It's Turkey Lurkey time...

If you've never heard the song referenced in this post's title, please FEAST YOUR EYES.  Because, it is one of my all time favorites.

So, last year around this time I had this wild idea that I'd really like to host Thanksgiving at my house this year.  2013 Me was clearly a bit on the over-zealous side, but 2014 Me decided to just go with it.

As you've probably noticed, I have been a terrible, neglectful blog owner and meal planner. I've planned November, but mostly week by week.  (I will try to be back for December to finish out the year strong...maybe.)  However, I'm going to attempt to make all of that better by sharing the NMOTB menu for Thanksgiving 2014 (hopefully to be repeated in years to come.)  I'll include recipe links, but there are a few things here and there which are family recipes that I can't really share.  Not because I don't want to, but because I have practically studied how to make these things successfully. Unless you all want to swing by my house and watch me.  Bring wine.

Without further ado, I present to you The NMOTB Thanksgiving Extravaganza (AKA: How to Try Really, Really Hard Not to Give 15 People Salmonella Poisoning).

This is a picture of the veggie tray I actually made for Thanksgiving 2012. #nailedit

Appetizers Because nobody is hungrier than guests who can smell turkey but can't eat it yet.
- Veggie Tray with Ranch Dip and Hummus
- Cranberry & Rosemary Cheese Spread
- Assorted Cheeses and Olives
- Mixed Nuts

Dinner Because my middle name is "Casserole."
- Roasted Turkey with Stuffing {I'm not going to lie, I was going to kind of wing it on the turkey (pun totally intended) since I've seen my mother-in-law put hers together many times and it always comes out perfectly, but then I started getting really nervous that I'd screw it up.  So, I'm mostly going to follow the suggestions under the link.  And have my fingers crossed.  For the stuffing, I just follow the directions on the bag.}
- Mashed Red Potatoes and Gravy {Following the recipes for both which have been handed down for generations.  Trust me on the red potatoes...they make the BEST mashed potatoes you've ever had.}
- Corn Casserole
- Sweet Potato Casserole {Never been big on this myself...I put it on my plate every year (because, THANKSGIVING), but it isn't my fave.  My husband, on the other hand, lives for it, so I'm trying this recipe out.}
- Green Bean Casserole {Our family is the traditional sort that just likes the recipe on the back of the soup can.  What can I say?}
- Macaroni & Cheese {I grew up with two Southern-cooking grandmas, so this has to be on my menu.  However, I have a lovely guest bringing it for me, so I'll ask her for the recipe to share some other time!}
- Brussels Sprouts and Quinoa with Cranberries {Warning, this recipe comes from Thug Kitchen which is the best recipe website on the planet, but has language that is probably NSFW.}
- Roasted Broccoli {We were going to have steamed asparagus, but the roasted broccoli is SO much better, my husband convinced me to switch.}
- Cranberry Sauce {Another recipe out of Thug Kitchen.}
- Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette {I had this dressing at a dinner party the other day, and OHMYLORD.}
- Dinner Rolls {Did you see the list of food I just said I was preparing?  I bought frozen rolls. Deal.}

Dessert Because we'll all need something to tide us over before we start digging into the leftovers.
- Pumpkin Pie {Another recipe to be made by a guest. I can't bake.  It's no secret.}
- Apple Pie {My husband is making his recipe...he insists upon this every year.}
- Sea Salted Caramel Torte with Chocolate Ganache {Right, so remember when I said I can't bake?  So I decided to try baking by making an exceptionally complicated dessert with three different components.  This won't end well.  For example: I ground the almonds for the crust and then knocked the entire 1/4 cup over into the sink.  At least my apron is cute.}
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Oh, and drinks.  A lot of them.  I'm convinced that the trick to a successful Thanksgiving Dinner is to get your guests good and drunk so they'll all be too hungry to notice if your food didn't turn out so well.

In all seriousness, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday.  Yes, partially because it is a holiday completely centered around eating, but also because it's a holiday that almost always begins and ends with delightful time spent with loved ones celebrating the most important thing a person can possess - gratitude. I am unbelievably excited to start my own traditions this year by hosting this delightful meal.  Here's to many returns.

In the real world...

In addition to providing some reviews of all of the recipes we tried as part of our July meal plan, this month I am also providing you all with an idea of what happens in the NMOTB household after the meal plan is created (as promised.)

When people visit us and see our monthly meal plan hanging on the fridge, the follow-up question is usually, "So, do you actually stick to it?"  My answer as always been, "Well, yes.  Within reason."

But, this month I decided to actually keep track of the subtle changes we made to have a better answer for people.  Sometimes the changes we make will be to the actual meal (i.e., We have a salad instead of asparagus because I didn't see any good asparagus when I went to the grocery store) and sometimes it will be a change to the calendar because of unforeseen social engagements, travel plans that change, or simply that I just don't feel like cooking dinner.  It seemed like the changes in July were more related to the latter because it ended up being an exceptionally busy month.  In looking back, it still appears that the correct response to that FAQ is, "Well, yes.  Within reason."

July 7
Meal Plan - Beef Lo Mein using this recipe.
Reality - Beef Lo Mein using THIS recipe.  
The first recipe used beef boullion which I didn't feel like buying just for one recipe, so I did a little more Pinteresting and voila!

July 8
Meal Plan - Buffalo Pork Chops; One Pan Fettuccine Alfredo; Green Beans
Reality - Dinner with my husband's boss
We had planned to order pizza later on during this same week, so instead I just pushed back all of the meal plans by one day and we enjoyed socializing with my husband's boss at a local eatery we'd been hoping to try.

July 12
Meal Plan - Pulled Pork; Grilled Corn; Potato Wedges
Reality - Too tired to cook
I would say this happens about once a month. I plan a big meal and then realize it isn't going to work given everything else I have to accomplish on that day.  This day was TIH's fourth birthday party, so by the time we got home I didn't want to do anything.  I'm not sure what we ended up eating, but I didn't cook it!

July 13
Meal Plan - Grilled Shrimp with Mustard Sauce; Baked Potatoes; Sauteed Brussels & Corn
Reality - Pulled Pork; Grilled Corn; Potato Wedges; Cole Slaw
We pushed the meal from July 12 back onto this day and invited friends over to share it with us!  It was absolutely delightful to have everyone over and the meal was enjoyed by everyone!

July 17
Meal Plan - Stuffed Peppers; Bread; Salad
Reality - Homemade Pizza; Salad
This was TIH's birthday and he specifically requested pizza for his birthday.  Since we'd done our fair share of dining out over the course of the month already, we opted to make it ourselves.  Served with a nice slice of birthday cake, of course.

July 18
Meal Plan - Grilled Brats; Cole Slaw; Tator Tots
Reality - Snacks
Here was another example of not really being in the mood for a big meal or wanting to cook it.  Instead, my husband swung by the deli and got a few snacks (wings, cheese & crackers, etc.) and we ate that.

July 19
Meal Plan - No meal plan - having visitors
Reality - Stuffed Peppers; Bread; Salad
My husband's parents were visiting and we weren't sure how long they would be staying in town, so we weren't sure if we would be cooking for a crowd or dining out.  When we found out they were heading home early, I went ahead and moved up the meal plan for July 17 to this day.

July 25
Meal Plan - Steaks; Grilled Vegetables; Baked Potatoes
Reality - Steaks; Grilled Vegetables; Baked Sweet Potatoes
The sweet potatoes just sounded better when I was grocery shopping!

July 26
Meal Plan - Spinach & Mushroom Smothered Chicken; Carrots; Pasta
Reality - Had dinner with friends
You know me, I can't miss out on a social opportunity.  We can have this meal some other time!

July 31
Meal Plan - Breaded Pork Chops; Cous Cous; Sauteed Asparagus
Reality - Going Away Happy Hour
A very good friend and colleague is starting a new job with the next school year, so I spent the evening sharing memories over cocktails and moved this plan to August.  Great way to get a headstart!

------

As you can see, I wasn't too great with the picture taking this month, but we did try a lot of great new recipes.  Some of which I'm happy to say will for sure be making return appearances on future meal plans.

Grilled Fish - (not pictured) We initially planned to cook this on the grill, but decided to go with the oven at the last minute (took about 20 minutes at 400 degrees; my oven generally cooks slow.)  My husband had tilapia instead of salmon, but this delicious marinade worked very well with both.  We left the fish in the marinade for 30 minutes before cooking it.  I think it would be great grilled, so definitely worth a try!

Beef Lo Mein - SO GREAT.  In addition to being very tasty and enjoyable for the whole family (TIH included!), it was exceptionally easy to put together.  A friend of mine also said she tried it with chicken, so this recipe is adaptable to a variety of tastes (would probably be great with extra veggies or tofu as well, if you are so inclined!)  This recipe will be added to the regular rotation without a doubt!

One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo - I love me some fettuccine alfredo and I even have a great recipe I've honed over the years - but this is PERFECT for an easy weeknight side dish.  Sure, cream sauces aren't the healthiest dish in existence, but this is DEFINITELY better than something I would make from a box (which I've been known to do in a pinch.)  These meals that come together in one pan are obviously my new favorites.  I've already put this on our current meal plan!

Grilled Shrimp with Mustard Sauce - (not pictured) Great method for brining and grilling shrimp.  The mustard sauce was just "eh."  I would have rather had a spicy cocktail sauce or a tarter sauce or really any other kind of sauce.  The sauce itself wasn't bad, it just didn't really do much for the shrimp.  Now we actually have a method for grilling shrimp now - we've done it before, but it was all kind of lackluster.  Glad to have something in my arsenal that works!

Lemon Shrimp with Parmesan Rice - (not pictured) I think I did something wrong with this recipe.  For starters, it could have been that I used a boil in a bag rice brown rice instead of the rice recommended for the recipe.  The shrimp itself was great, but paired with the rice it was sort of a gummy mess.  My husband didn't seem to hate it as much as I did, but we both agreed it just wasn't our favorite recipe.  Worth giving it a shot if you can learn from my mistakes, but I'm not sure we'll be trying it again.

Spinach & Mushroom Smothered Chicken - (not pictured; not attempted) This is the second or third month in a row that we haven't gotten to this dish.  I swear it sounds delightful to me, but we keep scheduling it on days that it gets cancelled.  We'll get to it someday.

