Family Dinner: Thai Chicken Curry Stew

I don't know if it is obvious yet, but stews comprise 20% of my winter-time cooking. I make at least one a week, and with good reason. They are fairly simple and healthy one-pot meals chock full of veggies and protein. Not to mention they are hearty, filling, and make a ton...so there are always leftovers for B (and myself and the kids, sometimes....he eats a lot!) to have for lunch. What's not to love?

This one is especially good with some Siracha sauce for a spicy kick. I served this over some brown rice.

Thai Chicken Curry Stew
Makes 8 servings
220 cals / 5g fat / 31g carbs / 16g protein

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken breast
1 onion
3 large russet potatoes
6 carrots
1 red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 small jar red curry paste (4 oz)
1 cup chicken broth
1 can light coconut milk (13.5 oz)
1/4 cup cilantro

1. Trim fat from chicken, cut into ~1 inch pieces, set aside. Peel and chop potatoes and carrots into small cubes (~1/2 inch). Dice onion and bell pepper and chop garlic. Set veggies aside.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and carrots. Cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 5-10 minutes more. Add chicken and cook until just done, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk and chicken broth and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes more. Serve over rice, garnish with cilantro.

Meal Plan Monday and Some OOTDs

Ahhhhh yeah!  Everyone in the house is healthy and feeling good. Time to get back to our my regular routine, including eating better, tracking food, and planning meals. This week's menu includes:

- Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles, Carrots, Cranberries
- Fancy-Pants Pizzas
- White Bean and Sausage Stew
- Pancakes and Eggs
- Turkey Soup, Wheat Rolls

And here are some outfits from the past couple weeks:

I wore this to meet Melanie for a suburban playdate at an overpriced-yuppie-artsy-fartsy-kid place. It is my first time wearing a scarf in public (without a coat).  I figured it fit with the "artsy" theme...and I am trying to be more adventurous with my accessorizing.

And this is from mine and B's date night. My target sweater dress (also here) and some mixed prints, by way of leopard heels and a red snakeskin print bag (baby steps...), to add some pizzazz.

And, check out this craftiness...I scored this bag at Target on the clearance rack for 4$....it had a hideous chain strap with this big black leather tassle thing hanging from it. I cut those off, and voila! A cute snakeskin print clutch is made.

Snack Time: Toddler-Approved

Mostly on this blog I share what we eat for dinner. To switch things up a bit I thought I would share some things we typically eat throughout the rest of the day.

Here are some healthy snack ideas that the kids (and myself) love to munch on...that is, when we aren't chowing down on Cheez Its, fruit snacks, and bunny grahams.

First, our all-time favorite snack: Avocado Toast (we have this for lunch a lot as well). Toasted Ezekiel bread spread with 1/4 a mashed avocado and sprinkled with a little salt.

Next up: Behold! The power of the vegetable box! If I told my kids we were going to just snack on celery and broccoli they would probably run away screaming. But if I put a variety of veggies into a Tupperware container, set it on the table and call it our "appetizer" they inhale it like it is a plate of bacon (or cookies?). I don't know what the deal is...maybe the variety, maybe the fancy name? What I do know, is that it is pure magic. Sometimes I make a dip (1 packet ranch seasoning, 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese), or we have it with hummus, or just plain. We like carrots, celery, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and cucumbers.

Another household favorite is chips and salsa. I usually get the baked Tostitos, although I will branch out and buy the natural blue corn chips every now and then. L especially loves her salsa.

And of course, the dairy segment. You cant be a proper 'Sconnie without a fridge full of dairy snacks. The kids lovelovelove cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and cheese sticks.

Other items not pictured are: wasabi soy almonds (they are awesome), popcorn, cashews, pretzel rods dipped in peanut butter, and any type of fruit they can get their hands on (I like to keep a bunch washed and/or cut in the fridge so it is easy to grab).

Or...you could just go all-out and throw yourselves a fancy tea party. For those days when you are feeling really top drawer.

On the Side: Apple and Carrot Salad

I love this salad.  The matchsticks are a pain to cut, but it is worth it.  I based this salad on one I had with B at Spago....of course that one came with some house burrata and prosciutto...but I work with what I have.


Apple and Carrot Salad
Makes 8 Servings
65 cals / 1g fat / 15g carbs / 1g protein

2 granny smith apples
2 sweet apples (gala, honey crisp, fuji, etc...)
2 cups shredded carrots (save yourself time and buy the bag of pre-shredded)
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp olive oil
1 bunch chives (about 1/4 cup minced)
1 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1.  In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice with the olive oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Mince the chives (about 1/4 cup worth) and stir into the dressing.

2.  Cut the apples into matchsticks and toss the match sticks with the dressing (I slice off 4 sides of the apple to slightly square it and throw out those slices...they will be mostly peel.  Then I thinly slice each of the 4 sides of the apple until I get to the core.  Then slice those into matchstick shapes).  Add the carrot shreds and toss all together to mix well.

