Off from work

The thing I love most about being off from work, either in the summer or just days off, is getting up and cooking. I feel that when the rest of the family wakes up, the house has a warm welcoming smell. Perhaps my children will remember that when they are old enough to reflect on what home means to them.

Today, I started with Lentil Soup with Spicy Italian Sausage. I did not make any adjustments to this recipe. It smells great and as I am writing, it is still simmering. That will be my lunch for today.

Dinner tonight will be risotto. I usually do the long, constant stirring recipe but tonight I am using the slow cooker. I plan on relaxing. The recipe posted in the sidebar calls for condenced mushroom soup, but I don't have any and it is cold outside, and I am not leaving the house today. I am going to subsitute condensed cream of chicken. I made this recipe before with the same substitution. It works well.

This evening, we are invited to a friends house (so, yes, eventually I will leave the house) and I am bringing a Black Bean Dip. It is simple: black beans, tomato sauce, Cheddar cheese, chili powder. Easy and not too unhealthy!

Dinner in the Freezer

I did not do a good job planning my meals for this week and I knew that as the week began. Add to that, I did not feel well. Luckily, a few weeks ago I made Ricotta Pies in a puffed pastry. They were in the freezer, just waiting for an evening to be eaten. Soup, salad, and ricotta pies; and plenty of rest.

Oregano Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

It was a busy Monday. I had a meeting an hour away from home so I defrosted chicken breasts, in the refrigerator, of course. The oregano chicken recipe was quick to pull together. Adding rice and broccoli completed the meal. Even on a busy night, this came together quickly. I was nice that it was in the oven for 40 minutes, giving me time to make the side dishes and the weekly soup.

I didn't get to make soup on Sunday, but I did have all the ingredients. Sundays lately have been busy. Perhaps I need to evaluate my Sunday plan and move soup day. Roasted red pepper soup is one of my favories. (Do I say that each week? I think so.) I like to roast my own red peppers for this recipe. I rosted 4 red peppers in place of the jarred peppers. By all means, use the jar peppers if you are in a rush.

Vegetable Philosophy

There are a few books and articles about "sneaking" vegetables into the food children eat. Sometimes, perhaps, this may be a good idea. Generally, I think a better approach is to prepare the vegetables (and other new foods) in a way that children will accept them. Let me be honest here, I do not have an appreciation for brussel sprouts. Yet. By preparing a small serving, adding a sauce or dip, or developing the natural sugars in the vegetables, children will be less reluctant to try. They only need a few bites at first. And at least three presentations of the vegetable. Yes, there are children who are more picky than other children. There are children who have not been presented with the opportunity to try certain vegetables (mine have not been presented with brussel sprouts because I rarely prepare them.) That is all normal. But why lie!

If you are willing to try something new, your children will will also try something new. I'm planning on preparing a salad with brussel sprouts for Christmas Eve dinner. Keep posted, I'll let you know how it goes.

Chicken Enchiladas

Today's dinner: Chicken Enchiladas. I am using an idea from a Cooking Light cookbook that used a tomatillo sauce instead of the regular red enchilada sauce.

Work that recipe:

The first part to any enchiladas is to cook the chicken. I had roasted a number of chicken breasts a few weeks ago and divided up the meat into one pound portions and put them in the freezer. All I had to do was take out the chicken to thaw, mic with the cheese and fill the tortillas.

As I explored the grocery store for canned tomatillos (not to be found), I did find a tomatillo salsa. I used that as the sauce and baked. It was spicy, and great.

I continued my holiday baking with blondies. They are in the oven right now.

Meat Loaf and Mashed Potatoes

I wanted comfort food- which seems to be a theme of my cooking. I had the day off to get some things done, so I had time in the day to make a few items. It was a busy weekend and I did not do any cooking. I made Corn Chowder in the morning. It was a plain recipe but good for the weekly soup.

I made a basic meatloaf, ground beef, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, an egg. Baked it so that the fat from the meat would drip away. It's important to save calories, especially during the holidays. I mashed some red potatoes, with the skins. Green beans completed the meal.

I also wanted to get some holiday baking done. Fudge was made. Anise Tea Cresents, linked on the side, was a new recipe- and a keeper! I also made peanut butter cookies. No wonder I was asleep by 9:30.

Roasted Squash Stuffed with Corn Bread Dressing

After the holiday and feeling full, and not wanting to gain weight during the holidays, I felt that a vegetarian, low-fat meal was appropriate. I had an acorn squash and the rest of the ingredients on hand so, it was worth a try. Served with a salad, it was a filling meal.

The kids has grilled cheese and tomato soup- they are not always adventurous and my oldest son didn't make the basketball team. Healthy, comfort food for them.

Work that recipe-

In order to get the squash recipe completed, I had to do some parts on the night before. I cooked the squash last night. I also used a boxed corn bread mix and added a little maple syrup to the mix- that worked well. Once I came home today, I only had to assemble the stuffing and bake. It was easy and fast with the regular activities.

Leftover Buffet

It is rare that I would leftover buffet 2 nights in a week, but withthe holiday, I needed to clear out the last of leftovers. I needed to create more food. The kids were happy because they did not really eat many leftovers since Thanksgiving so it was worth it.