Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Meal Planning An It Feels So Good The October Edition And A Peek IntoNovember

It has been a while since I have planned out an entire month worth of meals and now I am kicking myself for not starting my routine up again before the beginning of the school year. 

The Meals
Stuffed Zucchini
Hawaiian crockpot pork
Turkey tacos
Salmon and veggies
BBQ pork

I did not add the meals that were on the calendar, but did not get made for one reason or another because we didn't get to taste them so I can't say how good or how awful they are. 

I am so upset that I lost my stuffed zucchini recipe because it was delicious! I think I can recreate it from memory so here is what I can remember in case you want to give it a whirl.

Cheeseburger Zucchini Boats
1. Cut Scoop out the middles of 6 large zucchini and scoop out the middles
2. Saute Zucchini middles with 1-2 Tbsp of butter until soft and set aside.
3. Saute 1 onion finely minced until clear then add 1 lb. of ground turkey (beef) and saute until cooked 
4. Add Sauteed Zucchini back into Onion and ground turkey mixture and mix together. 
5. Add 1/4 cup tomato sauce (you can add more if you like, but don't let it get too runny)
6. Add 1/3 Parmesan cheese to mixture and stuff back into zucchini boats.
Top with cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted. 

Another recipe I made up as I went is My Hawaiian Crockpot Pork.
Place 1 pork tenderloin in crock pot and add enough water to cover 1/4 up the side of the pork. Mix together Pineapple juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar to taste and add that mixture to the crock. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours. I am going to try using chicken or veggie broth next time I make this instead of the water

The 2 recipes I highly recommend are the Mongolian Beef and the Spinach Artichoke Chicken. Not everything I make turns out, but these 2 were AMAZING! Brent actually made the Mongolian Beef, but I made the quonia and edemame to go with it.


Now that October is almost done (holy crap that went by really fast) let's take a look at what November will bring. This weekend I will be shopping for next month and I will have to be quick because I will need to go at nap time while the monkey sleeps because I am not sure how B-daddy will be feeling after his lover biopsy Friday. Hopefully it won't be too bad and hopefully he gets good results and we can stop worrying about what high liver enzymes mean. 

As you can see we we still have Turkey Taco Tuesday, and we aren't really trying out any new recipes. We are sticking to the basics and keeping it easy , healthy, and delicious.

I will end this short but sweet post with a sweet picture of my girl and her brand new Buzz Lightyear. one of my babies got him for her and I may or may not have cried it was so sweet!






Sunday, October 27, 2013

The Race

Yesterday was such a surreal day. It was our second time racing for the cure as Creedon's Crusaders and oh what a difference a year has made. I know I haven't blogged much about mom's cancer or lack there of now, but it just felt too personal to really blog about besides to say she is doing GREAT! Basically mom has kicked cancer's ass. She has gone through multiple surgeries, drains, chemo, radiation, just to name the easy parts of all of this. We won't even mention the countless days spent in the hospital as a result of the chemo. These past 2 years feel like a dream and it is so easy to forget how bad it all was when everything is so great now. It makes me sad somedays because I find myself saying I am so glad these 2 years are over, but I don't want to forget the good while trying to block out the bad. 

Last year we were much more organized when it came to the race, but we already have ideas for next years race and yes it involves costumes and the hope that I can talk Mom into doing the 5k with us.
This year Nicole and I ran the 5k (and we didn't die and now I am pumped to get back to running), Emily and Debbie walked the it, and Mon and Jen walked the mile. My mom who just had surgery walked a freaking mile and with a head of curly grayish, brownish, blondish (she says) hair! This time last year she felt like crap and was bald as a newborn baby. Oh how much things can change in just a few months. We are so blessed to have this wild amazing woman still with us!

I think we will all have a lot to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving.