it. So, I'll just give you a little update on what I did. 

Meal #1 Monday:  I had a big family pack of chicken so I browned two big breasts to use in a casserole for Tuesday and used the other three to make homemade chicken nuggets.  The kids visited their grandparents for a few days over the summer, and Ankong (Filipino for grandpa) made chicken nuggets from scratch that where "better than McDonald's!" At least, that's what I heard. My oldest child even made him write down the recipe so I could make them.  They were quite tasty.  I will share the recipe with you sometime soon. Promise.

Meal #2 Tuesday: Cheesy chicken, rice and green bean casserole.  Another recipe I will share soon.

Meal #3 Wednesday: Uhhhh, I can't remember. Sorry, these things happen when you are 30-something and have three kids and way too many things on her to-do list and went to a wine tasting party last night.  Just saying.

Meal #4 Thursday: Cheese coneys.  Someday soon I will make a giant vat of Cincinnati chili and freeze it in individual meal-size containers.  But I haven't done this yet. So instead, I opened a can, grated some cheese, and enjoyed. Immensely. 

Meal #5 Friday: Pizza night!!! We ordered out.  I like pizza way, way more when I haven't had it every single Friday for months. 

Meal #6 Saturday: At the last minute, I got invited to a party. Not only was I invited, but hubby said he's happily watch the kids so I could go on my own.  Not only did he offer, but I accepted and went.  All of these things happening at one time is darn near a miracle.  Anyway, that meant dinner was on the fly. I threw a box of fish sticks at my husband, said "there are carrot sticks in the fridge," and hightailed it outta here.

Meal #7 Sunday: Mostly, we had leftovers. I also made this:



From here: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/heathers-quinoa-recipe.html

You see, my good friend Jen, a fellow semi-health nut like me, brought over some leftovers to share for lunch one day this week.  We do this a lot.  When we want to have lunch together but don't want to go out, we both rummage in our refrigerators for leftovers to share, hummus, a chunk of cheese, whatever else we can find.  This week she brought over some quinoa fried rice.  It was delicious.  I had been holding out, refusing to jump on the whole quinoa bandwagon because if seemed a little too trendy for me. But since I tried the amazing quinoa fried rice, I wanted to try it out for myself.

I must say, this was not as fabulous as Jen's fried rice, but it was good. (This may just have been a result of being a quinoa virgin.) Even two of the three children had a few bites. Only the picky one spit it out and refused to have more. I'd call that a success. And the roasted cherry tomatoes on top--to die for. I will probably end up making them as a side dish all on their own in the future. A. Maze. Ing. Really. 

Today's Accomplishments

When I realized it was already 9:30 tonight and it didn't seem I had accomplished much of what I had hoped to today, I was kind of annoyed, cranky, and disappointed.  But then I started thinking about what I had done today and realized it had been pretty productive after all.

Here are some of the things I accomplished today:

1. Bought the ears and tail set to complete my daughter's kitty cat Halloween costume.  I felt a sudden urgency to arrange for an appropriate costume for a four-year-old after my husband's aunt sent us a red Chinese-style dress for her. To which my husband commented, "Now we don't have to get her a Halloween costume! She can be a zombie geisha!" There are so many things wrong with that sentence, I don't even know where to begin.
2. Purchased two new exceptionally stylish wardrobe items (if I do say so myself) from the thrift store for budget-pleasing total of $11.98. No, I will not tell you what they look like. You will just have to wonder if I am wearing my thrift store deal or a super-deluxe-fancy-designer outfit the next time you see me.
3. Scrubbed the bathroom in an attempt to locate and eliminate the stench of little boy pee that has taken up residence there. I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floor and the back side of the toilet, even down on the squiggly part behind the bowl.  Lord only knows how little boys can pee in a circle and through solid objects, but clearly they can. Of course, the smell was back in an hour so I guess I should add that to tomorrow's to do list anyway.
4. Won one game of Words with Friends.  Lost two.  OK, maybe this one shouldn't really go on the "accomplished" list.
5. Picked a watermelon from our garden.  The only watermelon that grew to full size in our garden. The first watermelon we've ever grown in our garden. Even though I wasn't sure it would be ripe enough to eat, the vine was completely brown so it had to be picked before it started to rot. We were pleased to find it pink and sweet inside.  My little guy, the inspiration for planing watermelon vines, was especially pleased.
6. Found all three of the kids' missing library books. So far, I have been unable to locate MY missing library item--the latest edition of Good Housekeeping, but the three books that the children claimed to not recall checking out of the library have been located and placed in a safe location awaiting their return.  Not a bad average, if you ask me. Just don't ask my husband.

