Food + Family + Friends

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Happy 2018!

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Happy 2018 to you all! I truly hope you had a great holiday season filled with family and friends.  We sure did! Apparently, I failed to take a closer look at our family calendar because we ended up hosting 5 different holiday gatherings in less than 10 days- lots of work but completely worth it for the laughs and memories made. My hubby is a gracious co-host and an expert dishwasher and I very much enjoy the menu planning and the cooking- we make a great team.  

Over the break we visited family in the Santa Barbara area and had a blast.  The gratitude toward the firefighters is clear all over town and while several establishments were still doing fire/smoke restoration, the town seems resilient and grateful.  We were happy to see our family safely back in their home and very happy to help support the local economy get back on their feet. A few of the tasty meals we had were from: Cava- a Spanish, Mexican restaurant on Coast Village in Montecito with dessert across the street at Here’s the Scoop- gelato with homemade waffle cones; Lama Dog in the Funk Zone- seafood burgers, fish tacos, german pretzels with cheesy beer sauce; and a great breakfast at the Montecito Cafe.  Another great place we had a picnic from while wine tasting was Industrial Eats in the town of Buellton.  A few of the sandwiches blew our minds.  

My favorite- by far- was the hole in the wall taco stand East Beach Tacos. This place is insane!  I haven’t stopped thinking of my ahi poke taco in a wonton skin and bahn mi taco.  In fact, I could have eaten one of everything on the menu.  They even have this super fun item on the kid’s menu called the Beachball- a favorite of my nephew’s and now my daughter’s.  It’s a ball of sushi rice about the size of your fist and it’s stuffed with ahi tuna- poke style.  Delicious.  The super fun part about this taco stand is that it shares the same property with an old school (20 pitches for a token- score!) outdoor batting cage and serves local beers. I cannot even imagine the danger this place would be to our family if we lived nearby.  With all the amazing eateries Santa Barbara has to offer- this is the first stop we will make on our next trip.  To hold us over in the meantime, I asked (begged) Eric to go in front of the long line of people to take a close picture of the creative and inventive taco menu and will be recreating these in the very near future. My brain is going crazy about this place– after culinary school I might have to open this in the Bay Area! After my coffee/breakfast/lunch cafe, that is.  Dreams…

It’s back to reality as we approach kids going back to school this week.  I think we are all ready for routine, but I’m going to miss my sleepy kiddos stumbling downstairs with their blankets and settling in on the couch each morning.  Back to rushed mornings, making lunches, and busy afternoons.  Thankfully, after the first few days it gets easier and we have a few Monday holidays coming up for those sleepy mornings.  Since we’ve been home the past few days we’ve been enjoying super simple meals such as: baked sweet potatoes, white beans with pancetta and rosemary; smashed avocado with aleppo pepper, sea salt, lemon and olive oil; shrimp tacos; kale salad; and carrot soup with lemon and ginger.

For the week ahead: I’ve got a few easy weeknight dishes planned.  One exception, I’ve got a special dinner planned for Monday night as we will be celebrating Eric’s first day at his new job.  I’ll take some time on Monday to make sure we’ve got a good bottle of celebratory wine, and everything for a yummy Italian feast of Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Saltimbocca.  And his favorite dessert, chocolate mousse for dessert.  **Lest you get the wrong idea here- a celebratory Monday night dinner at home is no intimate candlelit soiree-  it’s just extra special food that are favorites of the one being celebrated and are eaten in stages due to 2 out of 3 kids needing to be driven to and from sports and religion classes.  We are just super proud of him and are excited to celebrate his new gig!(Will post recipes for these later this week as none of them are easily available online.)

Carrot Soup with Lemon and Ginger

This soup makes you feel like you’ve been to one of those high-end wellness retreats where they pamper you with delicious healthy meals and take you out on nature walks around their property and serve you spa water with lots of magical ingredients to make you feel like a million bucks.  For those of us in real life: make this soup (it literally takes 20 minutes after chopping a few ingredients), take a walk around your neighborhood while listening to your favorite inspirational podcast (my current fav is For the Love of Food series, Jen Hatmaker), and upon your return squeeze some lemon into your glass of water.  Done.  DIY Wellness retreat in between carpool duties.  You’re welcome.

