Sonic

Kids and I enjoyed some Sonic for dinner the other night.  That's what happens when you pack stuff up all day and don't have any plates!

Menu Monday

The hubs went to the grocery store.  So it looks like I will be having a side of ibuprofen with some of our dinners.  I guess when I said "I can't eat cheese" he missed that memo.  

Anywho, it was a great weekend.  I was off this past Saturday so we spent some time at the church bazaar.  The girls enjoyed some rides including a train ride, spinning swings, and pony rides.  

The boy isn't pictured because I was wearing him the entire time.  I was asked a lot if he was going to ride the rides.   "Um, no?"  He's 14 months, and I'm already paying $2-6 per ride for two other kids.  I think he will be ok.

Sunday was spent with me working.  It's technically my weekend to work but they were short staffed for Friday, so they switched my days around.  This coming weekend will be similar, I will be off on Saturday, but working Sunday.  THAT, however, is because I swapped days with someone to have Monday (29th) off, so we can... wait for it.... CLOSE ON OUR HOUSE!!!

I have no desire to pack, but I know it needs to get done.  So since I don't care much about anything else, I'll deal with the cheesy dinners.   Here's what we will/already have/had:

Saturday- Raspberry Chipotle Chicken with brown rice and salad

Sunday- Bacon wrapped Steak Filets with salad

Monday- Stouffer's lasagna (hubby's pick :/) with green beans

Tuesday- Vegetarian Tostadas

Wednesday- 15 bean soup with sausage

Thursday- Breakfast for dinner (eggs, breakfast sausage, and fruit)

Friday- Cheese Pizza (with a side of ibuprofen) 

Saturday- Stuffed bell peppers

Sunday- Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Monday- Chicken with rice and beans

Tuesday- Pasta with marinara sauce

And that's what happens when the hubby goes grocery shopping and spends $200 on food for a week and a half.  

It's official...

It is official.  I can't eat cheese.  I will get a migraine.  I tried with caffeine one day last week and that too was confirmed.  So freaking upsetting!  I LOVE coffee and cheese!  

This past weekend we had one of the 8 y.o. friend stay over.  Before she came I asked Sophia what she eats, doesn't eat, etc.  I quickly made my way to HEB because lo and behold, the kid eats like every other child in this world.  I wasn't surprised, that child is normal.  My kids are weird and request stir fry tofu and veggies or salad with grilled chicken for dinner.  That said, I enjoy weird ;)

So I bought typical kid things: white bread (OK OK, I bought the white wheat, that was the extent of what I could do), hot dogs/buns, cheez-its, and strawberries (cause I heard she eats that fruit!).

The weekend was spent at the children's museum with an outdoor picnic.  We were quickly scolded by the manager of the museum that no outside food was allowed.  I just stared at her like I didn't understand her.  Sorry, but if I bought a membership then I'm not paying for your $2 16oz. bottled water, or $8 grilled cheese I can't even enjoy.   The kids ate PB&J, Lorna Doone crackers and cutie clementines.  Our visitor didn't eat the crust, I hesitated being annoyed.  The hubs and I enjoyed turkey (sans cheese for me) on whole wheat.  

The evening was spent at GattiTown.  So pizza, with cheese, is what I ate.  Our visitor didn't eat the crust on the pizza, I was annoyed.  I was already feeling cruddy that night.  Sunday we had cinnamon rolls, bacon, eggs, and strawberries.  Our visitor managed to find the crust on the cinnamon rolls and not eat it (what??).  I was uber annoyed.  Hot dogs and pirate booty followed for lunch. Then she went home after tons of outside play.  

Yesterday, the hubs worked late so I just made grilled cheese for dinner.  I ate it too.  It was so good, but I seriously had the biggest headache by 8pm.  I was miserable and know it's from the crap we ate over the weekend.  I should have known better.  

Today I still feel yuck.  I've got a UTI I'm on macrobid for, and some upset stomach probably from the weekend and nothing sounds good to eat.  Nothing except a grilled cheese sounds good.  So I made a run by Krogers (since my local HEB doesn't sell this) to pick up my favorite non-cheese cheese!  

Daiya, I love you.  You're not cheese, but I love how you melt and trick my mind into thinking you are cheese.  

Best grilled cheese ever, ya'll.  Happy non-migrained woman here!

Vegetarian chili

I thought I would share a recipe I adapted from another blogger that I found on Pinterest.  I know, I know... but this wasn't a Pinterest fail!  It was good.  I made it, the kids LOVED it, the hubby LOVED it, so what more is there to love??

So here goes my first "how to recipe".  A concise recipe will follow at the end, so feel free to scroll down there the way I normally do with most blogs.

I diced up 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 yellow onion, and 2 bell peppers (I did one yellow and one red).

Sauté all the veggies together in a good sized pot (mine holds 3 quarts) in approximately 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Meanwhile, I dicing up about a cup of carrots...

and then added those to the veggies already cooking.  (Some S&P went on top of that too at this time.  I once heard that the salt helps the veggies "sweat" so I just do that when I cook now)

Season the veggies with your "chili" seasonings.  1 tbsp cumin, chili powder, oregano, and unsweetened cocoa all gets added to the mix of veggies.  Again, I heard you should sauté your seasonings because it brings out their real flavor.... Also again, not sure if it's true but I do it! 

Dump in a bunch of canned beans (drained except for the chili beans) and tomatoes.

Simmer for about 45 minutes and enjoy!  We had our chili with some cornbread waffles, the kids had theirs topped with cheese!

