Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry

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Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry

So this dinner is one of Zach's favorites.  If he could have it on the menu multiple times a week he would.  And honestly, it is so easy to make I probably wouldn't object except for the fact that there are so many things that I like to cook and eat!  

When I say this meal is an easy meal to make I am not making light of anything.  When I made it last week I started at 7:05 and we were putting it into our bowls at 7:30.  That is under 30 minutes for a fresh, hot, home cooked dinner.  Pretty rockstar if you ask me.

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Menu 2/19/2017

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Menu 2/19/2017

After a long, relaxing weekend which involved a staycation in Georgetown and eating more in one 24-hour span than we usually do in 48 hours, we have launched into a new week.  The weather forecast for this week is just bizarre, with most of the week in the 60s, more like spring than mid February!

With the weather in mind when making the menu, most of the meals this week are grilled meals for Zach to cook.  I am not a griller, which means at least 60-75% of our spring, summer, and early fall meals are cooked by Zach.  Everything from the meat to the veggies.  It's a wonderful thing to have a husband who likes to cook!  

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Tales of the $400 Toilet

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Tales of the $400 Toilet

As anyone with a toddler can tell you, they are destructive little beings.  Give them a crayon and paper and they will find the nearest sofa.  Give them a cracker and they will find the nearest rug to grind it into.

Recently, we experienced the true destructive power of our toddler when it comes to the bathroom and learned that for the bargain basement price of $400(ish) you too, can have an ongoing relationship with your plumber and get a new toilet.  

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The Artist's Studio

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The Artist's Studio

Teddy is all boy.  He likes trucks and cars, he runs at breakneck speed through the day, he climbs up and jumps off furniture.  One of our closest friends calls him T-Dog and T-$.  But sometimes even the craziest of kiddos need to chill.

When Teddy seems like he needs a chill activity we head down to the basement bathroom and set up his artist's studio.

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Cocoa and Wine

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Slow Cooker Turkey Chili with Cocoa and Wine

Did the title hook you?  Wine and chocolate in a chili, you say?  Do tell ...

There are a ton of recipes for turkey chili, most of them slightly bland or overly spiced.  Turkey with a base of tomato and a mix of typical spices.  Nothing wrong with it, just the same old same old.  My recipe is warm, with a depth to it thanks to the base of chili spices layered with rich unsweetened cocoa and a good deep red wine.  All mixed together, with turkey and beans and cooked low and slow for hours, this chili fills your house with an aroma unlike any other chili.

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Teddy vs. Target

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Teddy vs. Target

Before we had Teddy I remember telling Zach that moms must use Target as an indoor playground on days that are too crappy for be outside.  I would go to Target on a rainy day in the middle of the day and it would be me and a dozen moms following their children around the store.  Some in carts eating snacks, some just running around, some reading books. I remember how funny and cute I thought it was and Zach saying how some day that would be me.  Little did we know ..

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The Could Have Done List

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The Could Have Done List

I like to think that I am pretty productive during the day given that I have close to zero minutes to myself and spend most of my time hanging out with/chasing down the Tiny Dictator, I mean Teddy.  We go grocery shopping, run errands, hit up every park in town, go for runs, have play dates, I cook dinner (not every night, Zach cooks a lot - praise Jesus).  But there are plenty of days where the day gets away from me and by lunch/Teddy's nap time I throw in the towel.  

The moral of this story ... don't think you have to do it all.  Sometimes doing nothing is the best decision.  

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Olives, and Raisins

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Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Olives, and Raisins

Chicken tagine is one of our family's favorite dishes.  The cumin, cinnamon, turmeric and cayenne, ginger and garlic fill the house with a spicy warmth as the Chicken, raisins, olives, carrots, and onions slowly stew together.  It is such an easy meal and adds a nice balance to our regular menu of Asian, Mediterranean, and American fare. 

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Menu 2/4/2017

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When I started thinking about this blog I really wanted to focus on topics of interest to families.  I am very excited to share our meals and my hope is to share with you one new recipe a week.  

Zach and I meal plan, usually on Saturdays, and he does the grocery shopping with Teddy.  We have our meals mapped out ahead of time and it makes the week so much easier.  Most weeks I will share with you our selection of meals for the week.  You'll see we have a lot of repeats.  Those are what we call "family favorites" - meals that the three of us all like and will eat regularly.  We all have our favorites and unabashedly ask for them on constant rotation.  Mine is burger and fries and Mediterranean Chicken Bake, Zach's is Thai Peanut Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry, Teddy's is salmon cooked any which way and grilled veggies.

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