We made this recipe last night exactly as written, in fact, I chopped the ingredients for efficiency and my 8 year old made the rest.  Don’t forget the squeeze of lemon at the very end and we skipped the optional sour cream dollop on the top- this soup just doesn’t need it.  I only wished I had doubled the recipe- it made exactly enough for our family of 5 to have a bowl with a side of kale salad and garlic toasts.  This was a huge hit with my whole family! 

Fried Rice

This is such a great recipe that can be easily adapted to what you have in the refrigerator.  It’s comforting, quick, and can be healthier if you increase the veggies (I add zucchini and more bell pepper) swap brown rice for the white rice, and use coconut oil for the canola oil.  Obviously, you can add chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu for protein.  We like ours with a generous amount of Sriracha sauce.  

Note: I use my dutch oven pot because it contains all the extra veggies I add but if I had a wok, that would be ideal.  Also, do not begin this without having everything prepped and ready to go. We are talking about a super quick dish over high heat that can be ruined with sad overcooked veggies or egg stuck to the bottom of your pan never to be scrubbed off entirely.  

Beef Chili with Kidney Beans

This is another one of our go-to chili recipes.  It is heavier on the quantity of ground beef (2 lbs) but makes a lot and I take care to use good organic, grass-fed beef.  We rarely eat red meat, so when we do, it’s the best quality we can find and afford.  This recipe has a good kick and requires my kids to dollop sour cream or Greek yogurt on top, but it’s full of flavor.  I add two red bell peppers instead of one, coconut oil instead of the vegetable oil, and add an extra can of beans- white or black.  The recipe brilliantly calls for cooking for 1 hr with the lid on and then for 1 hr with the lid off.  Do this.  The people at America’s Test Kitchen are no joke and they know these things after much trial and error.  It makes for a deeply flavored, thick chili and the leftovers are awesome.  

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

Growing up, these were a staple in our house.  I remember running out the house to school with two hot muffins on a napkin.  The recipe was included in our family recipe collection that my mom made for my siblings and me and I’ve enjoyed sharing them with my own kids.  The batter couldn’t be more simple to make, can be left in the refrigerator for several weeks (don’t be alarmed by the strange tint of green the top layer takes on- it’s fine), and are best scooped and put in the oven the day of- I do mine while packing lunches.  My kids enjoy them as a snack and are a respectable stand in for a sandwich when packed with a to-go packet of peanut or almond butter.  I swap out the Crisco sticks for butter and add chopped walnuts but skip the raisins- they get a little too mushy for my liking. Alternatively, you can add the raisins when you are scooping so they are more fresh.  Enjoy!  

Quick blog note: I hope the tag/category feature helps you find recipes more easily.  I sure know it helps me! Also, I’m working hard on figuring out a better way to post recipes (an easy recipe card) when it’s not a linked recipe so you can view and print recipes easily.  Stay tuned… I have a day job so it is taking me awhile to integrate all of it.  🙂

I hope you have a great week, avoid all those nasty germs out there, and enjoy all that a fresh year has to offer! Thanks for reading ~Christina

A year later… and still meal planning

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Happy Fall everyone! It’s been just over a year since my last blog post.  Anyone remember my last post about us suddenly buying a new home and putting our current one on the market? I’m happy to report all went well, we settled in fairly quickly, and we cruised right into the holiday season. Excited to share our new space with friends and family, we filled our calendar hosting gatherings that varied from 10 yr old birthday laser tag around the yard (crazy!), to Thanksgiving with family, Father Daughter Dance middle school pre-party, Christmas Eve dinner with friends, Memorial Day backyard fiesta, and many random taco bars to watch the “big game” and dinner parties in between.  What I love about all of these events, both big and small, is that I can remember at least one memorable dish from each menu that stood out.  The entire meal might have been good, but without fail, I can remember the one dish that everyone loved and was enjoyed by all.  Funny enough, those are always the ones that I get an email or text about requesting the recipe for.  I guess the takeaway is– don’t be afraid to have friends and family over! You can serve them a whole meal from your kitchen or someone else’s, and they will likely only remember one of those dishes.

A year later, which for me translates into my 11th year of meal calendars, I can look back on all the main events that occurred over the past year.  So much of what’s on our monthly calendars show what life was like that particular month. As I have mentioned before, it’s my scrapbook of sorts.