Vegetarian Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced 

2 bell peppers, chopped 

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

Salt and Pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder1 tablespoon oregano

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of chili beans (DON'T DRAIN)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz), with juice

1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Add in garlic, carrots, peppers, and onion, stirring frequently.  After 5 minutes add S&P, and all seasonings.  After another 5 minutes, add drained beans, chili beans, and tomatoes.  Stir and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from A Bitchin' Kitchen

Menu Monday, a few days late

What a week it's been so far.  I worked the past weekend (6-7).  It was steady, no ridiculous influx of babies at the hospital thankfully.  I am precepting a new intern, and she rocks!  She is on week 8 and doing so well.  I kind of attribute it to myself since I'm the one training her, but it does help that she is sharp and on track where she should be as a new nurse recently graduated from school.  

Last Thursday I decided it was due time to cut out the coffee and cheese from my diet.  The headaches were getting ridiculous.  By the weekend I was packing fruits and veggies again for work.  By Wednesday morning I woke up for work without a headache.  What an amazing feeling, ya'll!  I have come to grips that I just can't eat any crap in my diet or I feel so shitty.  Caffeine seems to be a big trigger, which is ironic since people tend to say their headaches are cured by a nice cup o' joe.  

So since this is Menu Monday (a few days late), I'll just post what we have had and will have the remainder of the week. 

Sunday- We ended up having the chorizo and potato tacos this day.  They were really tasty, but greasy. The kids ate it up, including the 4 y.o. (who hates potatoes!) 

Monday- Penne pasta with marinara sauce

Tuesday- Hamburgers with steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Wednesday- Turkey sausage sautéed with bell peppers and fruit (grapes)

Thursday- Meatless chili with cornbread waffles 

Friday- Pork tenderloin chops with peas and fruit

Saturday- going out to eat, probably pizza to celebrate with 8 y.o. and her BFF staying the night

We are really just eating a lot of fruits, veggies, and lean meats.  Although I am trying to still make a few meatless meals (Monday and today for example).  Our fridge is stocked full of tons of healthy stuff.  We buy a lot of cow's milk for the kids (1% for the girls, whole for the boy).  The hubby and I drink Almond Milk, although I recently went out on a limb and bought coconut milk.  Almond butter, Odwalla Superfood (for my quick breakfasts), and loads of colorful fruits and veggies (easily accessible for little hands to reach for a snack).  There is a Hershey bar in there, but it's the 8 y.o.'s!  Something she got with her birthday card from the hubs and me :)

We really have done well this week eating wise.  That said, I CAN NOT wait to make the cornbread waffles!  Thanks to the evil pinterest, I have figured out other ways to use my waffle maker!  Our favorite?  On Saturday or Sunday mornings every couple of weeks I will make cinnamon rolls in the waffle maker. So good!  Recently I saw you could put your hash browns in there.  Um, yum!  

So besides the few times we make something interesting in the waffle maker, dinners officially got a little more boring.  Boring in that there will probably be no more cheese products, and will probably not be some ridiculous cream of _____ laden pinterest recipe.  Enjoy the dinner ideas!

The internet: Love/Hate Relationship

Oh, internet.  I love you.

I love how you have brought so many fascinating things into my life.  I love pinterest for all it's evil time sucking ways.  All the ideas, recipes, home renovation possibilities... all that with mod podge!  I love how facebook brought me closer to friends I lost touch with or allowed me to keep up with after moving.

I love that you have provided a little corner where I can keep in touch with who wants to read up on my lame life.  (It's really just you BFG).  I love that I have a place where I can vent, post pictures, right memories of the kids.  My very own personal online journal.  Not personal though since it is posted all over you, internet.

But I hate you.

I hate how you steal my husband away from me.  I hate that his job revolves around you, and that you are connected to his phone 24 hours a day.  I hate how I can't just sit next to him without you sending an email that something broke.  I hate how every time he gets a tweet or a FB post/like/comment he is checking it right away.  I hate how my attention, my kids attention, has been put to the side because you are alerting him to something else, yet again.  And who the hell are these random women you are talking to on twitter?  Can I please have your attention, when you are at home, NOT HER?  Fuck her tweet, and fuck her.  Yes, it's just innocent tweeting, but I'm RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.  Can I have your attention, not her?  Why do you have to take the time to find a picture and tweet it to them?  How about your wife, who has repeatedly told you she wants attention?

Maybe it's his phone I hate more than hating you.  But ultimately it comes down to the internet.  I get so fed up with it, that I even say I'm going to quit the internet forever!  Maybe in hopes that I'll set an example in hopes that he will not be attached to the internet's hip.  But in reality, I can be guilty of it too.  I need an idea of something to make for dinner tonight.  And then OH!  Look at that cute kitchen.  I could totally do that to my kitchen too.

You and your blood sucking ways, internet!  Damn you!  I just want you to let go of my husband.  Maybe from 8-10pm?  I'm not asking much.  He can't quit you, you are his job, his source of income.  He's made that quite clear to me, that you will always be around 24/7.  But could you just leave him alone for a couple hours so I could have just a little bit of attention?  Please.

Menu "Monday"

It's Monday, right?

Anywho, here is our menu for the week.  Last week's menu didn't all get cooked up.  Hubby did not like the Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches.  It was too "chicken salad texture" for his taste, and he couldn't get over the fact that it was Caesar Dressing, so never again on that one.  On Saturday we went to my mom's house and she grilled Turkey Burgers.  Sunday I changed up the menu and made a ham, southern style green beans and 7UP Biscuits. So that left 2 meals uncooked: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole and Potato Soup.

Monday- Chicken Spaghetti 

Tuesday- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Wednesday- Chorizo and Potato Tacos

Thursday- Potato Soup

Friday- Sausage and Pepper Sammys

Saturday- Tortellini "Soup"- I'm inventing this up, I found this recipe and thought it said velveeta cheese, but as it turns out it's cream cheese.... so we will see how it turns out.   

Sunday- Grilled chicken and salad?  Still not sure on this day!

Enjoy!