Claire decided to run for Student Council a couple of weeks ago. She made signs and homemade sticker buttons. And, she had to give a speech in front of the entire 6th-8th grade. She didn't make any promises, she just spoke from the heart. Out of 31 students running, Claire was one of seven that was elected. She is SO excited and we are SO proud of her!! Way to go Claire!!
Max also finished a long few weeks of try-outs with tough cuts this weekend. His first year of Bantams will be as a B1 for the Storm!! Those "non" hockey folks who read...the order of teams is A, B1, B2 and C. It's quite an accomplishment to make the 2nd best team as a first year!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Stir Fry
Here's another one that I make once to twice per month. My kids get grilled cheese because they still have acquired a taste for cooked vegetables. I have faith, I hated stir fry when I was a kid and now it's my favorite go to dinner.
We've all had stuff in our fridge, a little of this, a little of that and vegetables that didn't make it to the dinner table. When my fridge starts to look like that, I make Fridge Cleaning Stir Fry. The ingredients can be whatever, this just happens to be what's in mine but feel free to use whatever you have or like..it's all good.
Also, if you don't have a wok or a wok pan, don't let that stop you. You can use a large pot, one that you would cook pasta in. When I'm making stir fry, I cook my pasta with a couple of chicken bouillon cubes to give the pasta a bit of flavor.
Here's what I had this time. 1 Chicken Breast, 1 C crab legs, 1 1/2 C Shrimp, 2 Handful of cooked thin spaghetti, Zucchini, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Orange Pepper, Small handful of Sugar Snap Peas, Asparagus, Celery Stalk, Onion and Garlic
Cut all the vegetables up into relatively the same size. Chop Chicken breast and Crab Legs. Make yourself 1 C of Chicken Stock (1 C water and 1 Chicken bouillon cube)
Start with a splash of Chicken Broth and add the vegetables that need to cook the longest. In this case; celery, onions and the garlic because you want it to season all the vegetables. Saute for about 2 minutes, adding 1t of your favorite seasoning. I used Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning.
Here's what the Greek Seasoning container looks like. It's great on anything from potatoes to eggs to meat to stir fry
Add a splash more chicken stock, asparagus, peas and 1 t Lemon Pepper with Garlic & Onion seasoning. Saute another 2 minutes
Here is the Lemon Pepper I use
Throw in the rest of the vegetables, 1 t Greek Seasoning and 1 t Garlic Powder (I never use Garlic Salt because I like to control how salty my stir fry is). Splash of Chicken Broth if it's looking dry. Saute about 2 minutes or until the vegetables are to your desired doneness. If you like "soft" vegetables, add a splash of chicken broth and cover for a minute or two. I skip this step because I like mine a bit on the crunchy side.
Throw in the meat last, remember it was all left over and already cooked so you just want to get it warm about a minute or two. Add 1 t Lemon Pepper and 1 T butter (I only use butter when I'm using seafood, seems to bring out the flavors, but that could just be in my head;)
Now toss in your pasta and 1 last teaspoon of Greek Seasoning. If you want it a bit zippier, throw in another teaspoon of Lemon Pepper. If you'd prefer, you can skip the pasta and serve over rice. Taste and add more seasoning if you think it needs it. Serve!! Healthy and Yummy!
We've all had stuff in our fridge, a little of this, a little of that and vegetables that didn't make it to the dinner table. When my fridge starts to look like that, I make Fridge Cleaning Stir Fry. The ingredients can be whatever, this just happens to be what's in mine but feel free to use whatever you have or like..it's all good.
Also, if you don't have a wok or a wok pan, don't let that stop you. You can use a large pot, one that you would cook pasta in. When I'm making stir fry, I cook my pasta with a couple of chicken bouillon cubes to give the pasta a bit of flavor.
Here's what I had this time. 1 Chicken Breast, 1 C crab legs, 1 1/2 C Shrimp, 2 Handful of cooked thin spaghetti, Zucchini, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Orange Pepper, Small handful of Sugar Snap Peas, Asparagus, Celery Stalk, Onion and Garlic
Cut all the vegetables up into relatively the same size. Chop Chicken breast and Crab Legs. Make yourself 1 C of Chicken Stock (1 C water and 1 Chicken bouillon cube)
Start with a splash of Chicken Broth and add the vegetables that need to cook the longest. In this case; celery, onions and the garlic because you want it to season all the vegetables. Saute for about 2 minutes, adding 1t of your favorite seasoning. I used Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning.
