Family Dinner: Chicken and Avocado Soup

So, my kids are small.  Like really small. 0-10th percentile small. They eat.  I swear, they eat.  But still, they are tiny. This is a constant source of stress for me. I try not to worry, but when it is kid related, I guess worrying is part of life.

To alleviate some of this, I try to incorporate lots of healthy fats into our diets. By far the most popular is avocados. The kids love avocado, so this soup is a quick dinner that they will inhale.  Winner winner...

If you don't have shredded chicken on-hand you can make some by cooking 2 breasts in the broth over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, then remove them and shred with 2 forks.

Chicken and Avocado Soup
Serves 4
250 cals / 15g fat / 8g carbs / 19g protein

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 green onions, sliced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
4 TB cilantro, chopped
1 lime
5 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups shredded chicken breasts
2 avocados, diced

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions, and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, chili powder, cilantro, and salt and pepper, cook an additional minute then add juice from 1/2 the lime and chicken broth. Allow to simmer about 15-20 minutes.  While broth is simmering, divide chicken, a lime wedge, and avocado between 4 bowls. Top with finished broth and extra green onions or cilantro, if desired.

I served this with some quick cheese quesadillas. We also like it with some warmed up tortillas on the side.

Pictures of mine and J's bowls.

Room Mom Extraordinaire

Check out these peanut-free treats I made for J and L's school Halloween party. I totally bullied the real room mom into letting me help. But hey, I had a vision.

Some cute treats, a game or two, and a ghost luminary craft. I think these 3 year-olds are in for a good time.

"Jack-o-Lantern" and "Frankenstein" marshmallow pops, "Witch Finger" pretzel rods, and "Mummy" juice boxes.

FUNdraiser Style

I got this dress at Target for cheap. It is a perfect sweater dress and can be dressed up or down, so throw it in your cart the next time you run to Target for dish soap and milk.

Seriously, how does that happen? It is impossible to get out of that store for less than $100. They are store layout evil geniuses.

I sported this to a fundraiser for the kids' school. And let me tell you...this school knows that nothing loosens up a wallet like a martini bar. Need some proof? See how blurry this picture is? I took it after I got home. I thought it was perfectly clear. Yeah.

Don't judge me, it was for the children!

Tis' the Season: Halloween!

Oh, Halloween.  How I love it and all the pumpkin and Kit-Kat filled glory.

I have so many awesome childhood memories of this holiday.  My mom would work for hours and hours over a sewing machine so that I would have the best costume in school. We had dry ice in our witch's brew (i.e. homemade root beer). My parents would run us to every corner of town, well past trick-or-treat hours, until we had at least 3 plastic pumpkins full of candy. We would pass out the full-sized candy bars and be the best house to visit.  Starting me off with a solid foundation of competitiveness and a pre-disposition to diabetes.  (I kid, I kid...sort of)

My absolute favorite memory of all is our annual Halloween dinner.  Every Halloween my mom would make homemade spooooooky pizzas.  And they were great.

I have no idea how to sew, and we don't take trick-or-treating as seriously, but I have hung on to passing out the full-size candy bars (much to B's chagrin..he gets stingy) and of course, making spooky pizzas (much to B's excitement...he loves food).

All you have to do is make your own pizza dough (or save some time and buy those packs of instant pizza dough mix, or refrigerated or frozen dough).   Then press, stretch, and shape the dough into whatever you want. Mine always include 2 jack-o-lanterns, 2 ghosts, and a bat. (Excessive? Yes, but it is a holiday!  And again, there's my foundation of gluttony....)   Add your sauce and toppings, then the cheese. You can make faces using the toppings on top of the cheese, and voila! I am hoping this is a tradition that our kids will continue to love as much as I do.

These pictures are from last year, and they suck, and I burnt the bat, but you get the idea.

And for fun, some cute kid pictures. And Bowser. Because he is the greatest dog ever.