Cheesy Chicken Orzo - (not pictured) This was touted as "Grown Up Mac & Cheese," but really I think I would have liked mac & cheese from the box better.  We tried to doctor it up a bit by adding some spices and hot sauce, but it just wasn't really anything special.  It's a shame because I was really looking forward to it!

Take a cup of kindness yet...

Though 2013 was a great year for me and my family (and one without any major changes, which is such a blessing, let me tell you...), I'm excited for what the year 2014 has to bring us.  It seems an exponential amount of my friends and family are getting married or having babies in the coming year and that makes me really excited for all that entails.  My own sister is getting married and I'm matron of honor in her wedding, so I could not be more excited for the next year in which we will embark upon a ton of fun wedding-related festivities.

But, hearing about what I'm looking forward to in 2014 is not why you're visiting the blog today, I'm sure.  You're here because you can't wait to hear what the NMOTB family will be eating in January.  (Please, contain your excitement.)

Unlike last month in which we were either traveling or being entertained (and fed) elsewhere for most of the month, I actually had to have a meal plan for every night of the month (a rarity).  You'll see I've rewarded myself with some easy meals (as well as making my husband the chef on a few occasions).  So enjoy these ideas.  I'm sure there will be changes (there are every month), but so far this is looking pretty good!  (Also - since I'm on winter break I had a really hard time orienting myself with the calendar - there have been changes made to this already mostly because I didn't know what day of the week it was when I wrote it.  Next Monday when I return to work is going to be a rude awakening!)

Meals with a "*" next to them are new recipes I am trying out.  As you may notice...there are a lot of them this month.  Phew...  So, make sure you check back on the blog throughout the month for my reviews!

{January 2014}

January 1, 2014 - Breaded Pork Chops; Sauteed Zucchini/Squash; Cinnamon Apples

January 2, 2014 - Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef*; New Potatoes; Steamed Broccoli {Click here for recipe review!}

January 3, 2014 - Hamburgers; Diced Potatoes {This is a simple recipe that my husband got from a friend of his in college.  I'll try to share it sometime!}; Broccoli Slaw (My own take on a pretty common oil/vinegar slaw recipe.)

January 4, 2014 - Quick Lime Cilantro Chicken*; Fiesta Lime Rice* {Click here for recipe reviews!}

January 5, 2014 - Angel Chicken; Angel Hair Pasta; Steamed Asparagus

January 6, 2014 - Tilapia; Roasted Zucchini & Carrots; Cous Cous

January 7, 2014 - Hamburger Casserole {Click here for this NMOTB original recipe!}; Bagged Salad

January 8, 2014 - Chicken Verde Tacos; Cilantro Lime Rice

January 9, 2014 - Buffalo Pork Chops; Pasta Alfredo; Steamed Peas

January 10, 2014 - Sloppy Joes (My husband's family's special recipe, I can't give it out, but I can tell you that this recipe is AWESOME); Tater Tots; Corn

January 11, 2014 - Chicken Tortilla Soup* {Click here for recipe review!}

January 12, 2014 - Spaghetti (Top secret family recipe that has been passed down in my husband's family for generations.  Special side note, we actually serve the sauce over rigatoni noodles instead of spaghetti.  But trust me, in my husband's family, everyone knows what you mean when you say you're having spaghetti.  This is the recipe that I cite as the reason why I married my husband); Salad; Bread

January 13, 2014 - Greek Stuffed Pitas*; Greek Side Salad {Click here for recipe review!}

January 14, 2014 - Homemade Pizza (We make the crust, the sauce, and don't skimp on our favorite toppings.  Homemade pizza crust is surprisingly easy to make and you can find it on the back of the pizza yeast package.  Being a family full of experimental cooks, we obviously add our own flair, but you'd be surprised how simple a homemade crust can be!); Bagged Salad

January 15, 2014 - Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers*; Egg Noodles; Salad

January 16, 2014 - Orange Chicken*; Brown Rice; Asian Salad

January 17, 2014 - Beef Tacos; Guacamole; Cilantro Lime Rice

January 18, 2014 - World's Best Chicken; Smashed Potatoes*; Roasted Brussel Sprouts (Sigh.  Here's hoping we actually get to eat this.)

January 19, 2014 - CHILI!

January 20, 2014 - Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce; Salad

January 21, 2014 - Quinoa Fried Rice*; Salad

January 22, 2014 - Buffalo Chicken Wraps; Tater Tots (Yes, twice in one month.  I love me some tots.)

January 23, 2014 - Lemony Chicken & Orzo*; Salad

January 24, 2014 - OUT TO DINNER (After all of this cooking, I'm gonna need a break.)

January 25, 2014 - Chipotle Grilled Steak with Lime Butter*; Baked Potatoes; Steamed Asparagus (Another meal I really hope we actually get to eat.  I think this has been on the menu for going on 4 months.)

January 26, 2014 - Braised Short Ribs; Mashed Potatoes; Roasted Zucchini (Both the short ribs and mashed potatoes are our own recipes!)