January- predictably shows lots of salmon and veggies after the holiday sugar high.  February- plenty of cold-weather dishes like chicken curry and soups as well as delicious, naughty super bowl treats. March/April- lots of standard go-to recipes like southwest chicken salad, chicken meatballs, and burrito bowls; showing little time with an epic ski season, flag football and baseball in full swing.  May- with warmer weather and several family birthdays and holidays, the calendar shows special dishes like grilled scallops and asparagus, grilled tri tip with lots of yummy sides, and favorite restaurant reservations.  June- early summer produce at the farmer’s market provided easy dinners like BLT sandwiches, shrimp tacos with corn, and quesadillas with grilled veggies.  July- July was nothing short of crazytown.   We lived at the ballpark the entire month and when our dinner wasn’t from the snack shack, it was in a container sitting in the stands.  Thankfully, kale and couscous salad travels really well.  Let’s be honest though, mostly it was snack shack dinner followed by a bowl of cereal at home or hotel. When it got really crazy, dinner came from a Chick Fil A drive through window- Ben’s first drive through! Maybe 3rd or 4th for Syd and Ry.  I had never had a chicken sandwich from Chick Fil A, but now I know what all the fuss is about.  Those things are delicious! August- summer’s bounty at the farmer’s market turned into delicious, healthy, easy dinners such as fresh tomato soup and homemade rosemary focaccia, ratatouille, summer veggie quinoa, and fresh basil pesto pasta.  September- settling back into the school routine allowed for more predictable schedules and dinners at the table.  On the calendar that month was roasted salmon and broccoli with a side of white beans and pancetta, a sheet pan dinner of braised chicken with tomatoes and bacon and an easy make-ahead stuffed shells dish.  October- with good intentions to make cozy warm food and all things pumpkin, the weather suggested otherwise.  We had a nice chilly fall week where beef chili, pork tenderloin, roasted brussels sprouts and acorn squash were on the menu, but then our heat wave came and we were back to grilled chicken pitas, veggie burgers and deli roasted chicken over mixed greens. 

Here we are in November! After coming home from a much needed Mexican vacation with Eric, we had a few busy weeks and I was thankful for those go-to recipes that I practically have memorized.  I can grab any scrap of paper in my purse, sit in my car in the local grocery store parking lot and meal plan for the next several days.  Thank goodness for our little handheld computers where we can look up that recipe to ensure we have all the right ingredients and check our calendar to check for any late meetings, practices or games.  There’s nothing worse than cooking a meal only to realize it’s only you and the cat home to eat it.  Wait a minute… that doesn’t sound so bad afterall!

Some of those go to meals that we’ve had in the past two weeks include: Beef and Cheddar Hand Pies, Greek Chicken Pitas, and Baked Chicken Meatballs.  All of the recipe links and notes are in previous posts, so just scroll down for those if you’re interested.

A new recipe I tried recently was from New York Times Cooking (usually a homerun!) that I sadly cannot recommend- Turkey Pork Sausage Meatloaf with Tomato Relish.  It was very flavorful but the texture was so strange and heating it up the next day made it nearly inedible.  I’ll stick to my other meatloaf recipes that are a big hit with my family.  Bobby Flay’s Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze that uses beef and pork and Ina Garten’s Meatloaf that uses ground turkey.

As I have done in the past, and life allows going forward, I will try to post my meal plan for the week on Sunday or Monday morning at the latest.  My hope is that it will inspire you to meal plan for the week and perhaps at least one of the recipes makes your mouth water enough to give it a try.  I will let you know if any of the recipes are new to me, but 90% of the time, the recipes I recommend are those that are already a hit with my own family.  Nobody needs another recipe in their “to try” file that may or may not be a hit- let me waste my time and money for you. 🙂

This week is full of commitments in the evening for most of our family so I am planning accordingly.  All will either be made in advance or can be left on the stove to accommodate all the different schedules we have going on here.  No need for frantic pizza orders or drive throughs when you have a plan.  But, as always, use pencil because life happens and plans change!

Coconut Chicken Soup

This is a quick and easy soup that you can adapt to suit your preferences.  I use full fat, unsweetened coconut milk.  Thai Kitchen (now organic and at Costco!) is my favorite. My kids despise mushrooms so I may cut back on the quantity or they can pick them out.  While I love the flavor of lemongrass, I don’t love the woodsy texture.  I will use the lemongrass for the amazing flavor, but will make sure to finely dice or cut even cut in large chunks and simmer in the soup and skimming them out before the last step.  Our side dish will be frozen potstickers from Trader Joe’s or Costco.  Yum!

