Breakfast: I gave Charisma a piece of sticky bun and she took one look before asking for an orange instead. I gave her portion to Astra. I gave the other part of the sticky bun to Serenity. She took a couple slow bites and then asked if I could save the rest for her for later. That's her polite way of saying that she doesn't love it. She confessed to me later this evening that the buns taste "too regular." To translate, she means there is not enough chocolate, icing, ice cream, and marshmallow... or rather any of that. lol
I had a sticky bun this morning too, and I think those kids are NUTS! haha My husband and I had one last night while they were still a bit warm, and I think they taste ever better today.
I'm so glad I had breakfast today because I didn't get to eat until 2pm! I took the little ones out for groceries this morning. I was only planning to get a few things, and it turned into quite the trip. I got tonnes of fresh fruits and veggies, some canned soups for my lunches, dry pasta, yogurt, milk, cream, butter, crescent rolls (the unbaked kind in a can), and a few other bits. The only meat I got was a whole seasoned (raw) chicken, and a turkey breast. The breast went in the freezer and the chicken will be for tonight.
Lunch: Charisma was getting cranky while we shopped so I ended up giving her 3 cheese sticks and a juice box. lol When we got home she had a yogurt and a banana. Astra had a peanut butter and nutella sandwich and a yogurt. The pork chops were gone from the other night, but there was a bit of mushroom gravy left, so I made rice and had it with gravy. I also had a blood orange. I haven't had a blood orange in ages! You just never see them very often. Wow, it was really good. But I'm not sure I will give any to the kids because they are really bloody! The juice is a vibrant red, like a beet, and I'm sure it would stain clothes.
Dinner: The seasoned chicken oven roasted, with mashed potatoes, and a Caesar salad with homemade croutons (made from homemade bread!).
Tomorrow: I planned leftovers because tomorrow evening is going to be crazy and busy. There is over half of the chicken left, and enough Romaine to make another salad. I didn't make too many potatoes because, you know, Serenity. So tomorrow I'll probably make packaged noodles and sauce because they're fast and the kids like them. :P
StatCounter
Tuesday 28 February 2012
Monday 27 February 2012
Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
My first experience with Challah dough, a sweet egg bread. I made Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns out of it. The recipes are from my Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day book. Honestly, this is my favourite cookbook of all time.
I told myself to put a cookie sheet under the cake pans because I thought the caramel would bubble out. Then I forgot about it, and sure enough, 15 minutes into baking smoke came pouring out of my oven. There was 25 minutes left and I couldn't do a thing except open the windows and doors and put a cookie sheet underneath to catch any further drippings. Somehow, the bread was done, like done done! with 15 minutes remaining. My oven does not run hot, and I can't explain it, but it was a relief because I was then able to air out the kitchen. lol
The buns came out perfect. And not sticky at all. But like I told my husband, that could be because half the caramel sauce bubbled out. lol Actually, this is the kind of caramel that gets hard when it's cool, but the bread is still soft and moist. This is also light on the cinnamon, which is a nice change for a sticky bun. But I love cinnamon, so next time I might double it.
By the way, baking soda is a miracle oven cleaner. ;)
I told myself to put a cookie sheet under the cake pans because I thought the caramel would bubble out. Then I forgot about it, and sure enough, 15 minutes into baking smoke came pouring out of my oven. There was 25 minutes left and I couldn't do a thing except open the windows and doors and put a cookie sheet underneath to catch any further drippings. Somehow, the bread was done, like done done! with 15 minutes remaining. My oven does not run hot, and I can't explain it, but it was a relief because I was then able to air out the kitchen. lol
The buns came out perfect. And not sticky at all. But like I told my husband, that could be because half the caramel sauce bubbled out. lol Actually, this is the kind of caramel that gets hard when it's cool, but the bread is still soft and moist. This is also light on the cinnamon, which is a nice change for a sticky bun. But I love cinnamon, so next time I might double it.
By the way, baking soda is a miracle oven cleaner. ;)
Day 002
Breakfast:
Serenity had a banana and a bowl of Cinnamon & Spice instant oatmeal.
Charisma had a banana.
Astra had cheerios.
I usually don't eat breakfast.
Lunch:
Serenity had a half sandwich with ham, mayo, pickle, and mozza, and she had half a granny smith apple.
Charisma had a half sandwich with peanut butter & nutella and some granny smith apple.
Astra had a half sandwich with peanut butter & nutella.
I had a can of beans and toast.
During lunch hour I started a loaf of soft sandwich bread. I also started some Challah dough which I intend to make cinnamon rolls out of. I've never tried this dough, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Dinner will be our leftover pork chops with mushroom gravy and corn. There are a couple hasselback potatoes left. I will split mine with Astra, and make rice for Serenity and Charisma. I didn't make too many potatoes yesterday because the kids are not big on them. I like to keep giving them everything we eat, but I also like to split it up so they aren't stuck eating something they hate for several days.
I still have to make Serenity's school lunch and my husband's work lunch for tomorrow.