January 27, 2014 - Chicken Parmigiana; Pesto Pasta; Steamed Broccoli

January 28, 2014 - Baked Chicken Chimichangas*; Guacamole

January 29, 2014 - Slow Cooker Classic Beef Stew*; Bread

January 30, 2014 - Skillet Chili Mac*; Cornbread

January 31, 2014 - Chicken Caesar Salad

In a hurry to get things done...

Throughout the month, I will be sharing new recipes I have tried as part of our meal plan.  Unsurprisingly, this month was filled with meal plan changes due to some impromptu social events, illness (ugh, again), and just generally being too busy to cook every night.  I'm putting a lot of meals we didn't have back on our meal plan for January so check back tomorrow when I'll be sharing the first menu of 2014.  Remember, I also repin the pins for all of the recipes I try through Pinterest on my board "I Made This" so make sure you are following!

Lemon Parmesan Chicken Skillet - My husband loved this so much and raved about it the next day when he ate the leftovers.  I thought it was pretty good, but also felt the flavor needed some enhancing.  It also wasn't the easiest meal for a weeknight, so by the time we were sitting down to actually eat, I was a bit on the exhausted side.  Definitely worth a try and definitely worth repeating (perhaps with some tweaks next time.)

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff - Beef Stroganoff was a favorite in my house growing up.  I've looked for a long time for a simpler recipe than the one my mom would always make, but that wouldn't sacrifice the flavor.  I would say this one came pretty close.  The beef we used fell apart a lot in the slow cooker as it cooked and that made the finished product (which I sadly did not take a picture of) look a little off-putting.  The taste, however, was fantastic.  Maybe we can figure out a cut of beef that doesn't fall apart so much, or we can cook it for a shorter period of time next time.  Without a doubt, this is a repeatable recipe.  Very tasty.

Chicken Parmesan Roll-Ups - My husband loved this and raved about it.  It just didn't do much for me.  I think, again, it was a lot of work for a weeknight meal and the end product wasn't all that great.  (I think I'm still hung up on my Chicken Parmigiana recipe, to tell the truth.)

Chipotle Grilled Steak with Lime Butter - Someday, I promise I will make this meal.  I hope that it will not grace the January meal plan only to be ignored again.  But, I can obviously make no promises.  I swear it looks delicious to me (and I'm not even that much of a steak eater), but I continue to plan it for nights when we end up not eating at home.  The same goes for my World's Best Chicken and Smashed Potatoes meal.  I feel like I'll never get around to that one either.  Oh well.

-----

So, what's looking good to you all for next month?  Does anyone have a resolution to eat healthier in 2014?  My husband is making that one of his goals, and so if you have any great recipes to share, our family would love to try them!

So this is Christmas...

I've always been an avid believer and user of the flu shot.  Growing up in a household with a father who was perpetually on immunosuppressant drugs, getting a respiratory virus like the flu posed a very real threat to his well being.  Believe what you will about the flu shot and its effectiveness (I really do think it's become a pretty heated debate, and in those I always like to take the neutral stance of "Do whatever you think is right"), but when your own health poses a risk to one of your loved ones, you'll do whatever it takes to stay well.  So, basically, since then I've always gotten my flu shot and in my line of work, I'm usually able to get them for free - including this year.  So, imagine my surprise when last week I fell ill with the flu.  According to the doctor the flu shot isn't necessarily 100% effective and this year it appears there is a strain that is pretty resistant to the shot.  (By the way, for me, finding this out was akin to Ross finding out that condoms weren't 100% effective.)

All that to say, I wrote up a meal plan on December 1 and didn't even have time to eat the first meal on the menu before I was stuck in bed for the next three days.  (In truth, it's been a week and I'm still not feeling 100%.)  What I'm sharing with you here is what we ENDED UP doing.  Good thing meal planning is all about flexibility because otherwise we would have either gone hungry and I'd have a fridge full of groceries we never used.

This month was also bit difficult to plan for because we still haven't completely set in stone some of our plans for this month.  I went ahead and put meals down for nights where we may not actually eat at home - just a leg up for January if we end up going out!

So, anyway - here it is...

{December 2013}

December 1, 2013 - Homemade Pizza; Salad (Thank God my husband is our pizza chef because I could barely hold my head up to eat this.  It was the last real meal I ate over the next few days.)

December 2, 2013 - I am pretty sure my husband and The Incredible Hulk ate leftover pizza or breakfast for dinner.  I literally didn't get out of bed to find out.

December 3, 2013 - I ate some soup on this day.  It came from a box mix.  It was delicious.

December 4, 2013 - Chicken Bruschetta Bake; Salad (I subbed whole wheat stuffing mix for the first time - I wouldn't recommend this because the whole thing was a bit dried out.  But, given that it was my first real meal in several days, it still didn't taste that bad.)

December 5, 2013 - Beef Dip Sandwiches (Crock Pot); Chips; Steamed Broccoli (My husband has proclaimed this one of his favorite meals.  It is ridiculously simple.  We always finish our sandwiches with provolone and stick them under the broiler to melt the cheese.  Perfection.)

December 6, 2013 - Homemade Chipotle Bowls (This was my 30th birthday dinner.  Normally we might have tried to go out to dinner or made something a little more glamorous, but NONE of us were feeling up to it.  It's a favorite at-home meal and we went out for ice cream afterwards.  Good enough for me.)