Family Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal

This is a breakfast I typically reserve for the weekends. It is simple to put together, but takes some time to bake, and time is something we seem to run out of on the weekdays. But for some reason (like L waking up at 4:30 after an "accident" an then coming into our bed, but instead if going back to sleep, laying there and talking about hotel breakfasts while petting my hair) I woke up with some time to spare and a need for a nice warm cozy breakfast.

There are so many variations you can make with this, but apple cinnamon is our favorite. In fact, this is a recipe my Dad asked me to teach my Mom...a big risk for him, 'cause now she knows I win the "who's the best cook" bump off! (just kidding Mom)

As far as variations go, you can substitute any fruit you want. I have made apple, pear cranberry, banana, blueberry, walnut chocolate chip banana, etc. It really is whatever suits your fancy. You can change up the sweetener as well, I have used brown sugar, maple syrup, lite syrup, white sugar, and a Splenda/brown sugar mix. Also, this recipe easily doubles to fit in a 13x9 pan.

And it helps to have some awesome mixers.

Baked Oatmeal
Serves 6
150 cals / 4g fat / 25g carbs / 4g protein

2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into tiny pieces (or whatever fruit you want)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 TB butter, melted
1 cup plain old fashioned oats
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar (or whatever you want to use)

Pre-heat oven to 375 and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter. Microwave for 1-2 minutes to begin to soften apples (you can skip this step if you are using a soft fruit like bananas or berries). Spread fruit out in bottom of the dish. In the same bowl (cause I am lazy and don't like to dirty more dishes than I need to), combine oats, salt, and baking powder. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Then using the same bowl, combine the milk, egg, sugar, and vanilla, mixing until well blended. Pour this over the top of the oats and bake until top is browned, 35-45 min.

Family Dinner: Pan Seared Chicken with Pears and Bleu Cheese

This is a quick easy way to dress up some chicken, and another way to incorporate some bleu cheese into my diet.  Like I am in need of another excuse to eat cheese.  I based this one off a Whole Foods recipe.  The kids eat theirs without the cheese.  Not the best decision, but sometimes you have to let them fail so they learn, right?

Pan Seared Chicken Pears and Bleu Cheese
Serves 6
250 cals / 5g fat / 15g carbs / 37g protein

2 lbs chicken breasts (the pack that comes with 3), with all the fat and gross veiny things cut off, then sliced in half horizontally to make 6
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp olive oil
1 TB apple Cider vinegar
3 red pears, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 TB chopped fresh parsley
6 TB reduced-fat bleu cheese crumbles
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350.  Liberally season each side of the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and 1/4 tsp thyme.  Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, and sear chicken until browned on each side (~2-3 min per side).  Place chicken on cookie sheet and cook in oven ~15 minutes.  While chicken is cooking,  add vinegar to same pan, stirring up any brown bits that might be stuck on the bottom.  Add pear slices and cook until pears begin to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.  Add apple juice, chicken broth, and parsley.  Turn heat up to high and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.  Top each piece of chicken with pears and sauce and 1 TB bleu cheese before serving.

I served this with some spinach sautéed with olive oil and garlic.

Family Dinner - Crock Pot Polynesian Pork

I adore crock pot cooking. My weekly meal plans usually include at least one crock pot meal, I try and plan them for days when I know I will be busy or won't feel like being in the kitchen.

This is based on a recipe from my awesome sister-in-law, Melanie. She made it for our baby shower and it was love at first bite. It took me this long to get the flavor ratios just right, but I finally figured it out, yay!

Crock Pot Polynesian Pork
Makes 8 servings
215 cals / 14g fat / 20g carbs / 20g protein

1 2-lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat
1/4 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup light coconut milk
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Place pork and water in slow cooker, sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook on low ~6 hours. Using two forks, shred the pork. Stir in coconut milk, pineapple, sweet chili sauce, and red pepper. Cook an additional 1-2 hours. Stir in cilantro and green onion, cook another 10-15 minutes, and serve.

I served this with brown rice and snow peas sautéed with sesame oil, ginger, and soy sauce. I think this would make really good sandwiches too, especially on top of those miniature Hawaiian rolls.