Week 81

Mini golf game with cousins

A bit of a bum start to this week.  A house full of guests yesterday which was fun but cooking for 20 is always a bit of a chore and a total gong show on my part.  I really need to work on organization and doing 1 thing at a time.  Anyway, Lydia's cold turned into a fever and she zonked out at 6pm before we had even eaten.  Then at 7:30 Jack started puking right after we gave him Tylenol for a headache.  Those two both slept until 6am when they alternated in our room and then Lydia capped it by puking all over our bed at 6:45, getting everyone up.  Now I have two sickies at home who are both whiney and grumpy and can't seem to agree on what they want to do.  I doubt they know themselves.  They have a few moments of wanting to play but then both feel pretty awful and it spirals downhill and they wind up on the couch again.
Here's hoping that the rest of the week goes a little better .....

This week for dinner:

Sunday:
Buttermilk fried chicken with sriracha honey drizzle (done in GF flour for my MIL), baked potato salad, GF biscuits, sliced watermelon (because what is fried chicken without watermelon?!?), a yummy asparagus dish from Julia, garden veggies and a jello salad from Kathy and GF black forest cake from James.

Monday:
Leftovers from last night - so much food left and no ability to cook today!

Tuesday:
Taking dinner to a family so long as my kids are returning to health.  Ricotta stuffed shells in marinara sauce, garlic bread, salad and maybe some green beans .... at least this is the plan so far.

Wednesday:
our anniversary so need to make special dinner for my sweetie.  I think I will get some steaks from the butcher and do a cherry balsamic glaze for it, served with lemon garlic roasted potatoes, golden beets and broccoli rabe or some other fun veggie

Thursday:
Honey lime chicken enchiladas (we ended up doing the pork on Wednesday last week and then leftovers last Thursday) with spanish rice and corn, salad on the side

Friday:
Dallin and the kids are off so we will be doing something fun.  Maybe we will take the kids out for dinner or else Dallin and I will go out to celebrate.

Saturday:
we have the Relief Society broadcast which is one of my favourite church events and there is a dinner beforehand and we will go out for treats/dessert after.

Have a great week and happy cooking!

Week 80

Happy Tuesday :)  Another week of school down, I guess that puts me one week closer to summer again.  We are semi-back into the routine.  I am not going to lie, I HATE getting up early and making lunches and rushing everyone out the door but it is kind of nice to have a system going and to be up and productive before 9am.  I am also loving being back at the gym.  I told myself I would go over the summer and I went ... exactly 3 times.  Now that the kids are in class all day and it is just Lydia I can go a few times a week and enjoy my time there and not feel bad about the kids being at home alone or what else I should be doing.  It is my time to do something for myself and with Dallin in school and being the parent at home 24/7, I am finding I really do need that time to myself.  We are facing down a nasty semester with 2 finance classes for Dallin which equals a LOT of homework, assignments and tests.  January can't some soon enough!

This week for dinner:

Sunday:
Big Rock Burgers (a nickname we gave to homemade burgers loaded to the max) with fresh veggies, fruit and chips

Monday:
Brown sugar soy marinated chicken (I add crushed garlic clove to the marinade too), parmesan mashed potaotes, garlic mushroom green beans and green salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Tuesday:
Penne with grilled chicken in tomato cream sauce, salad and fresh peaches (we have a few left that need to get eaten!)

Wednesday:
Honey Lime chicken Enchiladas (I have been craving them for a while but haven't made them), spanish rice, zucchini and corn

Thursday:
Pork Satay with coconut brown rice, spicy glazed carrots, asian salad

Friday:
It depends on if we are going out for Dallin's mom's birthday or not.  If we do we will go out for dinner and if not I may make homemade pizza.

Saturday:
If we do not go out Friday night we may go out Saturday for a date night.  Kids will eat something easy at home ;)  If not we will whip something up or maybe we will all go out together.