Paleo Chili

This became a hit a few years ago when we went on a ski weekend with another family and I was in charge of one of the dinners.   Cold + mountains = chili! The problem (beyond the lack of snow during the drought and not all that cold temps) was I only had chili recipes that either had beans in it (one of our friends wasn’t a fan) or was a thick Texas-style chili with lots of spice (not exactly kid-friendly).  So, I found this recipe with great reviews and decided to try it.  As with all chili, it’s best made the day before and reheated.  It was a hit! Only change I made was to use ground beef instead of ground bison (but now you can find bison at Costco if you’re interested in trying).  And because most of us weren’t actually following a Paleo diet, we loaded it up with sour cream, shredded cheese and green onions.  Don’t forget a side of cornbread and butter, too. Trader Joe’s is a good one to have on hand.  

Nordstrom Nicoise Salad with Herb-Crusted Salmon and Tuscan Roast Potatoes

I’m planning on having this salad twice this week.  Once with salmon and the other with grilled lemon-herb chicken.  It may seem like a lot of components, but if you plan correctly, you can have most of this done ahead of time or cut back on some of the steps. For instance, if you don’t want to buy a bunch of fresh herbs, you can shake on a little Italian Seasoning on the salmon and potatoes before roasting and you will get plenty of flavor for your salad.  If your people, especially the little ones don’t like salad because it’s all touchy on the plate, then separate any of the components that they will eat or you want them to try and you essentially have the same family dinner.  I skip the vinaigrette in the linked recipe and use this Balsamic Vinaigrette with Basil.  Btw, this recipe link doesn’t include thyme, but I have Danielle Walker’s cookbook Against All Grain and the original recipe uses chopped up thyme.  Be sure to use fresh basil and thyme! It’s so delicious I could drink it.  I try to have a mason jar of it in my refrigerator at all times. One recipe makes plenty for at least two, maybe three large salads for our family of five.  

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

No link here because the “recipe” is written on a scrap of paper that is barely legible.  We had this a few years back at a family get together and my sister-in-law who brought the dish gave me the recipe on the spot.  Our family has enjoyed it many many times and I’m happy to pass it along to you.  Easy, healthyish, and most importantly, my kids cheer when they see it on the calendar.  Warning- it can be on the spicy side, which two out of my kids enjoy, but make sure to get the mild Hatch sauce and have sour cream on hand to help with the heat.  A side of black or refried beans and chips is not a bad idea.  

1 lb ground turkey thigh (dark meat)

1 small can of diced Ortega/Hatch mild green chilies

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 14oz. can of refried black beans

~2 c shredded cheddar, jack or colby jack cheese

1 large can of Hatch Enchilada sauce, mild

~12 corn or flour tortillas

Green onion

In a glass pyrex baking dish, spray non-stick oil and cover bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Brown ground turkey, drain oil, and mix in taco seasoning according to packet directions. Add refried beans and mix until combined.  Divide meat and bean mixture among tortillas, top with cheese and roll up.  Place rolled tortillas in the baking dish nice and tight and top with remaining sauce.  Be sure to cover enchiladas completely and top with any remaining cheese.  Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes and top with sliced green onion before serving.  

*When I make this dish later this week, I will pay attention to exactly how many enchiladas it makes.  The reality is, depending on how many mouths I need to feed I can adapt the recipe accordingly.  Need to stretch the recipe because the playdate went long and you’ve got more mouths to feed? Perfect- add another can of beans, add more cheese or use smaller fajita sized tortillas and serve with a fruit smoothie. Or if you use Kirkland Organic ground beef from Costco, those prepackaged squares are more than a pound (1.13lbs, I think) and you have more filling than you need.   Or mix If you’ve got extra sauce, go ahead and dip your tortillas in sauce before adding the meat/bean mixture to make them extra delicious.  Point is, this is a very adaptable dish that I make differently all the time.  Bonus- it’s very freezer friendly, so make up a double batch! 