December 7, 2013 - We totally planned to eat dinner at home on this day, but TIH was invited to two different birthday parties (quite the social calendar for a three year old) and we were served meals at both parties.  By the time we got home, no one was even thinking about any more food.

December 8, 2013 - Chicken Pot Pie; Arugula & Spinach Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing (One of my favorite combinations is the richness of pot pie with a nice, crisp green salad.  The dressing was a bit on the sweet side so next time I would probably cut the honey from 3 tablespoons to 2 - it still went perfectly with the salad.)

December 9, 2013 - Orzo Salad with Spinach, Tomato, & Feta (will add Rotisserie Chicken)

December 10, 2013 - Lemon Parmesan Chicken Skillet*; Italian Chopped Salad

December 11, 2013 - Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff*; Egg Noodles; Steamed Broccoli

December 12, 2013 - Chicken Parmesan Roll-Ups*; Alfredo Pasta; Roasted Zucchini

December 13, 2013 - No meal plan (Going to a Christmas party!)

December 14, 2013 - Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

December 15, 2013 - Chili!

December 16, 2013 - One Pot Pasta; Salad

December 17, 2013 - Shrimp & Guacamole Tostadas; Cilantro Lime Rice

December 18, 2013 - Crock Pot "Fried" Rice; Salad

December 19, 2013 - No meal plan (My company Christmas party)

December 20, 2013 - Order Pizza

December 21, 2013 - Grilled Marinated Chicken with Corn Barley Salad (Didn't get to this one last month and it is a great recipe, so we definitely had to put it back on there.)



December 22, 2013 - Chipotle Grilled Steak with Lime Butter*; Baked Potato; Asparagus (As promised, I am going to attempt this one this month since we didn't get to it in November.)

December 23, 2013 - Chicken Caesar Sandwiches; Chips

December 24, 2013 - Christmas Eve! (We're still trying to decide on our plans.  We have a special meal that we've always had on Christmas Eve, but we might be spending it with family and friends instead.)
December 25, 2013 - Christmas Day!

December 26, 2013 - No meal plan

December 27, 2013 - No meal plan

December 28, 2013 - No meal plan

December 29, 2013 - Beef Vegetable Soup; Bread (We made my husband's mother's recipe for the first time a few months ago and it was a SLAM DUNK.  We talked about how delicious it was for days after.  I love trying new recipes, but it is so refreshing that these tried and true recipes are just as amazing.)

December 30, 2013 - Greek Marinated Chicken; Greek Cous Cous

December 31, 2013 - World's Best Chicken; Smashed Potatoes*; Roasted Brussel Sprouts  (This has been on the menu for about 4 months and we've never gotten to it.  And I'm putting it on New Years Eve which I'm not sure we have plans for yet...so it may get bumped to January.  Poor dinner.)

(* = A new recipe I'm trying.  Check back because I'll review the recipes here on the blog!)

-----

Hope you all have had a delicious start to your December.  Make sure you check back later on this week as I will be sharing a really cool product with you that will not only make meal planning even easier, but will also give you a way to save money while doing so.  Intrigued? I thought so.  See you soon :)

On certain Sundays in November...

November is here!  The month of my favorite holiday by far - Thanksgiving.  Our family is switching things up quite a bit this year.  We usually spend Thanksgiving with my husband's family.  But, since our move, I've only seen my dad's side of the family twice and it has been really bumming me out.  So, instead we decided to switch up our usual plans and spend Thanksgiving in St. Louis.  Not to mention, I haven't been to this particular Thanksgiving feast since the year I found out I was pregnant with The Incredible Hulk.  I actually found out the day before Thanksgiving that I was pregnant.  So, as you can imagine, I didn't really get to enjoy the food that day.  Since I was just focused on trying to keep it all down.  Gah.

In addition to Thanksgiving festivities, rumor has it that in the first week of December, someone is turning 30 (eek!) so we're also going to be celebrating my plunge into my next decade while we're there.

Due to all this travel, some exciting social engagements for the month, and inevitable turkey-leftover-eating, November was actually a VERY simple month to meal plan for, and this month (unlike October where I really failed on the preparations), I had quite a few recipes bookmarked to try.  I'll be trying out a few new recipes this month, so make sure you're checking back because I'll review new recipes on the blog a couple of times this month.

So, let's get started shall we?

{November 2013}

Friday, November 1 - This was a really high-stress week for me, so by the time Friday rolled around, I was in no mood for cooking.  We checked out a new Mexican restaurant that recently opened down the road and were pleasantly surprised to find a new favorite place to dine out.

Saturday, November 2 - We went and had dinner in the city at a Chicago original - Pizzeria Uno.  Let me tell you, it was worth every minute of the 45 minute wait!

Sunday, November 3 - No meal plan.

Monday, November 4 - No meal plan.

Tuesday, November 5 - No meal plan.  (See!  I told you.  Easy peasy.)