Family Dinner: Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Bleu Cheese and Celery Spread

This meal is sooooo easy.  I don't really know how else to describe it.  It is, after all, a chicken sandwich.   Easy....good....I am at a loss beyond this.  My go-to side dish for this is an apple and carrot salad (recipe here).

The spread is what really makes this sandwich...it is the bees knees.  In fact, it is so good, that while you are cleaning up the dinner mess you might find yourself hovering over the crock pot plopping spoonfuls of this spread onto the chicken and eating it straight.  And then doing the same thing to the leftovers in the fridge later that night (and the next morning).  I may or may not know this from experience.

If you don't like bleu cheese, you can skip the cheese in the spread (But that would be a big mistake.  Big.  Seriously....can't you at least try to like bleu cheese?  The spread is what kicks this sandwich up to the next level of awesomeness.)

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Bleu Cheese and Celery Spread
Makes 8 Servings
265 cals / 5g fat / 23g carbs / 33g protein


2 lbs chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 packet dry ranch seasoning
1/2 bottle Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce (or more to taste)
2 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese
4 TB fat-free plain greek yogurt
2 stalks celery
3 TB minced red onion
1/3 cup reduced-fat bleu cheese crumbles
8 sandwich buns (I use Arnold Sandwich Thins)

1.  Trim all the fat and other gross stuff on the chicken breasts.  Place in the crock pot, top with chicken broth and garlic powder.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred cooked chicken using 2 forks.  Stir in ranch seasoning and buffalo wing sauce.  Allow to cook for 15 min more.

2.  Soften cream cheese in a small bowl in microwave.  Stir yogurt into cream cheese and mix until smooth.  Mince celery and red onion and stir into cream cheese mixture along with bleu cheese crumbles.  Mix well.  Serve chicken on bun with ~2 TB spread on each sandwich.

Family Dinner: Winter Beef Stew

I had grand grand plans for Valentine's Day.

Of course, almost all of them centered around food (because really...in my life, what doesn't?).  I was making all sorts of amazing and adorable treats for the kids' party at school.  I was going to wake up early and make us an awesome heart-themed breakfast. Then we were going to end the day with a nice dinner followed by some typical quality time for B and I and our respective Apple devices on the couch.

Turns out my ovaries had a different plan that included 2 days of pure agony and an 8 hour trip to the ER Wed night (thanks Kevin for staying with the kids so they could sleep!) and a last-minute trip to Little Ceasar's.  Bastard ovaries ruining everything.

Ultimately everything woked out.  I am doing better.  And somehow B and I managed to pull an all-nighter and finish all the treats and the Valentine cards in time for the kids' party. (Although I don't have any pictures, bummer). And B was able to take the kids to school and help out at their party for me (after staying up all night...he is a champ!).  And we had our Valentine breakfast on Saturday instead.

The point to this whine-whine-whine rant is....sometimes crap happens to get you down, and when it does, you need something warm, comforting, healthy, and delicious to cheer you up....like this beef stew. (just kidding, that wasn't the point...I just wanted to whine.)

Really though, this stew is great. It is a WW recipe that I minimally altered, and has always been one of my favorites. As with most stews, I serve this over whole wheat egg noodles, but rice or mashed potatoes would also work.

Winter Beef Stew
Makes 6 servings
295 cals / 8g fat / 20g carbs / 34g protein

2 lbs lean beef (top round or sirloin)
2 red onions
6 carrots
5 cloves garlic
1 TB thyme
2 tsp olive oil, divided
3 TB red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
2 cups apple juice
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parsley

1. Trim all the fat off the beef and cut into small strips, about 1x3 inches. Chop the onions, garlic, and thyme, set aside. Peel and chop carrots into 1-2 inch chunks, set aside.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides. Remove beef from pan and add remaining 1 tsp oil. Sauté onions, garlic, and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes (it is ok if the bottom of the pan begins to brown...but you don't want it to burn. Add a small amount of oil or water if the bottom gets too dark or is sticking too much). Stir in the thyme, vinegar, bay leaves, apple juice, broth, salt and pepper. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom.

3. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and continue to cook, partially covered 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Serve over egg noodles (or rice or potatoes) and top with fresh chopped parsley.

Love Is: Sweet and Spicy Bacon

In honor of Valentine's Day and all things love and romance, I thought I would share this recipe for the best bacon you will ever eat.  Seriously.  The.Best.Ever.

If you are in need of a last minute gift to really impress that special someone, skip the flowers and candy and go with what they really want.....bacon.  Salty, spicy, sweet, crisp, chewy, delicious bacon.

You can't go wrong here, I promise.  Unless your special someone is Muslim.  In that case, bacon would be very wrong.

