Month: August 2011

naptime

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Laura is currently napping on my lap while holding on to a cookie she made me get a few moments ago. She actually woke up, demanded the cookie, took the cookie, cuddled up with the cookie, and fell back to sleep.

She has not eaten the cookie.

Meanwhile, I’m here lazing about, watching boring Saturday afternoon TV with commercials urging you to invest in an immediate annuity, sell grandma’s old jewelry for buckets of cash, and to make sure you get in on the latest prescription drug lawsuit. What a world.

Tomorrow is the boys’ birthday party and… I guess I’m pretty set for it. I have to put together the goody bags and do a little prep, but I bought the cupcakes and I’ll pick up the submarine sandwich tomorrow. Yes, I bought the cupcakes. Since we’re having about 10 of their friends, I figured it was easier to just have immediate portion control — no worrying about evenly cut slices. And as much as I enjoy baking and decorating cakes, cupcakes are a different story. They are tedious. They take forever. Really, I have too much going to be bothered with it, especially when they are so readily available. So, I bought them and I have no guilt about it. I will make each birthday boy a favorite dessert on another day.

I just hope the weather cooperates. It’s supposed to be gross and humid and rainy. I’d rather have the kids outside if possible, but… we’ll make do I guess! I’ll let you know how it goes.

wasa giveaway winner!

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Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Wasa Thin & Crispy Flatbread giveaway! Unfortunately, there could only be one winner, so I used Random.org to pick the winning comment.

Drumroll please… Congratulations to:

 

I will be sending you an e-mail to get your contact information. If I don’t hear back within 48 hours, I will pick another winner.

cooking thursday: a taste of thai

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I thought that Cooking Thursday would be the perfect time to share some of the recipes I made at my Thai Kitchen® Deliciously Different BBQ House Party. I was thrilled, and I mean thrilled to have been selected for this one because I love Asian cuisine, but just can’t make it at home. The Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia products are supposed to make it easier and believe me they did. They took all the “brain work” out of it. Here’s a photo of all the great samples they sent me. I can’t wait to make Red Curry, Tom Yum Soup, Coconut Rice, Spicy Thai Wings… oh, the list goes on and on!

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But for my party (which happened to be a get-together for my MIL’s birthday), I tried three of the suggested recipes: Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Cold Thai Broccoli Salad, and Ginger Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps (this was my favorite, and it will be going into regular rotation).

Everyone loved the Chicken Satay, and considering the peanut sauce is just straight out of a jar, I was impressed with the taste. Jake’s favorite was the Broccoli Salad (seriously — I’ve never met a nearly-9-year-old who like veggies as much as this kid). He had three helpings. The best part about these recipes is that they are fast. Don’t get me wrong — I love scratch cooking and I think you all know that. But with three kids, sometimes you just suck it up and take a little help from some packaged sauces and seasonings. And with that, here are the recipes!

Ginger Teriyaki Lettuce Wraps
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1 tablespoon oil (coconut oil adds a subtle flavor, but olive or vegetable oil works too)
1 pound ground chicken or ground turkey
1 pouch Simply Asia® Ginger Teriyaki Stir-Fry Sauce
lettuce leaves (I find that Romaine or Boston lettuce works best)
Toppings: shredded carrots, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, chopped fresh cilantro and chopped scallions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add Stir-Fry Sauce; cook and stir until heated through. Spoon chicken mixture into the center of each lettuce leaf. Add desired toppings. Fold sides of lettuce over filling and roll up to serve.

Cold Thai Broccoli Salad
thai kitchen house party

8 cups water
4 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup Thai Kitchen® Sweet Red Chili Sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded carrot

Bromg water to a boil in a large pot, add broccoli and cook just until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Mix chili sauce, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. Add broccoli and carrots; toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
thai kitchen house party

1/2 cup Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk
2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish Sauce
2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen® Red Curry Paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh lemon grass ***
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch wide strips
Bamboo skewers
1/2 cup Thai Kitchen® Peanut Satay Sauce

Mix the coconut milk, fish sauce, curry paste and lemon grass in a small bowl until well blended. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or a glass dish. Add marinade; toss to coat well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Thread chicken strips onto skewers. Grill or broil over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through. Serve with Peanut Satay Sauce for dipping.

***I did not have lemongrass so I substituted a bit of lemon zest and some freshly grated ginger root. It tasted great to me!

Be sure to visit Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom to check out other delicious recipes!

csa 2011: fifth share

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You might have noticed that I didn’t get a post up for our fourth bi-weekly farm share a couple weeks ago. It’s a shame I didn’t have time to take a photo because it was gorgeous! Egglplant, yellow squash, lettuce, zucchini, carrots… it was very colorful. This week’s share might be more green, but it’s a great one nonetheless!

It was pouring rain when it was time for me to head to the farm in Stanfordville. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to all the mud, but it was worth it: three heads of lettuce, three cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, garlic, potatoes, onions, leeks, scallions, dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, two watermelons, and one cantaloupe!

The cucumbers have been wonderful this year, which makes me very happy. In previous years of this CSA, for one reason or another the cucumber crop didn’t fare so well. I also feel like the herbs are much more prolific for some reason. Our CSA has pick-you-own flowers as part of the deal — a major selling point for me 🙂 I’ll be honest though: the last thing I wanted to do yesterday was slog through a muddy field and get soaking wet as the rain poured down and I tried to find my 20 stems of flowers. I’m glad I did, though. After I cleaned up the dinner dishes last night I looked at my kitchen table and couldn’t help but smile.

