Chicken and spinach with light sauce

Another really easy meal,
I cut up chicken breast in chunks and sauted with butter and oil,
Next added garlic and green onions and mushrooms, cooked until done,

Added a whole bag of spinach coarsely chopped.
Then tomatoes cooked just a few minutes longer and added some pesto seasoning (dried pesto mix)

I could have served it here over noodles or rice, but I added a little sour cream first.

Was pretty healthy and quite versatile, could have done shrimp, used no sour cream, used cream, or milk, possibly added artichokes and/or red pepper or other veggie. Loved it, Thanks Deb.

Thursday

Homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese and pepperoni sandwiches, and home made baked strawberry pie for dessert. Not too bad.

This week, so far

I've been on task maybe not healthiest but all homemade and not processed and pretty affordable.
Sunday: Tater Tot Hotdish
Monday: Shrimp in light sauce with rice (forgot the veggie, but was a super fast easy meal!)
Tuesday: Chicken Quesadilla from left over roasted chickens,
Wednesday: Homemade 1/2 cheese and 1/2 veggie pizza.
Thursday? Eggplant Parmesan is my goal, or salmon.

Recipe Window

From Cooking

Post cooking frenzy

It has mostly worked. I have a lot in the freezer and am trying to learn from a good friend, think ahead, before 4pm! We've had some great meals, since then. Beans and cornbread again, tostados, baked chicken Parmesan, tonight I made split pea soup, which I used some frozen broth for and since I was in the kitchen cooking the soup I took a bunch of the veggie scraps I had been freezing and made some veggie broth. I've been freezing them into ice cube trays and this time in smoothie pop things, smaller portions.

Phase two or three, Clean-up

Apparently I leave cupboard doors open when I work, either this doesn't bug me any more like it used to or I overlook it in the throws of cooking a lot.

From Cooking

Well, I feel like I've accomplished a lot. I cut up a bunch of onion, a most dreaded job for me, as I cry like a baby. I tried several techniques today, like freezing the onions first, and dragging the knife through instead of cutting straight up and down. I've also been told making the first few cuts under cold water or not talking while cutting the onions help. I did not find any of these to be very effective for myself. Probably my favorite is under the cold water, but once I move back to the cutting board I'm done. So cutting a lot at once, while my eyes are still burning now, will prevent my eyes from burning every night.

I think that's what I got done today. Oh I also reviewed my recipe box, typed up some practically illegible recipes and will jot down a few ideas to keep me going over the next few months. I'll try to balance updating here and at redwingeatshealthy.wetpaint.com too.

For tonight I'm making a quick chicken parmesan variation. I guess I better go get the kid from day care or finish cleaning, or cut up a few veggies to have as fresh snacks.
Chicken nuggets for school lunches

From Cooking

Aren't brown eggs gorgeous!?

From Cooking

Are ancient, I'm sure it's original from the house c. 1950, I'll have to ask the original owner sometime. The oven is atrocious, the top element doesn't work, though I've learned to cook around that. What will I ever do when we get a new stove? One month Brad asked about a spike in our electric bill I wondered if it was from one of these cooking marathons?

From Cooking

Half time

So I've been cooking since I left earlier and here's my progress, my kitchen's a disaster but I have a pot of beef stock on the store, I browned about 5lbs of hamburger which I will now freeze for things like quesadillas, tacos, lasagna, pasta sauce, hot dishes, chili, etc.

I also have a full 1-2lbs of chicken "Nuggets" really thigh pieces I removed as much of the fat as I could and then coated them with a spinach and egg mix then in bread crumbs with flax, parmesan, salt and pepper, paprika, etc. (inspired my Deceptively Delicious)

Next I made a huge batch of ground turkey mix, with veggie purees such as spinach, carrots, cauliflower, and then bread crumbs flax, spices, etc. I made a huge an of meatballs, then added some dijon mustard and ketchup to what was left and made mini muffin tin size meat loafs, and then added a little more dijon and a little brown sugar and made one med. size meatloaf. One basic turkey mix I was able to shape in to what I hope will be three different flavors, but all with at least a little veggie punch. By the way, incase I haven't said it before, I'm not a big deceiving my child into eating veggies person, I just personally don't care to take a huge bite of solid meat, I like the veggies in there, it stretches out the food and packs in a ton more nutrients than just protein. We always serve our son veggies on the side and expect him to eat at least one bite for every year he is, that may change as he gets older. One of my friends called this a "No Thank You Bite" I like that.

I'll post some photos soon.

Fresh New Year

Every year many of us make new year resolutions, as I'm about to make some of my own I can't help but wonder what it is about flipping the calendar that makes it feel like a clean slate. For many of us the only thing that changes is our fiscal calendar and that doesn't usually change our financial status. I'm also pondering why a fresh slate is such inspiration to make changes, why do we always quit smoking on Monday, or start the diet on Monday, or some other "worthy" "fresh start" day?

So for my New Year's Resolution, pertaining inparticular to this blog is A) to blog more because B) I plan to cook more healthily each week. The challenges to this are running out of time in the evenings because I "failed to plan" I didn't know what I was cooking and didn't have the ingredients I need. Also, I believe I'm fairly addicted to the junk food I eat. But I need to do this to wean myself from the junk food and other bad to midiocre decisions I make. I vow before you all (is there anyone else out there?) to not eat at the school cafeteria once for the rest of the school year (you didn't see the HUGE pause before really thinking if I could get away with just until spring break or if I could go all the way). This will be tough, but perhaps the motivation I need to cook my heart out. I also vow to go the ENTIRE YEAR without eating at McDonald's. I never used to eat there but when I was pregnant that's all the child wanted, and I learned they're fast and easy and little bite size snacks, but I've also learned, they're dripping in grease, give me an upset stomach, and are just gross, and not to mention, so bad for our world! So here I go, the kids in day care and I'm all set to cook away! I better get going if I'm to get it all done, I'll let you know how it goes in my tiny kitchen, and hey, maybe even snap a few pictures along the way. Wish me luck!