breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Breakfast: 


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These just came out of the oven. I'm having a hard time resisting!


Lunch:


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This has become a staple around here! We eat it at least once a week!


Dinner:


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Strawberry salad. Mixed greens + strawberries + red onions + chicken + chopped nuts + goat cheese + this dressing + lots of pepper! Springy!


It's been a smooth sailing kind of week in the kitchen- mostly because of the pre-planning I did over the weekend. Sometimes I'm tempted to skip this prep work... but with some of our evening activities in full swing, it really has become a necessity!  


Sometimes I make the whole dish ahead of time and freeze it. Other times I just prep the veggies/make marinades/and otherwise get it all ready for cooking. Whenever I can, I double the recipe and save one of the dishes for another day later in the month. So worth the effort.


Here are some of our favorites that can be made or prepped ahead of time:


lasagna roll ups 


chicken and beans 


turkey lettuce wraps 


honey chicken


turkey and black bean enchiladas


baked rigatoni primavera


zesty chicken salad


protien power salad


hoppin' john


 


Now get cooking!!

crepes our way

It's no secret I have a love affair with breakfast. When I was a little girl my mother used to make crepes. I loved those mornings. They felt special, as if to say, "this day is meant for something fruffy-- it is going to be a day too good for cereal."


I've been feeling a little worn thin lately. I guess there are spaces of time when it you just have to give more, where personalities and circumstances make everyone around you somewhat of a taker. I'm happy to do it, but it can wear a girl out. Oh, and I miss my mom. She was always a giver. 


I made crepes yesterday morning (as I often do). It was my attempt to start happy, to start again, to anchor myself to a little message of love that my mom used to put on my plate. And even if I wasn't going to eat them-- it did me well to make something pretty.


These are by no means authentic or overtly french...but something about them just feels indulgent. Here's how we make them.


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This is my favorite recipe. I mix it up in the blender and usually have to make 2 batches one at a time.  I use lots of butter or spray oil to make my 10" pan non-sticky. The burner temperature is crucial. You have to fuss with it a little bit-- somewhere between medium and medium low. I just pour the batter into the pan, swirl to coat the bottom, and then flip it like a pancake when the edges are all bubbly.


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It's good to have some helpers in the process. I usually assign someone to the jam and sugar station so I can go back and pour batter in the pan for the next crepe. My people are not patient about these! I have to crank them out. I'm not kidding! They are literally waiting in line with their plates in my kitchen.


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Slather butter all over and warmed jam down the center.


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Fold the sides over and sprinkle with powdered sugar. (We keep powdered sugar in a parmesean cheese sprinkler jar thingy.)


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There you have it. Yummy as can be. Just ask Hannah. She ate 4!


I made use of the discarded egg whites and scrambled them up for myself. Not quite the same... 

Inner dialogue

Gelato


Why does the good stuff have to be so bad? Why do I crave what I shouldn't be craving? Why can't I just want a huge pile of broccoli instead? Why do I even tempt myself? Who bought this anyways? Do I eat some because I just worked out? Do I say no for the same reason? Isn't there some kind of health benefit to dark chocolate? Do I have just one bite to satisfy my taste buds? Do I go all the way (as long as I'm at it) and eat the whole thing? Because if you are going to cheat, shouldn't you just enjoy it? Shouldn't it be worth it? Will I be disappointed in myself when the carton is empty? Is there any way that I could convince myself that the calories don't count? I deserve this right? Can't I just rationalize it by saying, "oh stop obsessing, it's really not going to hurt anything in the long run. It's just a little gelato." ? Do I need therapy?


Torture.


Are you sure there isn't any way to have your gelato and eat it too?


(In case you are wondering, I took the picture and put it away. The carton is still full in the freezer...for now)