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The kids were all very excited about the melons, so I cut into one of the watermelons before dinner was even ready. When it split open, the color caught me off-guard. I had not expected a yellow melon!

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And that is one of the reasons why I love participating in a farm share. You really never know what to expect. The yellow watermelon, by the way, is really delicious!

wasa flatbread review & giveaway

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wasa giveaway

*** This giveaway is now closed. ***

I was first introduced to Wasa crackers a few years ago when I initially went low-carb. I read dozens of message board posts about how wonderful they are and once I tried them — I was hooked. So when I was asked to review the new Wasa thin & crispy flatbreads, I was really excited.

The flatbreads come in three flavors: rosemary, sesame, and original. We had a small gathering for my mother-in-law’s birthday, so it was the perfect time to try them out. They were a hit with everyone — especially the rosemary flavor. Paired with a little dill havarti, they were scrumptious! But the great thing about Wasa crackers is that you can use them in so many different ways. They’re not just for cheese platters (although my husband was very proud of his artistic food presentation here):

wasa giveaway

One of Drew’s favorite ways to enjoy Wasa is with a fried egg on top. This is so yummy on the original flatbread, especially when you add a dab of salsa. As for the sesame, I like to top a sesame flatbread with hummus and a little roasted red pepper for a mid-morning snack. If you are short on ideas, check out Wasa’s Snackspiration promotion on their Facebook page. You can create your very own Wasa recipe with the new Create-A-Snack app for a chance to win a trip to Canyon Ranch Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona.

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If you would like to try out these amazing new Thin & Crispy Flatbreads from Wasa, here’s your chance! Wasa has generously offered to send a gift package to one of my readers. You can enter up to three times.

To Enter:

  1. (Mandatory) Like Wasa’s Facebook page and leave a comment on this entry telling me you did so.
  2. Leave me a comment and share your own Snackspiration creation. Which Thin & Crispy Flatbread would you like to try and how would you top it?
  3. Like my blog’s fan page on Facebook and leave a comment on this entry telling me you did so.

Simple as that! This giveaway will close Friday 8/12 at 8 a.m. Eastern Time. The winner will be chosen at random and announced around noontime on Friday. The winner must respond within 48 hours to claim the prize.

Disclosure: I received a gift pack of Thin & Crispy Flatbread crackers from Wasa in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation from Wasa or their representatives.

menu plan monday 8.7-8.13

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I am so glad to be back to a schedule and home cooking!

Tomorrow is our bi-weekly CSA pick-up so I am also looking forward to some great, local vegetables. You might have noticed that I didn’t post a photo of our last share and that’s because we left for NC immediately after picking it up. (We brought most of it with us in a cooler.)

Here’s what I’m planning for dinner this week:

  • Sunday: Sandwiches
  • Monday: Stromboli supreme (turkey pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms), tossed salad
  • Tuesday: Tacos
  • Wednesday: Drew’s Amazing Homemade Marinara, hot Italian sausage, pasta, salad
  • Thursday: Broccoli-cheese soup (slow cooker), sandwiches for the kids, Thai lettuce wraps for the grown-ups
  • Friday: Beef with broccoli, rice
  • Saturday: Leftovers or take-out

For more menu ideas, visit Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday feature.

a mystery

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Remember how we had a tag sale a few weeks ago? Well, ever since one of our phone handsets has been missing. I have a feeling it either got accidentally thrown away or tossed in one of the donation boxes. We’ve turned the house upside down looking for this thing, but it is just… gone.

So today Drew decided to just get another set of phones since ours were older anyway. We didn’t need to look into any crazy conference calling comparison or sophisticated voice mail features, so he easily found something when we were out shopping. The new handsets are charging as I type and he is happy. But I think we’ll always wonder what happened to that phone!

what i’ve been doing instead of blogging

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Hello, friends! It’s been a while. Did you miss me? 😉 Sometimes it’s nice to take a little bit of a break from the online world and with just a few exceptions (checking e-mail and the occasional post on Facebook), that’s what I did this last week. Instead of finding myself glued to the computer, here’s what I’ve been up to:

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1. I spent nearly 24 hours in a car (total) with three kids and a husband, driving through torrential downpours on the way home, realizing that Virginia is one boring state to drive through (speaking only of the highways), and learning that the kids handle long car rides better than I do. I also learned that Raleigh is a cute little city! I think I expected it to be bigger, but it was pretty easy to get around (which was very nice).

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2. I saw some cool dinosaur bones and great exhibits at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and laughed hysterically at the “Terror of the South” banner on the the Acrocanthosaurus exhibit. I want a t-shirt that says “Terror of the South” (or maybe a pint-sized one for Lulu!)

3. I went swimming. A lot. And got sunburned. A lot. (My pale Polish skin is just not meant for that kind of exposure.)

4. I got up close and personal with some butterflies.
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5. And some adorable little lizards.
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6. I ate more than my fair share of Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and enjoyed every single bite.

7. I showed my kids how ridiculously uncoordinated I am at the Marbles Kids Museum.
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8. I learned how to make eggplant parm that is so good that even I devoured it. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend (who is very Italian) gave me all her secrets!

9. I ate ice cream every single night.

10. I spent a lot of down time relaxing with my husband, kids, and other family members.

Visiting my brother-in-law in N. Carolina was such a fun time! We got home late last night and I feel totally refreshed and ready to take on the world. (Well, maybe after I get a little more sleep.) I’ll have a few more posts on some of the highlights of our trip, but those will have to wait a day or two.  After a “no rules” kind of vacation, I find myself craving routine, so I need to get back into the swing of things. But it sure was nice to get away.