meal list thursday: sit, sleep, eat.

I don't know if I'm in decompression-mode after the race and all of its ridonkulous training, burned-out from general busyness, or if I'm saving my energy for a half-marathon of eating Halloween candy.  But I don't wanna do nothin'.  I don't wanna write nothin'.  I got nothin' to say.

But I still want to eat.  That, friends, will never change.  Here's this week's meal list: 

Sharp White Cheddar Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash
Slow-Cooker Steak Soft Tacos and Broiled Parmesan Tomatoes
Crockpot Beef Stew

Recipes here. (Beef Stew waaay at the bottom.)

(Remember: these recipes will make enough food for 2+ people for 2+ meals.)

finish line

The Rock&Roll race was so much fun!  20,000 runners, rock bands at every mile, high-school cheerleading squads pushing us on, and a route that took us through so many great city neighborhoods.

I did it!  And I did it without dying, and more importantly, without stopping to walk.    Or pooping my pants, which is more than I can say for one girl.

We finished in the time I was hoping for, down to the exact minute: 2:30.  And now my knees hate me.  But it's OK, I won't put them through this kind of torture again, at least until next year.

As for Eric? He says this is his last race, but we all know that April Fool's Day is right around the corner.

meal list thursday: MLB edition

Dang y'all, it's the World Series.  And we are THERE!  To celebrate this momentous occasion (and drawing inspiration from my brother who also prepared baseball-themed dinners last week during the playoffs), I will create a meal plan loosely based on our national favorite pasttime: watching the St. Louis Cardinals.  ;)


Here is this week's meal plan:

Pretzel-Wrapped Hotdogs, fresh sliced vegetables, and Oven Fries (I was going to follow this recipe for the hotdogs until I realized that refrigerated pretzel dough is on sale this week at Aldi.  So I'll just use that instead of making my own dough.  I'll let you know if I fail miserably.  Yes, I'll be following this recipe.  More power to you if your Aldi store still has pretzel dough in stock.) 

Slow-Cooker Spicy Chicken Nachos (Recipe here.  Serve over chips, top with queso, and garnish with diced peppers and jalapenos to get your quota of vegetables.)

St. Louis Style Thin-Crust Veggie Pizza with Provel Cheese  (Recipe here.)


Go Cards! 

HAPPY 31RTHDAY!

Today is Eric's birthday. Somewhat ironically, I have taken the day off work but he has not.  I get to relax and hang out with the kids on HIS birthday.  It's twisted but it works to my advantage.

Most years I make cheesecake for him.  This year I opted to make Dark Chocolate Extra Stout Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey’s Irish Whipped Cream.  Quite the mouthful, and I haven't even eaten one yet.

It's really quite easy: you use your favorite chocolate cake mix, add stout in place of the water, and stir in chopped chocolate.  The recipe calls for Guinness beer but I find that Guinness leaves a bit to be desired in the taste department.  So I used Schlafly Oatmeal Stout instead.  Yum!

Eric took a dozen to work with him to share with his team.  I hope they enjoy these as much as they did the last time Eric shared cupcakes at work.

photo op

I'll have to interrupt this (not) regularly-scheduled blog to give a super-loud shout out to Sherry Lane Photography for the photos she took of my family just a few weeks ago.  Sherry has been a long-time friend of my family and is a wonderful, sweet, creative chick. 

Sherry went way beyond the call of duty with more ideas and energy than I could have imagined.  To keep two little kids not only corralled but focused and happy for two hours?  Well, I just think that's a gift that not everyone has.  ;)

I look at some of the photos and wonder, "Who ARE these people?"   Where are the dark circles under my eyes or the toddler-snot on my shirt?   I look at Eric's face (handsome dude that he is) and think back to the first time I met him over 11 years ago.  And I look at our kids and my mind goes blank and I can't think of a word to say.   I'm just blessed beyond measure and uncharacteristically speechless.  These photos just capture their darling personalities perfectly. 

If you like what you see, visit Sherry here.  And here are a few of my favorites:

meal list thursday: what big squash you have

Yes, I am still trying to use up the bounty of summer squash that was bestowed upon me by our kids' babysitter.  But I ain't complainin'!  She occasionally gets extra produce from a friend and passes it along to me, knowing I won't let it go to waste.  She knows me well. ;)  It's always a nice surprise when I pick up the kids on a Monday afternoon and she has a bag of squash waiting for me.   

Here is this week's meal list:

Stuffed Peppers
Italian Roasted Sausage & Squash
Grilled Vegetable Lasagna
Chicken Croquettes served with Salad  (Recipe here.  I used shredded chicken from a batch of Sticky Chicken and froze the rest for another time.)


Recipes here.  (Italian Roasted Sausage & Squash waaay down the list.)

meal list thursday: out of commission

So I'm posting this a couple of days late but I have a good excuse.  Swear.  The 24-stomach bug just ain't for the weak of heart. 

But here I am just one day later: alive and well, with a gut full of wicked hot salsa and beefy Mexican goodness from Lily's Mexican Restaurant.  I feel like Rocky Balboa, or maybe Shooter McGavin.  Really I just feel awesome again.

That's how I roll though.  I can't STAND the chicken-soup-and-Gatorade diet for more than 2 meals in a row and I'd rather take my chances of blowing a hole in my gut than eat one more bowl of condensed nastiness and white bread.  Bleh.  Gatorade's pretty good though.  (Cue Rocky or Shooter montage.)

So I'll post the meal list and hope for better next week.  Bonus: Eric will be on a fishing trip later in the week so I'll get to internet until the wee hours of dawn and we'll all be better because of it.  Yes, internet is a verb.


This week's meal list:

Penne Alfredo with Zucchini and Yellow Squash (summer's last hoo-rah)
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (found here) and Coleslaw (here)
Chili (love chili weather!) served with Salad (because we HAF to have a veggie.)

Recipes here (chili waaay down on the list)