Here's what the Greek Seasoning container looks like. It's great on anything from potatoes to eggs to meat to stir fry
Add a splash more chicken stock, asparagus, peas and 1 t Lemon Pepper with Garlic & Onion seasoning. Saute another 2 minutes
Here is the Lemon Pepper I use
Throw in the rest of the vegetables, 1 t Greek Seasoning and 1 t Garlic Powder (I never use Garlic Salt because I like to control how salty my stir fry is). Splash of Chicken Broth if it's looking dry. Saute about 2 minutes or until the vegetables are to your desired doneness. If you like "soft" vegetables, add a splash of chicken broth and cover for a minute or two. I skip this step because I like mine a bit on the crunchy side.
Throw in the meat last, remember it was all left over and already cooked so you just want to get it warm about a minute or two. Add 1 t Lemon Pepper and 1 T butter (I only use butter when I'm using seafood, seems to bring out the flavors, but that could just be in my head;)
Now toss in your pasta and 1 last teaspoon of Greek Seasoning. If you want it a bit zippier, throw in another teaspoon of Lemon Pepper. If you'd prefer, you can skip the pasta and serve over rice. Taste and add more seasoning if you think it needs it. Serve!! Healthy and Yummy!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Learning Works
Max has chose to spend his past two summers doing educational enrichment at a place called Learning Works. Yes, that's right...Max who isn't a fan of the regular school year, gives up his summer to attend Learning Works.
His day starts by him leaving the house at 6:40 a.m. and he doesn't get home until 4:00 p.m. He has homework and projects that he has to complete outside of the normal school day. And, he does this for 6 weeks, Monday through Friday, during summer vacation. He also goes every other Saturday during the school year, October to April. He hasn't missed a day and the suggestion that he might (going out of town), gets a firm head shake NO. You don't miss, you sign a contract that states you will give it your full commitment and full commitment is what he gives.
Dylan and Cody both made the same choice when they were his age and went back for 2 more years. One year of Leadership and another year as an intern. Max plans on following in their foot steps.
What is SO cool about Learning Works that 200+ students in grades 6 through 8 choose to dedicate this kind of time? Well for starters...the ENERGY. I spent a morning there last year and the energy that hits you in the face when you get off the bus, well..it makes you tingle with excitement. The teachers are there to high 5 you and welcome you. Everything is positive and you don't want to let your peers or teachers down.
They encourage you to bring out your "inner weird" and that it's cool to be smart. They encourage the students to trust each other and have team building exercises each day. They are also put into families..all the colors of the rainbow and as a family you compete against other families in things from academic to fun and you know that anyone in your family HAS your BACK.
The teachers are Seniors in High School to Seniors in College and are mentored by faculty teachers from Blake High School. They teach fun classes like, CSI Minneapolis which was a math class that had a murder mystery twist but at the end of the day, Max had learned 9th grade Algebra as a 7th grader.
At the end of the year, they do a 2 hour presentation of what they've learned. Skits, songs, poems, movies, all are part of the presentation. To see my shy kid up there dancing, singing and acting makes a Mama smile. Here's a few photos from the end of the year.
Acting
Yes, he's doing a version of the macarena
His day starts by him leaving the house at 6:40 a.m. and he doesn't get home until 4:00 p.m. He has homework and projects that he has to complete outside of the normal school day. And, he does this for 6 weeks, Monday through Friday, during summer vacation. He also goes every other Saturday during the school year, October to April. He hasn't missed a day and the suggestion that he might (going out of town), gets a firm head shake NO. You don't miss, you sign a contract that states you will give it your full commitment and full commitment is what he gives.
Dylan and Cody both made the same choice when they were his age and went back for 2 more years. One year of Leadership and another year as an intern. Max plans on following in their foot steps.