Food Controversy and Confusion

I have a friend who recently started writing a blog.  He's been stirring up all kinds of controversy, talking about sex, politics, religion, and all kinds of serious stuff.  I've been thinking about delving into some juicy, controversy-inspiring topics too.  They've been weighing heavily on my mind, and I don't think I can keep it inside much longer.  Though the things I worry might get people all fired up are more like how to deal with peanut allergies in schools, attempting to purchase illegal raw milk from pasture-fed cows, and breastfeeding in public. I know, I'm a real rebel. It's in my nature. 

I joke, but people really do get seriously bent out of shape about these things. People like me. These things really have been weighing on my mind, and I'm having a hard time sorting it all out. So, here are some of the things I'm thinking.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of these.

1. How common are peanut allergies? And how serious are they? Some people say that no study has ever shown that inhaling the scent of peanuts causes a reaction, much less a deadly one.  Others say they know someone who nearly died from an anaphylactic reaction to just the smell of peanuts. Who is correct?
2. From what I can gather, about 125 people a year die from allergic reactions to food in the U.S. How many of those are from peanuts? Some say almost all; others say only a handful.  Who do you believe?
3. How many of these serious peanut allergy sufferers are in my children's school?  Are there really enough of them to have one in every grade level at our school? 
4. What is the best way to deal with the risk to children with peanut allergies?  Is the risk to their health deadly, dangerous, worrisome or inconvenient?  Do parents have a responsibility to teach children to be responsible for themselves and what they ingest?  At what age is that appropriate and effective? At what point do we expect them to take some responsibility for themselves?
5. How do you implement a safe peanut policy that demonstrates common sense and good health?  Limiting choices to a list of approved foods consisting only of packaged, processed, sugar-, additive-, dye-filled foods can't possibly teach our children how to make food choices that promote health.  How do you balance the need to keep allergy affected students safe from allergens with the need to promote healthy food choices for all children?
6. If my child had a food allergy, would I raise hell and high water, home school them, refuse to let them out of my site for one second, move to Alaska, make them live in a bubble to keep them safe?
7. What effects do the pasteurization and homogenization have on the taste, vitamins and benefits of milk? 
8. Is milk the cause, or one of the causes, of 8-year-old girls entering puberty?  Is raw milk from pasture-fed cows safer for my baby girl and her growth process?  Is it safe at all?
9. Why in the heck can I not purchase milk from any source I choose to?  When no one was looking, it became illegal for people to get milk from the source--the cow.  Am I the only person that thinks food should come from where it's made?  You know, vegetables from the ground? Milk from a cow? Bread from wheat that grew in a field?  Not from a can, from the store, from a factory, a chemistry lab that's concocting additives?
10. Am I willing to pay three or four times what milk costs at the grocery store for raw, grass-fed, organic milk? Am I willing to drive out to the country an hour away every week to get real milk from a real farmer who has real cows? 
11. Speaking of "from the source," how are there really still people who don't think breastfeeding babies is the best choice?  Or that a boob exposed to feed a hungry infant is obscene? Don't you know that's what they were made for? And by the way, if I can eat somewhere, so can my baby, like in a restaurant, the mall, or my living room.  If I wouldn't eat there, my baby doesn't need to either, like in the bathroom or under a blanket. 