Wednesday, November 6 - Easy Lemon Chicken*; Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Cous Cous (Didn't get to this meal last month, so I'm excited to throw it back onto the menu!)  {Click here for recipe review!}

Thursday, November 7 - Mexican Casserole*; Guacamole (I pinned this awhile ago and forgot about it, but a co-worker tried it and said it was awesome!  Very excited when someone reminds me of a good recipe I have at my disposal!) {Click here for recipe review!}

Friday, November 8 - Buffalo Chicken Wraps; Tator Tots (This is an easy recipe for buffalo chicken we make in the crock pot and then serve up with cheese & shredded lettuce in whole wheat tortillas.  The only change I make is that at the end, I add just a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese and stir it in to take down the heat a bit.)

Saturday, November 9 - Spicy Sausage Pasta; Salad  (LOVED this recipe.  So we had to have it again.  Of course.)

Sunday, November 10 - Pot Roast; Noodles in Beef Broth; Roasted Vegetables (My husband's favorite meal growing up was pot roast.  My mom's pot roast was also the very definition of comfort food for me.  When we got married, we started doing a blending of the two recipes and sort of made it our own.  I've noticed there are kits you can get that come with a good cut of meat [we like chuck roast the best, it has the most flavor and comes out so tender!] and all of the vegetables you need.  But, I've also provided a link to an easy pot roast recipe you can make in the crock pot.  However you decide to do it,  it's always a good night when it's pot roast night!)

Monday, November 11 - Pesto Cavatappi with Chicken*; Bagged Salad (I'll probably just grill up some boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of using a whole chicken.) {Click here for recipe review!}

Tuesday, November 12 - Taco Stuffed Shells* {Click here for recipe review!}

Wednesday, November 13 - Ranch Pork Chops; Brown Rice; Steamed Asparagus

Thursday, November 14 - Grilled Chicken with Avocado Lime Sauce; Quinoa with Corn/Scallions (Another yummy meal I didn't get to again last month.)

Friday, November 15 - Taco Salads  (Nothing fancy, just some taco meat on a bed of lettuce.  I may look up a yummy dressing to make to go alongside it.)

Saturday, November 16 - No meal plan as we'll be celebrating my niece's upcoming FIRST birthday!

Sunday, November 17 - Chicken Tetrazzini; Salad (We used to make a recipe for this all of the time.  I can't seem to find it on the internet right now.  YIKES.  I found one that is somewhat similar, but we might have to do most of it from memory.  I use a rotisserie chicken to make things a bit easier and have adapted the recipe a bit to fit our tastes - for instance, we add some sliced red pepper and use whole wheat spaghetti.  This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal if you're ever wanting to bring a casserole to someone who is sick or if they just had a baby.  OMNOMNOM.)

Monday, November 18 - Chicken Tortilla Bake*; Guacamole (I had a recipe similar to this at a potluck once and I have been looking for a similar recipe ever since.  Fingers crossed that this is the one!)

Tuesday, November 19 - Buffalo Pork Chops* (assuming this is going to be a husband pleasing meal); Fettucini; Broccoli

Wednesday, November 20 - Crock Pot Lemon Chicken*; Sauteed Zucchini; Pasta

Thursday, November 21 - Chipotle Grilled Steak with Lime Butter* (Another husband pleaser since I'm not a big steak eater); Baked Potato; Bagged Salad

Friday, November 22 - Pizza & Salad

Saturday, November 23 - No meal plan as we will be heading over to Medieval Times Chicago to check out the show and have a great dinner.  Jealous?  Check back soon as I'll be giving away FOUR passes to see the show here in Chicago!  SO EXCITING!  (And, if you're following me on Instagram, you'll get an insta-sneak peek on this day!)

Sunday, November 24 - Cheese Bacon Beer Soup* (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT, OMG); Bread

Monday, November 25 - Grilled Marinated Chicken with Corn/Barley Salad (We had this one time before and all LOVED it.  It's a little bit labor intensive, but WELL worth the effort.)

Tuesday, November 26 - No meal plan.

Wednesday, November 27 - No meal plan.

Thursday, November 28 -  THANKSGIVING!  WHOO HOO!  In years past, I have always made this delicious Corn Casserole recipe. (Ignore the fact that it's a Paula Deen recipe.) My husband and I both love it and I've been requested to make it at other events as well.  I'm not sure if my grandmother will want me to bring this or if she'll need something else.   No matter what, I'm really looking forward to enjoying some of my old favorites at my grandparent's house. (Even though I'm really going to miss my mother-in-law's feast...it's pretty stellar.  Wonder if leftovers would ship well?)  I also made this Rosemary & Cranberry Spread as an appetizer last year and it was a big hit.  I probably ate well over half of it myself :)

Friday, November 29 - My 30th Birthday Celebration!  EEK.  (In addition to celebrating my 30th with some dear friends, this is also the THIRD bloggiversary for NMOTB.  I don't really have anything special planned for that...but at least one glass of champagne will be raised that night to 3 years of blogging fun.)

Saturday, November 30 - No meal plan, but I'll bet there will be some leftover turkey in my future!

-----

How is meal planning going for you?  Anyone have something awesome they would like to share this month?  I'd love some ideas to start my December menu ahead of time!  I have to admit that last month I tried a simple substitution on a recipe I've made about three billion times and it totally screwed it up.  We ended up having to order some Jimmy John's (but, no complaints here from me about that.)  Literally in our entire 5 years of marriage, that has never happened to me.  Not bad, but still I'm baffled about how such a small change could mess up such a good thing!   Oh well.  Happy cooking, everyone!