What is SO cool about Learning Works that 200+ students in grades 6 through 8 choose to dedicate this kind of time? Well for starters...the ENERGY. I spent a morning there last year and the energy that hits you in the face when you get off the bus, well..it makes you tingle with excitement. The teachers are there to high 5 you and welcome you. Everything is positive and you don't want to let your peers or teachers down.
They encourage you to bring out your "inner weird" and that it's cool to be smart. They encourage the students to trust each other and have team building exercises each day. They are also put into families..all the colors of the rainbow and as a family you compete against other families in things from academic to fun and you know that anyone in your family HAS your BACK.
The teachers are Seniors in High School to Seniors in College and are mentored by faculty teachers from Blake High School. They teach fun classes like, CSI Minneapolis which was a math class that had a murder mystery twist but at the end of the day, Max had learned 9th grade Algebra as a 7th grader.
At the end of the year, they do a 2 hour presentation of what they've learned. Skits, songs, poems, movies, all are part of the presentation. To see my shy kid up there dancing, singing and acting makes a Mama smile. Here's a few photos from the end of the year.
Acting
Yes, he's doing a version of the macarena
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Crockpot Beef
I make this about once per month. Sometimes I don't cook it as long and slice it for a roast beef dinner. I also make my Asian Beef soup with the leftovers, type that into the search bar.
Both kids love it and leftovers freeze well if you don't want to make soup;)
Here's the ingredients
3 lb beef roast
1 pkg Brown Gravy Mix
1 pkg Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1 bottle of your favorite beer (you can also use 12 oz of water)
Pour the beer in the crockpot, sprinkle in the gravy and soup mix. Give it a stir. Put the roast on top. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 5-6.
It's a little hard to see BUT when you put the fork in, it shouldn't resist at all. Give the fork a twirl and it should fall apart. Keep twirling until all the beef is broken up and remove any excess fat.
If you want to slice this roast up and serve it with mashed potatoes, cook it a bit less. This particular roast is going on sandwich buns.
Here is the finished shredded beef.
Here's a little tip about the buns. Cut the buns in half with the bottom being a bit thicker than the top and hollow out most of the bread on the bottom half, the meat will sit nicely in them. Should you have any, the leftovers freeze well. Enjoy.
Both kids love it and leftovers freeze well if you don't want to make soup;)
Here's the ingredients
3 lb beef roast
1 pkg Brown Gravy Mix
1 pkg Beefy Onion Soup Mix
1 bottle of your favorite beer (you can also use 12 oz of water)
Pour the beer in the crockpot, sprinkle in the gravy and soup mix. Give it a stir. Put the roast on top. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high 5-6.
It's a little hard to see BUT when you put the fork in, it shouldn't resist at all. Give the fork a twirl and it should fall apart. Keep twirling until all the beef is broken up and remove any excess fat.
If you want to slice this roast up and serve it with mashed potatoes, cook it a bit less. This particular roast is going on sandwich buns.
Here is the finished shredded beef.
Here's a little tip about the buns. Cut the buns in half with the bottom being a bit thicker than the top and hollow out most of the bread on the bottom half, the meat will sit nicely in them. Should you have any, the leftovers freeze well. Enjoy.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Crockpot Salsa Chicken
I'll let you in on a little secret...this is one of Max's FAVORITE dinners. He likes to make a sandwich right out of the crockpot on crusty french bread.
Crockpot Salsa Chicken is the easiest thing EVER and it's super versatile. It was a huge staple for me when I was doing Weight Watchers because it's only 3 points per chicken breast. Even though I don't "follow" WW as closely as I should, I still make it often because my kids like it. You can eat it right out of the crockpot with any type of side.
Or, you can chop up and serve with your favorite salad fixings.
Or, you can add a can of 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup and make a gravy type topping to put on pasta or rice, although the color isn't all that appetizing.
Or, you can shred the chicken and put it on hoagie buns, melt some cheese on top in the broiler for a yummy sandwich.
Or, you can shred it and make Chicken Barley Chili.
Or, you can shred it and use it to make quesadillas.
Or, you can shred it and use for a base for the Tex Mex Burritos that I made in January.
Or, you can shred and add 1 C frozen corn, a can of black beans, heat for another hour and use it for easy tacos.
That's just a few of the ways I use it and all the recipes are here on the blog. Just type the recipe of your choice into the search bar and you'll get what you need.
