Menu Monday

Another Monday has arrived, can I get a collective, "WOOT WOOT!"  No?  Okay, one tiny woot then? Whatever.  It's Monday nonetheless and Trevor and I are one week in to our consious effort to eat less meat during the week.  Last week was great!  We tried new things and ate lots of good fruit and veiggies.  I think we're going to like it.  Here's what this week looks like:

Monday: Dinner with our accountability group
Tuesday: Lentil Sloppy Joes and sweet potato fries
Wednesday: Bulgar Wheat with Fried Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers, and Spinach

Thursday: Leftover Lentil Sloppy Joes
Friday: Dinner with the Youth Group
Saturday: Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower
Sunday: Popcorn, Apples, Grapes, and sharp cheddar cheese!

Life and Death

Do Yourself a Favor

...And make this chili.  It was delicious and perfect for a Tuesday night at home.  I don't believe you will be disappointed. 

Alyvia the Christmas MerLady

It's official: We have the CUTEST niece ever.  Sadly, she lives with her parents in Idaho, which is a long way away from here.  BUT here's a video we took in Nampa at Christmas as proof that she is, indeed, THEE CUTEST little Lubiens there ever was!

Nashville+Snow=Insanity

Menu Monday

Pretty simple, but this is what's on the docket for this week.  If you're stumped, I'd encourage you to try the black bean burgers or the black beans and rice.  They are both seasoned with a mixture of spices similar to taco seasoning, so they're YUMMY!

Monday: Chili
Tuesday: Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
Wednesday: Sandwiches
Thursday: Black Beans and Rice, chips and guacamole
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: homemade deep dish pepperoni pizza
Sunday: popcorn, apples, and cheese

There you have it.  What's on at your house this week?

Wild Turkeys

So there is a pack of wild turkeys residing in the forrest behind our house.  Once in a while, they come out and graze a neighbor's yard.  And they gross us out, every time.  These things are ugly, and HUGE.  We've never known quite why we are afraid of these monster-fowl, but we are.  Seriously.  We have even practiced evasive manuevers on our scooter, just in case of an attack.  Check out this video from the TODAY show.  Consider our fears validated.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The BEST Homemade Granola

So we were feeling domestic yesterday evening and after dinner had a hankering for something sweet.  Since we're trying to make better food choices, we haven't been keeping sweets in the house.  We did have some honey flavored Greek yogurt (which is amazing), so we decided on that for dessert.  It seemed a little blah, though, so in order to spice things up a bit, we thought granola would make an awfully nice addition on top of our delicious yogurt.

The search began.  Most recipes had way too many ingredients and some used butter or oil, two things that, while tasty and good in moderation, didn't exactly contribute to the goal of a lighter snack.  SO - we turned to FoodNetwork.com and found this.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  Since it was a last minute decision, I just used what I had in the fridge and pantry.  Without pecans, and with very few almonds left, I used mostly walnuts with the few remaining almonds thrown in for good measure.  I also added a little wheat germ and flax seed to give it a little umph.  We also realized that our raisins were over a year expired (don't judge), so we left those out as well.

Even though we made some slight adjustments, we were not disappointed with the end result.  This granola is fantastic, and comparatively light.  It was amazing on our yogurt last night, and I ate a serving with milk for breakfast this morning.  I would not be surprised if we quit eating cereal in the mornings and use this as a tasty and healthy alternative.

If you enjoy granola at all, you should definitely give this recipe a try.  I think you'll love it.  Enjoy!

Nutty Granola

2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved

Image courtesy of FoodNetwork.com

Yield: 9 (1/2 cup) servings

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped raw, unsalted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
1/2 cup chopped unsalted pecans
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins, optional


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and the raisins, if using. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Disclaimer:  Again, this recipe is not my own.  It is from FoodNetwork.com.  Here's the official link.  I don't want to take credit for someone else's hard work.

Menu Monday

This week is pretty simple, but I think we've still got some good stuff in store.  I have a hankering for something a little more interesting, so hopefully, future weeks won't seem quite so ho-hum.

Monday: I'm re-making the Tomato Gorganzola soup from last week.  I blended it so it was nice and creamy and used skim milk instead of the cream.  We didn't miss it at all...yummy!  (with homemade cornbread)

Tuesday: Dinner with Brooke and Kev.  They are trying one new three course meal every week this year and have invited us over for a sampling!

Wednesday:  Church night = leftover soup and the last of the corn bread

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner: Breakfast sandwiches on sourdough with hashbrowns

Friday: Homemade Deep Dish Pizza

Saturday: Lunch: Sandwiches
               Dinner: Corn Chowder with ham

Sunday: Lunch - Out with friends
             Dinner - Popcorn, fruit, and cheese (what else?)

Thats it for us this week.  What's on at your house?

Menu Monday

Monday: Out with friends to celebrate the last day of vacation!

Tuesday: Creamy Tomato Gorgonzola Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Sourdough

Wednesday: White Beans and Cornbread

Thursday: Leftover Soup

Friday: Leftover White Beans (gotta clean 'em up)

Saturday: Corn Chowder with Ham

Sunday: Lunch - Out
             Dinner - Popcorn, fruit, and cheese -- YUMMY!