Serenity had a banana and a bowl of Cinnamon & Spice instant oatmeal.
Charisma had a banana.
Astra had cheerios.
I usually don't eat breakfast.
Lunch:
Serenity had a half sandwich with ham, mayo, pickle, and mozza, and she had half a granny smith apple.
Charisma had a half sandwich with peanut butter & nutella and some granny smith apple.
Astra had a half sandwich with peanut butter & nutella.
I had a can of beans and toast.
During lunch hour I started a loaf of soft sandwich bread. I also started some Challah dough which I intend to make cinnamon rolls out of. I've never tried this dough, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.
Dinner will be our leftover pork chops with mushroom gravy and corn. There are a couple hasselback potatoes left. I will split mine with Astra, and make rice for Serenity and Charisma. I didn't make too many potatoes yesterday because the kids are not big on them. I like to keep giving them everything we eat, but I also like to split it up so they aren't stuck eating something they hate for several days.
I still have to make Serenity's school lunch and my husband's work lunch for tomorrow.
Sunday 26 February 2012
Dinner 001
For dinner tonight I made pork chops in a mushroom gravy, hasselback potatoes, and corn . We also had bread (homemade) with butter. It took me about an hour and a half to make, but I always wash dishes as I go. And I often have to stop to referee or entertain the kids.
Serenity has never liked potatoes. Even as a baby she hated them. You know those jarred baby stews? It'd have chunks of potato, carrot, turkey, etc... well, she loved them, but whenever she got a piece of potato in her mouth she would push it out. I don't know how she could tell a chunk of potato from a carrot or any other vegetable, but she did. She is becoming more open about foods now. It's a slow process, but she's getting there! I remind her that one of her favourite foods is French fries, and that it's made from potato.
Tonight she left just a bit of corn on her plate. Her motivation in getting through those dreaded potatoes was a piece of brownie for dessert. My kids waste a lot of food so I make their portions really small.
Charisma ate only her corn. lol I'm sure she licked the other stuff before I had to take her plate away. When she is done eating she starts to mash and throw everything!
Astra loved the potato and pork chop. Especially the pork chop! I split a pork chop between the kids. I gave Serenity, Charisma, and Astra about 5 adult bites worth (cut into small pieces) each. There was still 2/3rds of the chop left, and Astra ended up finishing it all by herself. And she ate Charisma's. She didn't care for her bread at all, which is unlike her. She also didn't care for the corn. But she sure ate enough meat.
The potatoes themselves took an hour to bake.
I started the pork chops after I got the potatoes in the oven. There are 4 chops left, so guess what's for dinner tomorrow. I'm a huge fan of leftovers. I almost always make enough food for at least 2 meals. An hour and a half in the kitchen tonight means 10 minutes in the kitchen tomorrow. :)
Serenity has never liked potatoes. Even as a baby she hated them. You know those jarred baby stews? It'd have chunks of potato, carrot, turkey, etc... well, she loved them, but whenever she got a piece of potato in her mouth she would push it out. I don't know how she could tell a chunk of potato from a carrot or any other vegetable, but she did. She is becoming more open about foods now. It's a slow process, but she's getting there! I remind her that one of her favourite foods is French fries, and that it's made from potato.
Tonight she left just a bit of corn on her plate. Her motivation in getting through those dreaded potatoes was a piece of brownie for dessert. My kids waste a lot of food so I make their portions really small.
Charisma ate only her corn. lol I'm sure she licked the other stuff before I had to take her plate away. When she is done eating she starts to mash and throw everything!
Astra loved the potato and pork chop. Especially the pork chop! I split a pork chop between the kids. I gave Serenity, Charisma, and Astra about 5 adult bites worth (cut into small pieces) each. There was still 2/3rds of the chop left, and Astra ended up finishing it all by herself. And she ate Charisma's. She didn't care for her bread at all, which is unlike her. She also didn't care for the corn. But she sure ate enough meat.
The potatoes themselves took an hour to bake.
I started the pork chops after I got the potatoes in the oven. There are 4 chops left, so guess what's for dinner tomorrow. I'm a huge fan of leftovers. I almost always make enough food for at least 2 meals. An hour and a half in the kitchen tonight means 10 minutes in the kitchen tomorrow. :)
First Food Entry! Lunch
I will start with our food log from today. My wonderful husband let
me sleep in!!! I didn't get up until 10am. That is pure heaven. haha He
made the kids cereal with bananas.
For lunch, I made Serenity (my 5 year old) a half sandwich on homemade bread with ham, pickles, mayo, and mozza cheese. Normally we are a cheddar house, but the cheddar is gone and we need to buy more. And she had a handful of grapes.
Charisma (my 2 year old) split a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with the baby. She also had a handful of grapes, and when they were all gone, she threw a fit until Serenity graciously offered her the last of hers. These were the last grapes in the house. lol
Astra (my almost 11 month old baby) had that half sandwich. I started giving her peanut butter a couple weeks ago. She is like my other girls in that she had already tasted it herself around 9 months. In her case, she stole a peanut butter sandwich from Charisma and ate it. lol Astra is not big on fruits other than applesauce and a few jarred fruit desserts. My husband did give her some banana this morning, but I'm pretty sure she just threw it all. I know because I cleaned up the breakfast table. :P Anyway, after her sandwich, which she also threw half of on the floor, she had some fruit puffs (those cereal bites that dissolve easily).