Package of Boneless Chicken Breast
1 C Salsa ~ I use thick and chunky
1/2 C Water
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
Put water and bouillon cube in crock pot. Put your chicken in, season with pepper, garlic and a light sprinkle of salt. Top with Salsa. Cover and crock for 4-6 hours on low~I typically use frozen chicken breast to get the most time out of it.
This is what it looks like shredded and ready for whatever you choose. You can freeze in ziplocs at this point and defrost as needed
Crockpot Salsa Chicken is the easiest thing EVER and it's super versatile. It was a huge staple for me when I was doing Weight Watchers because it's only 3 points per chicken breast. Even though I don't "follow" WW as closely as I should, I still make it often because my kids like it. You can eat it right out of the crockpot with any type of side.
Or, you can chop up and serve with your favorite salad fixings.
Or, you can add a can of 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup and make a gravy type topping to put on pasta or rice, although the color isn't all that appetizing.
Or, you can shred the chicken and put it on hoagie buns, melt some cheese on top in the broiler for a yummy sandwich.
Or, you can shred it and make Chicken Barley Chili.
Or, you can shred it and use it to make quesadillas.
Or, you can shred it and use for a base for the Tex Mex Burritos that I made in January.
Or, you can shred and add 1 C frozen corn, a can of black beans, heat for another hour and use it for easy tacos.
That's just a few of the ways I use it and all the recipes are here on the blog. Just type the recipe of your choice into the search bar and you'll get what you need.
Package of Boneless Chicken Breast
1 C Salsa ~ I use thick and chunky
1/2 C Water
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
Put water and bouillon cube in crock pot. Put your chicken in, season with pepper, garlic and a light sprinkle of salt. Top with Salsa. Cover and crock for 4-6 hours on low~I typically use frozen chicken breast to get the most time out of it.
This is what it looks like shredded and ready for whatever you choose. You can freeze in ziplocs at this point and defrost as needed
Sunday, October 2, 2011
A Girl and her chickens
Craig bought some chickens awhile back, 27 chickens to be exact. I think the words out of my mouth were, "you've lost your mind". But Claire was BEYOND excited and helps take care of the chickens on the weekends she spends at her Daddy's. She sent me a photo of her new favorite thing. She is proving to be well rounded. My little city girl who loves the mall, also enjoys her country side.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Traditions
WOO HOO, my favorite month is here with my favorite holiday!!! Happy October everyone!
Do you have any fun traditions in October? One of ours is to hit an apple orchard with a pumpkin patch.
We hardly ever find the same one twice, we typically get lost at least once while we're driving around. And we hardly ever buy anything except a few apples and whatever treat they are selling. Instead we head to Walmart after and get a few of their $3 pumpkins instead of the $15 we'd pay there. But we walk around and do all the activities that the place has to offer. Of course we critique or declare we'll be back to "this" one next year and yet we never find it again.
But I had a thought the other day. If you didn't make traditions with your kids, you wouldn't have an IN YOUR FACE reminder that they are growing up. I had that thought because I saw this photo.
And, this one..
Max was SO proud of that red mohawk. The mohawk that missed it's gel the day we went pumpkin picking.
We still go to the apple orchard every year because it's "tradition". I try very hard to make the two of them do poses like this now but even when I try bribery, I get a look like I've lost my mind. I haven't lost my mind, I've lost my babies:(
Do you have any fun traditions in October? One of ours is to hit an apple orchard with a pumpkin patch.
We hardly ever find the same one twice, we typically get lost at least once while we're driving around. And we hardly ever buy anything except a few apples and whatever treat they are selling. Instead we head to Walmart after and get a few of their $3 pumpkins instead of the $15 we'd pay there. But we walk around and do all the activities that the place has to offer. Of course we critique or declare we'll be back to "this" one next year and yet we never find it again.
But I had a thought the other day. If you didn't make traditions with your kids, you wouldn't have an IN YOUR FACE reminder that they are growing up. I had that thought because I saw this photo.
And, this one..
We still go to the apple orchard every year because it's "tradition". I try very hard to make the two of them do poses like this now but even when I try bribery, I get a look like I've lost my mind. I haven't lost my mind, I've lost my babies:(
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