Messing around the kitchen like a busy bee...

Today, I'm excited to present to you the first recipe I ever developed completely on my own.  It used to be one of the few things I could successfully cook in the kitchen.  We had it the other night as part of our meal plan and we realized it had been over a year since the last time we had it.  That seems impossible since we used to have it weekly.  I typed it up once so I wouldn't forget what I did, and now the page looks like this:

You know you love a recipe when it looks like this.
Also, you know that I choose to stick my lemon stickers on my recipe instead of walking to the garbage.

My husband and I are HUGE fans of the flavor of all lemon.  I like lemon as a seasoning more than I like salt.  And I LOVE salt.

Beauties.

If you love lemon, you're going to love this recipe as well.  So, gather your ingredients and get ready...


{Lemon Caper Chicken & Cous Cous}

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tsp. of minced garlic
1 cup of chicken broth (I used free-range, low sodium this time.  It was great!)
1/2 cup of white wine (May omit entirely or sub more chicken broth, I've done both.)
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup of sliced green onion (The amount doesn't really matter here.  Just eyeball it.)
1 package of Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Cous Cous (I mine from Aldi and it's awesome.)
1 tablespoon of capers (coarsely chopped)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

- Heat olive oil & garlic in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken; saute until golden and no longer pink inside.

- Use the time it takes to cook the chicken to prepare your other ingredients.

Delicious capers ready to be chopped.

- When chicken is no longer pink, add broth, lemon juice, capers, white wine, green onion, and the contents of the spice sack that comes with the cous cous to your skillet.  Stir that mixture together and bring it to a boil.

- Once you've got a good boil going, stir in your cous cous, cover, and remove the skillet from heat.  Let it stand for 5 minutes.

It will look a little soupy at first and that's okay.  It really will only take 5 minutes to absorb.  Cooking magic.

- Toss your cous cous mixture with a fork and serve in bowls.  We love this with steamed asparagus on the side.  It tastes even more delicious as leftovers the next day.

Yeah, buddy.

Enjoy!  If you try it out, make sure you let me know what you think!

Waiting for the dinner bell to do the bell thing...

I am so sorry I have sucked so badly as a blogger this week!  I hope to be back to posting at least a few times a week next week.  I have lots of posts planned, just no time to get them ready to go!  Gah.  Anyway, a couple of times a month I will be sharing new recipes I have tried as part of our meal plan. Remember, I also repin the pins for all of the recipes I try through Pinterest on my board "I Made This" so make sure you are following!

----

Smashed Potatoes - This poor meal is just never going to get made!  I realized after I planned it, that my husband and I already had plans to have a date night.  We ate at this amazing local Italian place and had a wonderful time, but sadly did not make the meal plan for October 5.  It was leftover from last month's meal plan.  Oh well.  There were a few questionable days on my original meal plan, so I might get to this later in the month.  Otherwise, maybe November will be the lucky month?  Sorry for the lack of recipe review.  I'm trying to get myself together.

Orzo Salad with Rotisserie Chicken - I could eat stuff like this all of the time.  However, my husband is almost always on the fence about it.  Fortunately for me, he LOVED this recipe.  As in, I had taken only a few bites of mine and he was heading for seconds.  This dish is awesome!  We added rotisserie chicken which was something the person I pinned it from suggested, but this could easily be a side dish sans meat or even as a stand alone vegetarian dish.  (Grilled chicken or shrimp might be delicious as well.)  The recipe even gives ideas for making it vegan by omitting the feta, and I could see that being delicious as well.  For something so simple, we were very pleased.  I also ate it for lunch the next day and was surprised by how well it held up!  YUMMY.  Will definitely have some repeat performances in the NMOTB house!

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole - Initially, we were going to do a different recipe (one that we've already tried), but at the last minute I decided to try something new.  I forgot to take a picture, but trust me when I say it turned out looking a lot like the ones on the website.  I don't cook this sort of thing for my family very often, but sometimes you just need some comfort food and this is definitely it.  If you're not into the processed thing, this definitely isn't for you, otherwise, this is quite a delicious little meal.  It's a little on the labor intensive side as far as rolling the crescents and such, but everything came together nicely.  We served this with some broccoli.  Mashed potatoes would have been awesome on the side as well, but I didn't get that far.

Parmesan Garlic Quinoa - There are two or three pins on my blog that get more repins than anything else.  This recipe is one of them.  I finally decided to try it as a side dish for some tilapia we had this week.  To be honest...I'm not sure what all the fuss is about.  Part of it might be because I totally read something in the directions wrong and cooked the onions and quinoa separately.  Whoops.  If I made it again, I would not screw up the recipe and also would definitely cut the basil in half (totally overwhelmed every other flavor).  I also cut the red pepper flakes by a lot.  For our family (including my spice loving husband) even half a teaspoon is too much red pepper.  Then again, I'm not totally sure I would make this again.  It's not bad.  It's just not for me.  Has anyone else tried it?  Was it as amazing as the pins make it seem?