And then I gave all my kids a small piece of brownie for dessert. I made the brownies from a boxed mix last night for game night. It's the Ghiradelli mix from Costco. Expensive, but worth it! This is one item we occasionally splurge on.
My husband and I ate something different. I made us baked chicken breasts stuffed with broccoli and cheese. Sadly, it's cheaper to buy chicken like that than to make it from scratch. So those were the frozen store-bought kind. To go with it I made plain white rice. I like mine with soy sauce, hubby eats his with soy sauce and worcestershire sauce. And I also made a simple salad with tomato, cucumber, green pepper, feta, minced garlic, and a simple homemade vinaigrette.
I also got a head start on my husband's lunch for work tomorrow. I made him a ham, mustard, pickle, and mozza sandwich. I usually make him a sandwich for work when I'm making the kids' lunch. Then in the evening I put the rest of his lunch together - usually a yogurt, some fruit, a granola bar, and a treat.
For dinner tonight I've taken out pork chops. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet!
For lunch, I made Serenity (my 5 year old) a half sandwich on homemade bread with ham, pickles, mayo, and mozza cheese. Normally we are a cheddar house, but the cheddar is gone and we need to buy more. And she had a handful of grapes.
Charisma (my 2 year old) split a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with the baby. She also had a handful of grapes, and when they were all gone, she threw a fit until Serenity graciously offered her the last of hers. These were the last grapes in the house. lol
Astra (my almost 11 month old baby) had that half sandwich. I started giving her peanut butter a couple weeks ago. She is like my other girls in that she had already tasted it herself around 9 months. In her case, she stole a peanut butter sandwich from Charisma and ate it. lol Astra is not big on fruits other than applesauce and a few jarred fruit desserts. My husband did give her some banana this morning, but I'm pretty sure she just threw it all. I know because I cleaned up the breakfast table. :P Anyway, after her sandwich, which she also threw half of on the floor, she had some fruit puffs (those cereal bites that dissolve easily).
And then I gave all my kids a small piece of brownie for dessert. I made the brownies from a boxed mix last night for game night. It's the Ghiradelli mix from Costco. Expensive, but worth it! This is one item we occasionally splurge on.
My husband and I ate something different. I made us baked chicken breasts stuffed with broccoli and cheese. Sadly, it's cheaper to buy chicken like that than to make it from scratch. So those were the frozen store-bought kind. To go with it I made plain white rice. I like mine with soy sauce, hubby eats his with soy sauce and worcestershire sauce. And I also made a simple salad with tomato, cucumber, green pepper, feta, minced garlic, and a simple homemade vinaigrette.
I also got a head start on my husband's lunch for work tomorrow. I made him a ham, mustard, pickle, and mozza sandwich. I usually make him a sandwich for work when I'm making the kids' lunch. Then in the evening I put the rest of his lunch together - usually a yogurt, some fruit, a granola bar, and a treat.
For dinner tonight I've taken out pork chops. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet!
A New Blog!
I'm dying to start my own home business. I want to work for myself doing something, anything in the food industry. But what?! Just when I think I have the perfect business plan, I start thinking about other things I can do and I lose sight. I love cooking. I love feeding people. I love sharing recipes and hearing how people enjoyed my food. Cooking is something I'm good at. Really good at. If only I could find a way to make this a job.
While I ponder that, I've decided to start a food diary. I'm a stay-at-home mother to 3 kids. My husband works in the military. We are a very busy family, and we are doing our best to make it by off one income. We very rarely eat out because it's expensive! I make school and work lunches and I cook all our meals. I even make all our bread from scratch. Some people ask how I find the time. Not only is it easy, but it's very enjoyable! I wouldn't trade it for the world. OK, I would if the price was right. haha
What will I talk about in here? Lots of stuff! This will be like a diary of sorts for all the food I prepare and the meals we eat. I might share recipes and have pictures of yummy food. You might hear about how picky my kids are when it comes to what to they eat. ;) Maybe you will be inspired to cook more too.
While I ponder that, I've decided to start a food diary. I'm a stay-at-home mother to 3 kids. My husband works in the military. We are a very busy family, and we are doing our best to make it by off one income. We very rarely eat out because it's expensive! I make school and work lunches and I cook all our meals. I even make all our bread from scratch. Some people ask how I find the time. Not only is it easy, but it's very enjoyable! I wouldn't trade it for the world. OK, I would if the price was right. haha
What will I talk about in here? Lots of stuff! This will be like a diary of sorts for all the food I prepare and the meals we eat. I might share recipes and have pictures of yummy food. You might hear about how picky my kids are when it comes to what to they eat. ;) Maybe you will be inspired to cook more too.
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