Banana Flaxseed Muffins

These are tasty healthy banana muffins and are going in school lunches this week.  I use almond milk and trade off between using coconut oil or melted butter, both are good. I often use toasted and chopped walnuts and mix in with the batter rather than sprinkle on top.  Very adaptable with Cup for Cup flour to make gluten free or any dairy-free milk for allergies.  All ingredients, including the ground flaxseed, are found at Trader Joe’s.  (Swear I don’t have an impending job at TJ’s in their marketing department, it’s just a great store!) 

Happy meal planning this week and please let me know if you have any questions or if you end up trying any of these recipes! Have a great week ~Christina

 

 

Big changes around here!

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Happy October!! Just when I thought fall couldn’t get any busier, we bought a new house and put our current home on the market- all in the past 2 weeks! To say we’ve been a little crazy is an understatement. Buying a new home and all that it entails is a big deal, but as I think you’ll all agree- nothing is as disruptive as having your own home on the market and available for showings at any minute WHILE you’re still living in it. WITH KIDS! I must say they’ve been troopers, have demonstrated great patience with me as I yell like a drill sergeant every day to pick up their stuff, make their beds like a hotel, and avoid globs of toothpaste in the sink. The daily vacuuming, sweeping, and all tasks to make it look like we don’t live here is exhausting for everyone. I think it will all come to an end fairly quickly and we can get on with preparing for our move in less than 2 weeks!

We are all very excited about our new home- just about a mile from our current one. We look forward to a floor plan that works better for our family and a flat backyard for the kids. While I will miss my beautiful kitchen, and really nothing can top its charm and beautiful views, I very much look forward to creating new memories in our new one. Filling the dining room with friends and family for many years to come makes me happy just thinking about it. I’m already thinking about the first meal I’m going to make when we are settled. I still remember the first meal I made in our current home nearly 3 ½ years ago just 2 days after moving in. (Thank you past meal calendars!)

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First meal in our current home: Roasted salmon with honey mustard, mixed green salad with pears, feta and almonds, and a side of broccoli and corn

Some were impressed that we could get settled that quickly (I am my mother’s daughter after all), but since I don’t feel at home anywhere until I have made a meal for my family in my own kitchen, the motivation is there to get it done.

So… what has the Shoup family been eating the past few weeks??? For the busiest days of preparing the house for sale, I was able to make beef chili on the first day and we ate leftovers for another day or two. Then, the heat wave came and it was over 90 degrees in my house with no A/C, so turning on my oven with frozen items was not an option- we went out for dinner probably 3 days out of 4. That gets old very quickly unless you’re on vacation! The next week when the weather cooled off, my freezer became my go-to. Frozen beef hand pies, frozen chicken meatballs and frozen Trader Joe’s orange chicken. Another day I picked up a roasted chicken from the store and a few other ingredients to make a Southwest barbequed chicken salad- a staple in our home. (More on that in a future post.)

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Busy month!

I anticipate this next week being a little calmer and have planned some easy, flavorful dishes for dinner. I also realized that I have needed a few more options for a quick breakfast in the morning and have included a few recipes for that as well. I’m going to make both today or tomorrow and hopefully our mornings of picking up the house will go smoother with breakfast already made.

 

As always, thank you for reading and for sharing in my love of Food, Family and Friends. Have a great week and feel free to share if you end up trying any of the recipes below!

Mexican Chicken Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mexican-chicken-soup-recipe.html

This is a cross between a feel good chicken soup and tortilla soup. It makes a ton and is great for leftovers, not to mention packed in a thermos for school lunches. It’s not spicy, very healthy, and has lots of flavor. Good toppings are a must- sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese, and crushed up tortilla chips.

Mississippi Roast

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast

*New recipe* I’ve read/seen/heard about this recipe for quite some time now and have never tried it. People RAVE about it on many a food blogs. There was definitely a time when I would have made it with any old piece of meat and very happy to throw in a few packaged seasoning mixes and called it a day. However, as my headaches/migraines have only increased and other members of the family have had sensitive tummy issues, the original recipe as it was written with many undesirable ingredients in these packages is something that I have passed on despite the positive reviews on this dish. There’s even a fun back-story (more in the link) about how the recipe became so popular and I’m a big sucker for recipes that have deep meaning for friends and family. This all changed when I came across the same recipe revamped by the New York Times with alternatives to the packaged ingredients. A few easy steps with ingredients I already keep on hand, a good piece of quality beef, and about 6-8 hours of hands-off cooking, and I think we are going to enjoy a great meal! I’m going to serve it with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. If I’m feeling generous, I may even make mashed potatoes for the two people in my family who enjoy them as I think something to soak up all the gravy that this dish produces would be a good idea.