Right now, I'm right in the middle of wondering what to do about our school's snack policy, which only allows pre-packaged, labeled treats to be brought in for birthdays and parties. I hate the message that this sends to our kids--that these foods are better for them than what I make at home. I have so far chosen just to refrain from sending food to school other than what my child takes in his own lunch box. Unfortunately, teachers, room parents (who plan parties), and birthday kids still bring in snacks with seriously questionable nutrition. If it were occasionally, I'd probably overlook it, but it isn't. With class parties, rewards, birthdays, and special events, it's no less than once a week. I feel like this, compounded over many years, will have a significant impact on their health as well as their beliefs about food.


I am also just starting to learn about raw milk. I don't know enough yet to say if it is a safer, better choice than conventional milk, but what I have read has certainly made me want to find out. The way meat, milk and many other foods come to our stores is enough to make me want to consider alternatives for a lot things. The effects of hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and the myriad other chemicals involved in modern food production are downright frightening, and even if my process is slow and unsure, I'm continuing to learn and search for better, viable alternatives for our family.

I suppose the only one I don't really have a question about is the last one. I'm pretty clear in my own mind about the whole breastfeeding thing.  Maybe that's because I'm past it.  My children are several years beyond that so I'm no longer in the worrying stage about that one.  I'm hoping that I'll get there with the other two issues as well. Please bear with me. I know I'm a bit of a nut about these things. But not a peanut. I'm not that bad.

French Bread Pizza and Baked Spaghetti Two-fer

I'm not quite finished with this week's dinner menu since I haven't had a chance to browse the weekly grocery ads OR check out what's in my freezer OR sit on my couch and look though magazines for some new recipes OR breath today.  So in the meantime, here are a couple of recipes you might enjoy. I made the French Bread Pizza Friday night and the Baked Spaghetti tonight.  I was quite pleased with the results of both.

I love it when I can cook once and eat twice. Why dirty the same pots twice if you don't have to? This time, I was making both dishes within a few days of each other, but sometimes I'll freeze half of what I make for a future recipe if I'm not planning to use it right away. Either way, it certainly makes those crazy-busy days go a little more smoothly. So, here's how I did it.

French Bread Pizza

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage, your choice of mild, sweet or hot
1/4 lb salami, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 large loaf of sturdy French or Italian bread
2-3 cups of pizza cheese, mozzarella, provolone, or a blend

Directions: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Brown sausage and salami with onion over medium heat. Add garlic when meats are browned. Then, add spaghetti sauce and simmer a while. Thirty minutes is good, but less will do. In the meantime, split the bread down the middle. Toast the bread, bottom side up for about 5 minutes; then flip it over and toast the other side for 5 minutes. Then, put about a fourth of the meat sauce on each half of bread. Spread it as close to the edges as possible. Top with cheese and bake about 7 more minutes at 500 degrees. Set aside the remaining sauce for Baked Spaghetti another night.

Notes: If I had them, I probably would have added some diced green pepper and sliced mushrooms during the meat browning part of the cooking. I only added the salami because I had some leftover, but I thought it was really good in there. I also had accidentally opened a can of stewed tomatoes with oregano and basil when making soup last week so I used them and only about 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce. It worked just fine.

Four Cheese (Or Three Cheese or Five Cheese or However Many Cheese You Like) Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
Meat Sauce leftover from French Bread Pizza
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 cup Italian blend cheese (or mozzarella or Parmesan or provolone or whatever)
1 cup shredded cheddar (or mozzarella or Parmesan or provolone or whatever)
1 ball of fresh mozzarella (or mozzarella or Parmesan or provolone or whatever)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Cook spaghetti and drain. Stir in sauce and shredded cheddar. Put half of the spaghetti mixture in a buttered casserole dish. Mix together cottage cheese, egg and shredded Italian blend cheese. Spread on top of spaghetti. Cover with remaining half of spaghetti. Top with thin slices of mozzarella. Back 30-40 minutes covered with casserole lid or foil. Remove cover and bake another 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: I used the cheeses I had on hand, and you can use whatever you have too. Please let it cool so you can get it out of the pan without injuring anyone.  It is hot like lava.