Is there anything you are dying to make now that fall is coming?  I love fall food, and baking with pumpkin is high on my list.  I am waiting just a little longer to make some pumpkin spice bread and pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing.  YUMM!

Week 79

Back to school feast

September.  How is it here already?  I do this every year so I am not sure why I am surprised when I feel like summer slipped by in a wink once school comes around again.  In some ways I see how much we did (no small part being the Summer Bucket List we did) but it still feels like we didn't do enough.  There also were not enough hot days in my books.  We needed WAY more beach days and WAY more trips to Calaway Park (honestly we do - we only went once and it is totally not worth it to buy a pass for only one trip).
Back to school has been a sudden and immediate excitement in our house the past week.  Supply shopping, BTS clothes shopping, indoor shoe shopping (kill me now!), it all seemed to take over our live the last few days and the kids could think of nothing else.  Add to that our Back To School Feast and Father's Blessings last night and everyone has been on pins and needles.  I am happy to report that everyone made it to school this morning in one piece, no yelling or fighting.  Dallin started back to class today as well and although we are looking into the mouth of a semester from ... well, an unpleasant place, I am so happy because this *should* be our last year!  Hurray for small miracles!

This week for dinner:

Sunday:
Buffalo fried chicken tacos, spanish rice and corn, fresh veggies

Monday:
Back to School Feast!  Each child gets to pick a dish/finger food/treat/whatever and we drink bubbly and talk about our years theme and then follow it by Priesthood blessings from dad and dessert.  Last night we ate veggies with hummus, guacamole and chips, General Tao Chicken Wings, Italian lemon Shrimp, Chinese Dumplings (gyoza), baguette with Boursin cheese, and homemade ice cream

Tuesday:
Blackened chicken with cilantro lime quinoa and avocado cream, grilled asparagus, green salad

Wednesday:
Pork Chops with balsamic peach glaze, grilled peaches, roasted potatoes, green beans

Thursday:
Teriyaki Grilled Steak with sprouted brown rice blend, roasted veggies and corn on the cob

Friday:
We may have a little pizza and movie party with some of the kids friends so I will make homemade pizza (pepperoni and cheese for kids and maybe fig, prosciutto and arugula and pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms and onions for the adults

Saturday:
It depends on Dallin's school schedule but I am hoping to finagle a date night.  I guess we will see!  If not maybe leftovers or something.

What are you making now that kids are back in school?  Anything you are craving?  Fall always makes me want things baked with apples and stews and soups.  What is it about Fall that makes you want to eat warm thick foods?!?

Week 78

This is from back in May from Lydia's birthday.  Can you believe how tanned Dallin and I were?!?

Can you believe I am actually going to post 2 weeks in a row?  This must be a record or something!  I am not sure what has come over me or if it will last but lets enjoy it while we can!

This last week passed in a blur or summer activities.  Lake, friends, playdates and projects.  It is frantic now as we try to get everything done!  We took a little day trip last week to Babb Montana and stopped at lots of fun places along the way.  It was good all around!
This is our last week of summer break.  We are all so sad and trying to hang on for dear life but the kids are also so excited for back to school.  The letters with their teacher assignments made it all so real!  They all got great teachers and are with a few friends so they are happy about that.  I will be busy canning and jamming this week as I have almost 200lbs of stone fruit in my garage just waiting to be put up into jars!!!  Wish me luck ....

This week for dinner:

Sunday:
We did a big lunch/dinner at about 4 since we were all starving when we got home from church.  It was a weird mishmash but we loved it: grilled hotdogs with sauteed onions and sauerkraut, corn on the cob, loaded nachos with spicy chicken, fresh peaches and nectarines (which are divine!) and some veggies

Monday:
Dallin is away so it is just the kids and me - we will do something easy.  I am thinking chicken caesar salad and garlic bread or something

Tuesday:
We will be canning peaches all day and my friend and her kids will be here.  If we have time to cook it will be basic but if not we will bring in some pizza or something.  The kitchen will be slightly busy here!