Quick Tikka Masala

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/quick-chicken-tikka-masala-56389806

This is a hit in our family! It calls for garam masala and it can be found at most grocery stores. It’s also sold in small portions so if you don’t want to commit to another spice in your cabinet that may go to waste, you can be sure it’s not expensive and worth adding it to your shopping list. I only have two recipes I use it in, but I still think it’s worth having it. Alternatively, you can use curry powder for a similarly flavored dish. If your kids aren’t very adventurous with spiced (not spicy) foods, this is a good one to try because the tomatoes and tomato paste kind of sweetens the dish. Serve with naan warmed in the oven to dip all that yummy sauce or over rice of any kind. The leftovers are even better the next day.

Apple Muffins

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/apple-muffins-recipe.html

I’m sneaking in one last apple recipe before all things pumpkin happen in October and November. These are really tasty! I make them just as the recipe says. I usually have whole wheat pastry flour, but if I ran out I’d use whole spelt flour or half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. If you don’t eat the entire batch out of the oven, they are best stored in the refrigerator. My family seems to like them cold just as well as warm. They also pack well for snack or school lunches.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222586/scrambled-egg-muffins/

My family likes to call these “egg pucks.” This is a good starter recipe and I’m sure it’s delicious as written, but I make several changes to suit our tastes better. I like to sauté veggies such as red bell pepper, green onion and spinach in a little olive oil just until soft and divide equally among the muffin cups. Then I sprinkle on diced Canadian bacon or cooked crumbled bacon on top of the veggies followed by a pinch of grated cheese. Finally, I pour the egg mixture on top of each muffin cup and bake as directed. They heat up really well for a quick and healthy breakfast during the week.

PS- I love this muffin tin and have had great success getting these little pucks out of the pan with ease! No need to grease the pan. https://www.amazon.com/OvenArt-Bakeware-Silicone-12-Cup-Muffin/dp/B00CNVBCLK

You can download the PDF of the October calendar below!

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The Countdown…

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Where did summer go?? The first day of school is just around the corner for most of us and fall sports schedules are slowly trickling in.   To parents and teachers, it seems September is just as or more important than January. In this “New Year” we all hold our breath, cross fingers, or say a little prayer that our kids’ schedules all don’t fall on one particular day of the week (always Wednesdays for us!). We might set goals for them (academic, personal, etc.) and we certainly set them for ourselves (I will say “no” more often or at least give my best “yes” to school committees and other community events). I can also feel myself tense up just a little at the idea of early mornings, packing lunches, and busy weeks ahead. But even with all the busyness of the start of another school year, as a teacher and now a parent, it’s still my favorite time of year.

This week, we’re thinking about getting back into routine and on a school schedule. I’m thinking about dinner and how to feed my family without the craziness – whether it occurs at the dining table, kitchen counter or in the car. To help with the busy days ahead, two of the recipes below would be great to double and freeze for another day. I also included a muffin recipe that our family loves and are great for a quick breakfast or school snack. They also freeze beautifully so you better believe I’m doubling this recipe and freezing at least half. I hope you enjoy the recipes below. Thank you for all your comments and feedback on the previous recipes- it means a lot!

Cobb Salad

This has been a staple in our home for over 10 years. When the kids were little I began by making a deconstructed Cobb salad for them- basically putting chopped up hard-boiled egg, bacon, avocado, tomatoes and chicken right on their high chair tray. As they got older I’d make little piles on their plates (no foods touching each other, of course) and finally graduated into tossing all the components together with the lettuce and dressing and they gobbled it right up. I always left the crumbled goat or blue cheese on the side for anyone that wanted it. I tried to always stick to a rule that when we were eating tossed salads, stir fry, or other foods that had many ingredients all mixed up, that they could pick out one ingredient but had to eat the rest. I do believe this helped them to eat or at least try new foods when they would have otherwise turned their nose up to it. This trick might have ended up with food being thrown from a high chair or booster but for the most part it was a successful rule!