The week's menu in review 10/9/11

Here's a recap of this week's dinner menu.  It's been kind of interesting for me to look back at what I planned to do and what I actually did.  Eventually, I hope that I can learn more about how much to plan, how much effort I can expect myself to exert, and what our favorites are so that the plan and the reality end up closer together.

Monday: Last week I spent a lot of Monday running to various grocery stores trying to get everything I needed for the week.  Mondays are already pretty busy around here so by the time dinner rolled around, I was in no mood to cook it.  So this week I decided to stick with something simple and easy and had all the ingredients on hand.  We had turkey tortilla roll-ups with roasted potatoes.  Potatoes cut into the shape of a french fry in an attempt to satisfy my fast food craving. Didn't work, but they were yummy anyway.

Tuesday:  Still in the throes of a fast food craving, I pulled a pound of ground beef out of the freezer and made patty melts.  Didn't help, but still yummy. 

Wednesday: My husband had mentioned earlier in the week that he was feeling like some pasta.  Since I was lucky enough to have both a third of a pound of bacon and a big ol' chunk of Parmesan cheese on hand, I decided to go with a simple favorite--pasta carbonara.  I more or less use Rachel Ray's recipe.

Thursday: The kids call this my very best soup ever.  Most people would probably call it vegetable beef soup. I call it pot roast soup because you start with a pot roast.  It comes from my friend Liz who is an amazing cook.  Since she is also an amazing sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics, one of the top in the country in fact, I doubt she will ever write a cookbook.  Therefore, I don't think she would mind if I shared the recipe with  you.  As long as you keep it between you and me.  Don't go telling the whole neighborhood.

It's made in the crock pot so of course I love it.  WARNING: You need a really big crock pot.  Mine was not big enough.  I ended up taking out part of the liquid to make room for all the vegetables.  I just added it back in the end, and it turned out beautifully.  I just wanted you to know.  You can always make half a batch if you don't have a large crock pot. 

Pot Roast Soup

Ingredients:
1 bunch of leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
4-5 carrots, cleaned and sliced
3-4 ribs celery, cleaned and diced
chuck roast, 3-ish pounds
1 large can diced tomatoes
4-5 TBS Orrington Farms bouillon granules (not that cheap, gross stuff)
3-4 TBS A-1 sauce (Liz says "a big glug" so I'm kinda guessing here.  Whatever I did worked, and I think it was around 3 TBS)
3-4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks or thick slices
1 can green beans
1 can corn

Directions: Sweat leeks, onions, carrots and celery in a skillet in a little olive oil until they begin to soften but not brown.  Add to crock pot.  Cut roast into large chunks.  Place on top of vegetables.  Add tomatoes, bouillon, A-1, and 3-4 cups of water.  Cook on low 4-5 hours.  Add potatoes, beans and corn.  Cook 4 hours more.

Really, really yummy served with some yeast rolls smothered in butter and honey.  Come to think of it, what isn't good served with  yeast rolls smothered in butter and honey?  Never mind.

Friday: Fridays are pizza and movie night at our house, and we usually order out.  Instead, I decided to make French bread pizza A)because I am getting really sick of the same old pizza week after week and B) to further reign in our restaurant spending.  The kids were less than thrilled about this, but I was really happy with how the pizza turned out.  I'll tell you how I made it sometime soon.

Saturday: We went out, our planned night out for the week.

Sunday: I ended up making some macaroni and cheese for the kids.  The boxed stuff even.  I'm so ashamed.  :) I heated up some leftover soup for hubby and me.

And that whole "cutting down on the cheese in our diet" plan I talked about last week?  Let's just forget I ever mentioned it, shall we? 