Wednesday:
I think I will be excited to cook!  I am thinking pork tenderloin with grilled peaches, parmesan mashed potatoes, grilled zucchini and steamed carrots

Thursday:
honey lime chicken enchiladas, spanish rice, green beans, garden tomato salad

Friday:
not 100% sure what the plan is - Dallin and I may go out for dinner and a movie for our date night :)

Saturday:
I am hoping for a nice warm day so we can spend it at the beach.  If we can we will pack sandwiches and fruit and veggies and have a picnic there for dinner.

Hope everyone has a great last week of summer break.  Is there anything you are looking forward to for fall?  I do love the smell and the change and the excitement of back to school.  I am looking forward to a little less fighting and all the sweet one on one time I will get with my baby girl (which will be a blessing and a curse!)

Week 77

Athabasca Falls

Can you feel it?  Those crisp mornings and the cool evenings that take a sweltering hot day and chase it away with its chill?  The smell and the sight?  Summer is winding down.  I am so sad about it, I love summer.  I love having my kids home.  I hate having my kids all off at school all day.  I miss them and want them home.  I want to take them to the lake and to Calaway park, play outside, go for slurpee walks, go camping and go for hikes.  I am dreading September.
Anyway, last week we went to Jasper for a week of holiday.  We stayed in a little cabin with no TV or phone, no internet.  We hiked and had fires, went to the hot springs and played outside.  Fished and snuggled.  It was awesome.  I loved every minute!
This week I am trying to get a few things done around the house like finishing up our playroom remodel and also trying to fit in as much fun stuff from our bucket list as we can.

this week for dinner:

Sunday:
Balsamic marinated steak with sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms, garden tomatoes all topped with parmesan cheese, lemon roasted potatoes, peas and corn on the cob

Monday:
Pizza at the lake - it was so hot and wonderful that we just couldn't bring ourselves to come home!

Tuesday:
Steak fajitas and salad - we are eating early so we can go see Despicable Me 2

Wednesday:
Brown Sugar grilled chicken, quinoa salad, grilled veggies (probably zucchini and peppers) and maybe some more corn (gotta get it in while we can!)

Thursday:
I have enrichment early and may make buns that day so maybe just bun sandwiches for Dal and the kids while I am gone?

Friday:
Dallin is taking Jack to Father-Son camp so just me and the girls.  Maybe pasta with tomatoes from our garden and salad

Saturday:
Dallin should be home from camp midafternoon so I am thinking of buying a rotisserie chicken and making buffalo chicken sandwiches for anyone who wants them and just pulled chicken and rice and veggies for anyone who doesn't (probably the 3 younger ones).

What are you eating lately?  Tried anything new and fun this summer?  Our meals have all been boring and whatever an be done at the last minute or prepped way in advance.  I need some more last minute meals and need to be much better about using our crock pot in the summer - it would be a life saver!!!

Back in the Saddle/Week 76

Okay, okay, I know that no apologies are necessary but I just fort of fell off the planet.  I have no excuses, just had too much on my plate and this was the one thing to go.  Our summer has been jam packed with family stuff, vacations, reunions, camping, weekend fun stuff and lots of little things.  We made a Summer Bucket List at the end of June and we all wrote out things on clothes pins that we wanted to do for the summer and put them around the edge.  Each time we do something we take it off and throw it in the bucket.  hopefully by the end of our summer we will have done a tonne of stuff and not just wasted our time off!  It is wishful thinking but so far it is working.
We just got back from one of our favourite parts of summer, the Prince Family Reunion.  Dallin's mom is one of 10 and those 10 are all married and have 47 grandchildren and those 47 have 80+ great-grandchildren so it is one big party!  4 days of non stop food, fun and family!  It is mayhem and I love it.  This year they somehow managed to make it feel completely doable and less chaotic and there was lots of downtime and great crafts and food but not so hectic as it has felt before.  The fact that my kids are all getting older and can manage better on their own and don't have to be chased every second or need naps helps a tonne, too.
As for our summer meals?  Some are well planned masterpieces and most are ..... well, what can you grab when it is 7pm and no one has eaten yet kind of affairs.  I will post my menu this week but who knows how much of it will get done ;)