For this salad, I try to prep some of these ingredients on the weekend, in the morning or at least in the afternoon so that putting it all together in the evening is a piece of cake.  You’ll need the following components:

Chopped romaine lettuce, sliced hard boiled egg, chopped tomato, crumbled bacon, diced rotisserie chicken, sliced avocado, and crumbled goat or blue cheese. Toss in a large bowl with the dressing below or a store-bought vinaigrette.

Homemade dressing

2 tablespoons vinegar (apple cider, champagne, red wine or balsamic)

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of sugar or drizzle of maple syrup or honey

¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of ground pepper

½ tablespoon mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Shake ingredients in jar or plastic container with tight fitting lid.

Fresh Cream of Tomato Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-fresh-tomato-soup-recipe.html

I know what you’re thinking… hot soup in the summer? Yes, and for two reasons. 1) I live in CA by the San Francisco Bay and it’s just not that hot. 2) With fresh tomatoes and basil, it’s like summer in a bowl. I haven’t made it yet this year and I’m so glad I looked back on my previous summer meal calendars and found it on there many times! It’s a good one to double and freeze in mason jars to enjoy when fresh tomatoes are long gone. Although it has some cream in it, I’ve never had any trouble freezing, defrosting and reheating it. Sometimes we eat soup with a simple green salad, but everyone is a lot happier if I serve the soup alongside a gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Choose your bread (we love sourdough), choose your cheese (very fond of white cheddar), but always use salted butter. It makes all the difference. I learned that from my mama and she’s so right.

**I use an immersion blender or my Vitamix to blend this soup. I actually prefer the immersion blender (stick blender- cheap and super useful for many soups I make) because I like the soup to have a bit of texture.

Beef and Cheddar Hand Pies

http://www.marthastewart.com/1104125/beef-and-cheddar-hand-pies

My kids go crazy for this! In fact, my 11 year old just walked by my computer and cheered that it was on the upcoming meal calendar. It’s a little bit naughty with buttery puff pastry, but I serve it with a side of roasted broccoli, maybe push a little harder on my workout that day and feel just fine about this delicious dinner. I also double it and freeze the hand pies uncooked in freezer bags with parchment paper in between. The best part? You can cook them frozen directly from the freezer on a busy night!

Taco Bar

No recipe here, but we switch between grilled chicken/ground beef or turkey with soft flour tortillas and all the fixings (cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream) and grilled cod/sole (on a piece of foil) with some chili powder/lime seasoning in corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, lime and sour cream mixed with the adobe sauce from canned chipotle peppers. Chips, salsa and guacamole are always necessary and sometimes some refried or black beans, too. Yum!

*Short on time? Frozen Breaded Cod from Trader Joe’s are perfect to keep in your freezer for this easy weeknight dish- while they are in the oven, prep toppings and dinner is on the table in less than 20 minutes, I promise!

Grilled, Korean Style Steaks with Spicy Cilantro Sauce

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-korean-style-steaks-with-spicy-cilantro-sauce-105124

We don’t eat red meat very often around here but when we do, it’s got to be really flavorful! This recipe fits the bill… it’s full of spicy and bright flavors, though not super kid-friendly, ours eat a fair amount of spicy foods and can tolerate this dish. If yours don’t, make this anyway and throw some chicken apple sausages on the grill for those that don’t want the spice. I like to grill zucchini, red onion, and eggplant on the side as well as some couscous or jasmine rice. The best part about this is the leftovers! The next day, take a toasted roll and put some grilled veggies, sliced steak and sliced mozzarella on top. Drizzle with the spicy cilantro sauce and you have yourself a delicious steak sandwich.

** Use low-sodium soy sauce and be sure to not marinate for much longer than suggested or it can be a bit too salty.

Blueberry Bran Muffins

http://barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=965&S=0

Easy, yummy, freezes nicely and my kids love them. Enough said! Wheat bran is not super easy to find, but Bob’s Red Mill makes an 8 oz. package and I buy several of them and put them in my freezer. Locally, Molly Stone’s and Whole Foods carries this product. Sadly, Safeway and Trader Joe’s do not. If you get a chance to make these, you won’t regret it!

**The first ingredient in this recipe is vegetable oil but it doesn’t tell you the amount until you get to the directions below- I almost made a mistake this morning making this recipe. Also, I often use pure maple syrup instead of honey. I buy it at Costco and it just seems easier to use than honey.