I've Got Issues

I have issues.  Really, I do.  Not that I didn't know I had issues before now, but once in a while something happens that makes me take a good look at myself and go, "Wow, I'm crazier than I thought."

I might have mentioned that we are having a little budget crisis in our household right now.  Nothing major, but even a small bump in the road in the financial department is enough to send me to the kitchen for a giant spoonful of hot fudge followed by a wine chaser--bottle size, please. I get a little more stressed out than is probably necessary.  When the end of the month arrived last month with $4.17 in my account and a transfer from savings required for my husband's account, I panicked and demanded we both take a good, hard look at the budget.

No big surprises there, really.  We've been eating out too much.  Back-to-school season is freaking expensive, and getting more so every minute. (FREE public education? Bahhh!  I'll save that for another time.) We have an extra house payment with one of our rental houses sitting empty.  Nothing we didn't know and nothing we can't solve given a little time and focused effort.

Nonetheless, to calm my racing pulse, I've called a self-imposed temporary hiatus to any unnecessary spending and a once a week limit to eating out.  Sounds simple enough.  To anyone not quite as crazy as I am, I suppose.  It actually sounded totally fine to me too.  Until about the fifth day of no shopping and no eating out.

Now, let's be clear. I am not a shopaholic. I am a committed bargain shopper. I rarely buy anything that I don't have a coupon for or that isn't on sale or that we don't need.  We can debate needs and wants later, but with three children, three houses, and a business, there are lots of things we need.  I try very hard to never pay full price for all of those things so when I am out and discover a great deal on something, I buy it.  This happens quite frequently.  At least a couple of times a week.  It might be mouse traps that we will inevitably need that are in the clearance bin for mere pennies, an unadvertised sale at the Goodwill on housewares so I can get the cloth napkins I've been eyeing at half-price (carbon footprint, you know), or just the right size container I find at a garage sale for the kids' gazillion stuffed animals.

I've been walking past all of that this week, and it's starting to make me twitch.

I went to Target last night just to get milk. This was completely unnecessary since I drove by two groceries and four convenience stores to get to Target, but I really was just dying to touch all the stuff.  Stuff I am not letting myself buy right now.  Even though a bunch of it was on clearance.  Even though we need it or will soon.  Do alcoholics go to bars just to have a Diet Coke?  Oh boy, do I have issues.

Another thing I think you probably already know: I like to cook.  I really do.  And I'm not bad at it.  So, what's the deal with restaurants?  By Day #8 of no eating in restaurants (it ended up we had one whole week of no eating out planned, and then the second week where we planned a night out at the end, so in whole it was like two weeks with no restaurant), I was having daydreams of french fries.  I made oven baked fries at home one night in an attempt to curb the craving. No relief.  The next night I pulled a pound of ground beef out of the freezer and made patty melts in an attempt to quench the craving.  No relief.

Ends up a friend was feeling the need to get out of the house with her four-year-old one day and invited me out to lunch on Day #10.  Who could say no to a friend in need?  I'm a giver, you know.  Even though I was prepared to give up my first born for a plate of bacon-cheese fries, we went to a place that has a fancy BBQ chicken salad I love.  I ended up getting that.  And water.  No Diet Coke, which I usually only allow myself at restaurants.  And I still felt a little better.  The twitching subsided for a while.

I think I am a bit (maybe a lot) addicted to restaurant food.  I used to believe that I enjoyed restaurants so much because someone else was taking care of everything.  I don't have to plan it, prepare it, cook it, get up in the middle of it to refill anyone's milk, clean it up or find the right size plastic container and matching lid to store the leftovers in.  All of that is really nice.

Yet, I am starting to think that there is a kind of addiction that goes along with the overly-salted, overly-fatty, overly-sugary food served in restaurants.  Not that I haven't heard this idea before. Thanks to Jamie Oliver, Michael Polan, and Food Inc., I know way more about the things that go on in processed and restaurant-prepared food than I would like to know.  It ain't pretty.  Even knowing that, I didn't really think that I was addicted.  Just that I enjoyed the experience of going out to eat. I know I don't NEED french fries or Cincinnati chili with a mountain of cheese on top or cheddar garlic biscuits drenched in butter.  Even more importantly, I can make all of that at home if I really do want it.  So what is causing this ridiculously overwhelming desire to run out and get it?  Clearly, I have serious issues.