This week for dinner:

Sunday:
cavatappi pasta with a homemade cheddar sauce (basically mac&cheese but my kids don't love the box kind and I never keep it at home).  We had just gotten back from the reunion and no one really wanted to eat much.  We ate fresh fruit and veggies on the side.

Monday:
Tacos with spanish rice and corn, peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies for FHE dessert - so GOOD!

Tuesday:
We ate at our best friend's house so we had Cafe Rio with cilantro lime rice and all the fixings and crepes with whipped cream and fresh fruit for dessert.  DELISH!!!

Wednesday:
waffles or pancakes with eggs and bacon, cantaloupe and strawberries - Dallin is out of town and we are on our own

Thursday:
homemade pizza (with this sauce), caesar salad and fruit - we are having pizza and a movie night

Friday:
The kids are going to my inlaws so we can go to the Temple and meet our friends for dinner at Bonterra Trattoria

Saturday:
Dallin is leaving for a course for a week so it will just be the kids and I again, we may do sandwiches and home fries and salad or whatever else we feel like.

What do you eat in the summer?  What is your best tip for making summer meals that are easy and still yummy?  I will share some of my favourite summer meals soon :)

Week 75

Happy Easter all.  Hoping that you had the opportunity to bask in the renewal of spring, the sunshine and warm weather, the budding plants and bulbs poking out.  Gathering time and long afternoons spent with extended family.  Most of all, I hope you got the opportunity to think and ponder on the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ and his glorious resurrection.  The "Good News" of the gospel that tells us that he lives again.  I hope you all had that.
We took the kids to Banff for 2 days at the end of last week.  We had an amazing time going to Lake Louise and playing in the snow, having snowball fights, walking the trails and just being outside.  The kids climbed and ran, ate snow and marvelled at the mountains.  It was heavenly. We took them to the hotsprings and soaked our weary bodies in the hot water.  We took them back to the hotel where they all slept in a sweaty pile, all in one room.  They all woke early and giggled and talked while we listened from the other room.  We went to the Banff Springs Hotel, aka Hogwarts, for the kids to walk around and marvel at the "castle".  We roamed Banff Ave and shopped in all of the souvenir ships, laughing at t-shirts and examining trinkets.  We got treats at the candy shoppe, caramel apples at the Fudgery, sampled a Beavertail and everyone got to take home a special momento.  Overall, it was fabulous!
This week the kids are on Spring Break.  I know that it is late but we also had a week off in February - apparently their school thinks we need more time off during the year so that we can stretch classes all the way until the very end of June.  Yes, that is exactly what we need!
I am about to embark on painting Emma's room - wish me luck, I may never come out!

This week for dinner:

Sunday:
Easter Dinner at my fabulous inlaws - turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter salad, green bean casserole, corn and buns

Monday:
Something easy as I am painting.  Not sure what yet - maybe some pasta or Chicken Caesar Salad or something

Tuesday:
Lemon Butter poached shrimp, rice pilaf, asparagus

Wednesday:
Lemon Dill chicken, roasted potatoes, peas and glazed carrots

Thursday:
Maple soy salmon, rice, zucchini, salad

Friday:
Depends on if Dallin and I are going out or not.  If not we will have big rock burgers with raw veggies and chips on the side

Saturday:
Dallin will be out with his Dad for General Priesthood session and Chinese food so the kids and I will get to hang out, maybe make pizza or whatever and watch a movie ....

What do you eat when you are in a hurry?  Our go-tos are always some sort of pasta with a quick  alfredo sauce or some kind of taco/quesadilla.  I need ideas!!!