Sweet and Spicy Bacon

1 pack thick-cut bacon (1lb)
3 TB brown sugar
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 tsp black pepper

1.  Heat oven to 375.  Lay bacon slices out evenly over a broiler pan or wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet (has to be this way so the fat drains off and the sugar caramelizes and crisps up.  Don't just lay it on a flat sheet).  Mix sugar, cayenne, and pepper together,  set aside.

2.  Cook bacon for ~20 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle 1/3 sugar mixture over each slice.  Turn each slice of bacon over and sprinkle evenly with remaing sugar mix, spreading with the back of a spoon if needed.  Return to oven and cook until bacon is crisp and done, about 20-25 min more.  Serve warm or at room temp.

Starting off and half-way done.

If you want to be really crafty, cut each raw bacon slice in half, then fold the halves onto each other to form a heart shape before baking.

Meal Plan Monday

Before I get to what we are eating this week, I first need to confess. I went off the wagon, hard core. I weighed 143.2. An almost 5lb gain, in a week and a half. You see...I went on a well deserved trip (alone) to see some friends in San Francisco. And it was a complete weekend of gluttony. I solely consumed (in order of quantity): WINE (lots and lots of wine), cheese (1/2 lb of burrata all to myself, plus more!), butter, macaroons, cured meats, bread, chicken wings, lobster, guacamole, crab, fruit, vegetables. That's right, a 4 day trip filled with nothing but wineries and eating. Gluttony at its finest. But the reallllllly sad thing is, is that this was last weekend. And I haven't been able to stop. Someone help me. I have exactly zero willpower.

The other sad thing is, I have no real plan for my behavior to stop. You see, tomorrow is one of my favorite food days of the year. Yes it is Mardi Gras, but more notably, it is Paczki Day. Have you ever had one? If not, then you have not lived. They are pretty much donuts, except for like 100 times better than your-average-run-of-the-mill-every-day-type-donut. This bakery by B's office makes them only one day a year....and they sell out faaaasst. Every year the bakery sends a reminder email about glorious Paczki Day, and I promptly remind B that if he doesn't come home with paczkis then he shouldn't bother coming home at all. Thankfully he called ahead a pre-order, so he will probably still have a place to live.

And following the day where I eat 5+ extra fattening paczkis in one sitting comes Valentine's Day candy and cookies (that I will steal from the kids), and then a steak house date night for B and I. And just in case you were wondering, I also take my steak very seriously....we call a day ahead and request my preferred cut (bone-in filet....not on the menu, but ahhhhhmaaaazzzzing).

So yeah, no plans to be back on the wagon anytime soon. Maybe Sunday? I am dreading that weigh-in. But bone-in filet and paczkis make it worth it....or at least that is what I will tell myself until then.

Now....onto our weekly menu:

Chicken Jambalaya (and paczkis, duh)
Tropical Beans and Rice
General Tso's Chicken, Rice, Sugar Snap Peas
Balsamic Pork Chops, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes
Spinach Stuffed Shells, Salad
Spicy Peanut Noodles

Family Dinner: Mexican Quinoa

This one-pot dinner is similar to a Mexican rice casserole I make, but I feel healthier about it since it has so much protein. Plus there are less dishes for B to wash...so, there's that.

If you haven't made quinoa a dietary staple yet, you need to. Quinoa is so hot right now. Google it. You'll see why.

We ate the leftovers for lunch the next day with some fat-free sour cream on top, and it was better that way. Just a little word to the wise....

Mexican Quinoa
Makes 8 servings
270 cals / 5g fat / 46g carbs / 12g protein

1 tsp olive oil
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
4 cloves garlic
6 green onions
2 cups dry quinoa (I used a mix of red and regular. Anything works)
4 cups chicken broth (or water)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground chipotle chile
Salt and pepper

1. Chop red and green peppers into 1/2 inch chunks, set aside. Finely slice green onions. Mince garlic. Chop cilantro.

2. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add peppers. Cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and quinoa and continue to cook until quinoa begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth, the canned tomatoes (don't drain), chili powder, cumin, and chipotle powder. Bring to a boil.

3. Drain and rinse beans and corn. Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat to medium low and add beans, corn, and cilantro. Cover pot. Continue to cook until quinoa is done and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Quick Bananas Foster

Who doesn't love a delicious and quick dessert? Especially one that involves ice cream, butter, and bananas....the three food groups.  No, this isn't authentic N'awlins cooking. But it is quick, easy, lightened up, and delicious. I will leave the authentic to Brennan's.

Bananas Foster Sundae
Makes 4 Servings
280 calories / 10g fat / 42g carbs / 4g protein 

2 TB butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 TB Rum
Dash of cinnamon
2 bananas
2 cups slow-churned vanilla ice cream (1/2 the fat)

1. Slice the bananas into 1/2 inch slices.

2. Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and stir to dissolve. Stir in rum, mixture will bubble. Add banana slices and continue to cook until bananas just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. Divide ice cream among 4 bowls and top with bananas and syrup.