In a lot of ways I feel like I do a good job making sure my family eats healthy, but we've got miles to go still.  In a lot of ways, I know we do a good job managing our money, but we could do a much better job if we were more intentional about it. Despite the budget crunch that prompted these changes, I'm pretty happy to be working on my "issues." Self-improvement is good for the soul. Sometimes a little crisis is just the push I need to move in the right direction. 

Small But Mighty

My six-year-old is a non-fiction kinda guy. On our most recent trip to the library, I told my three children they could each get two or three books since they each still had several (have you heard about my library book....ummm...issues? Maybe another time.) books at home. The 4-year-old came back with exactly three books, probably the first three she saw, thrilled just to be able to pick something of her own without having to make any compromises with the brothers. The 8-year-old came back with four books simply because it wasn't three like I'd told him. We're having some control issues at the moment. Again, another time. The 6-year-old returns with an armload of books about to tumble out of his little grasp. He has one audio CD with Halloween music, four books on dinosaurs and four on planets.

Tonight as we sat down to read at bedtime, he handed me a book on Uranus. Little did I know I was in for an education. When I studied the planets, there were nine of them. And what the heck is a dwarf planet? Boy, how things have changed. Did you know that it would take about 10 years traveling in a spaceship to get to Uranus from here? Probably from where you are too, wherever that is. Did you know that it takes 48 years for the northern hemisphere of Uranus to experience sunrise since the planet is tipped on its side for who-knows-what reason? Did you know that Saturn produces more heat than it gets from the Sun because of its immense size and the heat generated from all that pressure? Nope, me neither.

All this reminded me of a shirt this same six-year-old likes to wear. It proclaims him "Small but mighty." Yes, I am certainly feeling how small I am. Not only is our solar system down a planet, but no one bothered to tell me. Our immense solar system is only a tiny speck in the unfathomable universe beyond. Despite movie makers' imagination, we will likely never know what's really out there, at least not for many generations to come. Many people don't know what the lives of people in other continents, countries, regions and cities are really like, much less what lies beyond our atmosphere.

It makes me feel small. Reminds me that in many ways I am small. More importantly, it reminds me that so many of the things that I allow to worry me, to sap my energy, to stress me out, to anger me, to keep me busy, to hold me back are so very small.

What a small thing that the grocery store is out of newspapers when I finally get to go pick one up at 9:30 at night. Yes, it will throw off my coupon strategy and grocery budget for the next month, but still-small.

What a small thing that some unnamed child left a green marker between the couch cushions, marring both of them with ink that refuses to budge despite my best efforts. It will just have to stay there, annoying me, until we can get a new couch which will probably not happen until 2017. Yes, small in the scheme of things. Very small in comparison to the love I have for this child and my desire for them to know that I will never love him or her one iota less even if they scribbled green marker on every single couch cushion I own.

What a small thing that our budget is falling a little short this month for many reasons that I won't detail for you at the moment but is in no small part a result of a rental property that has remained unrented for several months now awaiting a roof that has been delayed by roofer and insurance adjusters alike who do not seem at all concerned about the shortfall in our budget their lolly gagging is creating.  Stressful but small when stacked up next to the blessings our little family can count.

What a small thing that I seem unable to stop myself from writing run-on sentences when many people who I don't even know will probably read them and judge me for it. Annoying but small.

What a small thing that a wayward lump of cells has decided to overgrow its welcome in the breast of a strong, beautiful, intelligent, inspiring mother of two small children who is also my friend and who I cannot imagine this vast, enormous world without.

And then I remember. We are small. But mighty. We are mighty and the stress of life, motherhood, traffic, grocery shopping, embarrassment, too small budgets, and too full schedules is no match for me. I might occasionally huddle on the couch for an afternoon feeling scared and overwhelmed until I remember. We are mighty.

We are small. And this cancer thing is minuscule when standing against the strength and power and love and light and faith and laughter and joy and energy of those of us surrounding my friend. We are small. But we are mighty. Way, way more mighty than this.

Weekly dinner menu Oct 3-9

Despite the chicken nugget debacle last week (exaggerate??? me??? never!), I feel like the menu planning worked out extremely well. I am not exactly a plan ahead kind of gal so actually cooking five of the seven meals I had planned is a huge success. Now, the trick will be doing it again. And again. And again. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

This week's menu is not quite as firm as last week's since I haven't scoured the weekly ads yet to see exactly what is on sale. I do know what I have in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry so we're going to start there and make modifications as necessary.

Last week was really heavy on the cheese. I think I bought three or four ponds for the week's meals. Tasty, yes. Budget-wise and waist-wise, not so much. So I am going to work on reducing that a bit.

I am feeling a little under the weather so it's simpler than last week.

Day #1: BLT Turkey Tortilla roll-ups, apple salad, baked potatoes (maybe twice baked if the Nyquil does its job tonight).

Day #2: Slow cooker pot roast soup. My very best soup ever, according to my children.

Day #3: Baked spaghetti.

Day 4: Homemade chicken nuggets for the kids, fried chicken salad for the adults.

Day #5: French bread pizza.

Day #6: Chicken, rice and green bean casserole.

We're planning to go out one night this week so that's all we'll need. If we end up needing a seventh meal, pasta carbonara has been on my mind. Happy cooking!

The week's menu in review

So here's how this week's menu turned out:

Monday: Spice roast chicken with vegetables. The chicken was ok. The vegetables were phenomenal. I think next time I will stick to my tried and true roast chicken recipe (Yes, I am going to keep you in suspense. For now.) but make the vegetables this way. Basically, carrots and potatoes cut into sticks, wedges of onion, salt, pepper and olive oil, all roasted at about 400 degrees. Not rocket science but delish.

Tuesday: Crock pot Mongolian beef, braised baby bok choy, and rice. Again, the vegetables were my favoite part of the meal. Not so much for the children.

Wednesday: And here is where the plan starts to fall apart. I had a pretty busy day scheduled already with deliveries, phone calls, carpool, errands, babysitting for a friend, and an evening business appointment, with just enough time in between to brown some beef for nachos. Until the school called to say come and get the 3rd grader. Who needed a last minute doctor visit. I ended up throwing some chicken nuggets in the oven moments before the babysitter arrived and telling her to find some applesauce in the fridge to go alongside.

Thursday: Nachos. Since we ate most of the leftover chicken for lunches, instead of the quesadillas I had planned, I made a simple corn spoon bread. Yum.

Friday: White cheddar mac-n-cheese. No fried green tomatoes. I gave everyone some fruit of their choice instead.

Saturday: We decided to invite friends over for game night so I had to come up with something that would fit the tastes of all involved, not stress me out by being too complicated and still fit the budget. Riiiiiight. I finally decided on Mexican Lasagna which turned out to be a huge hit. We had chips and salsa, veggies and dip and various toppings for the lasagna on the side. And a friend brought amazing pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Sunday: Tonight I made the Spanish Tortilla with Salami. It was a hit on all accounts--super easy to make, very inexpensive, and tasty according to all. Yes, even the cranky 8-year-old.

French bread pizza got cut from this week's line-up. Maybe next time, pizza.

Next week, I'm thinking of Asian lettuce wraps, taco pizza, submarine sandwiches with oven sweet potato fries, some kind of soup, homemade chicken nuggets (for the kids) and fried chicken salad (for the adults). The official plan will have to wait until I've had a chance to browse the Sunday ads and see what's on sale. I am sure the recipes await the honor of my selction with bated breath.