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce - On the fly, I decided to add shrimp to this even though we usually do one meatless meal a week.  (I usually don't count fish as meat anyway, but I'm Catholic, so that's kind of our thing.)  For the shrimp, I marinated it in fresh lemon juice, garlic, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper while I got the pasta started and then sauteed it in about a tablespoon of olive oil before adding it  once the pasta was finished.  It paired nicely with the pasta.  Which is good.  Because this pasta is OUT OF THIS WORLD.  I avoid using heavy cream in our recipes.  Especially during the week when we opt for lighter fare (usually).  However, how glad am I that I ignored that rule for this recipe?  It is SO simple and just DELICIOUS.  I can't believe so much flavor came from such a simple (and EASY) recipe.  The fresh basil on top?  Perfection.  I will absolutely be repeating this recipe (and truth be told, it doesn't need a protein of any kind - it's great on its own).  I'm eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, so I can't report on how they heat up, but it's pasta so you know it's going to be AWESOME.  This recipe made enough for the three of us to have big portions and still enough for leftovers for all of us for tomorrow.  You could probably cut it in half to feed less people. YUM-O.

 -----

I'll be back next week on the blog hopefully sharing some original recipes of mine and maybe writing a post that has nothing to do with food (GASP.)  In the meantime, maybe you all could cook up some good questions for Advice For Other New Moms.  Even if it's a question you already know the answer to - I could use some inspiration up in here.   Have a good weekend my friends!

Pick a little, talk a little...

Around the time that I wrote this post, I received some follow up questions from some mommy friends of mine.  Their questions were quite valid, especially since I know both of them have kiddos around The Incredible Hulk's age, but quite honestly - it was really hard to answer.

Basically, the questions were about picky eaters and what to do if your child was refusing food.

Sigh.

Despite my best efforts at home, TIH does not have the best repertoire of food.  We serve him everything that we eat and I have a pretty strict rule about not making more than one dinner to appease my kid.  But, he still refuses a lot of the food in front of him most nights.

We continue to demand "No thank you bites" and encourage him to not call any sort of food "gross" or "yucky."  But, he still leaves much of his plate untouched at dinner.

TIH on a night where he decided he hated pasta, chicken, and tomatoes.  Great.

The advice that our pediatrician gave us from the beginning when we started feeding TIH real food instead of baby food/breastmilk was, "Feed him what you eat.  If he refuses, don't provide an alternative and especially don't provide him junk food as an alternative."  I try very very very very hard to do that.  But, I'm a mom.  I have a genetic makeup that tells me that ABOVE ALL THINGS, I must feed the tiny human living in my house.  So, I'll admit.  Sometimes if he doesn't eat a great dinner, I find myself making him a snack at the end of the night (usually something healthy, but still with a large sense of a defeat).

I think the other thing that is baffling to me is that he actually likes a wide array of food - green beans are his favorite vegetable and he eats them first if they are on his plate - but that he will sometimes refuse things that most kids love (like, chicken - unless it is in nugget form.) I also will get daily sheets home from preschool saying that he ate every bite of his gyro or asked for seconds on his stir fry or munched away on cucumbers at snack time.  It's times like this I get the distinct impression that TIH refuses food at home just because he can.

Two and three year olds are (often frustratingly) independent and this might just be another way to express that independence.  It's maddening at times and makes me positive that he'll starve to death - but I'm pretty sure it's normal.  Here's our method to this madness.  It's by no means the best way to do it (obviously, dinnertime can be a battle zone sometimes, and I only have ONE kid to deal with), but it tends to ameliorate some of the typical food refusal issues.


1.  I meal plan.  Yes, yes, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record on this.  But, I often can't remember what I ate three hours ago, much less last week.  By making a monthly meal plan, I know I am providing my family with a variety of food throughout the month.  I'm exposing TIH to lots of different foods and making sure he's getting a good balance of it all.  Plus, I can spread out meals that I know from experience that he will refuse - so I'm also limiting the number of nights where I'm not even going to try to feed him our dinner, and will instead feed him something from one of his favorite food groups (i.e., hot dogs, chicken nuggets, frozen waffles, Chef Boyardee)

2.  I start feeding him small portions.  I feel as though if I put a huge pile of something TIH might not like in front of him, that he is way more likely to throw a fit of epic proportions to refuse it.  But, if I give him a little bit at a time, not only is he more likely to try it, he might even finish it and ask for more (okay, the latter part might be in my dreams.)

3.  We always put something that he likes on his plate.  So, if we're having a meal with a protein, a starch, and a vegetable (a common combo in our house), I'll stick some grapes or Goldfish crackers  on his plate alongside it.  Even if he eats all of that part and only one bite of the other stuff, I consider it a victory.  (And honestly, that's a worst case scenario.  He almost always eats multiple bites of it all.)

4.  When he is starting to refuse food or when he sits down at his plate and immediately says, "I DON'T WANT CHICKEN" we usually reduce the demand.  We'll say, "You just have to eat three bites."  Or, "Eat everything on this side of the plate" and break the food up into sections.  We've actually often found that he'll eat more than what we say at that point, or has even started sectioning off his food himself and saying "I'll only eat this pile." (And then eats all of the piles.)

5.  We keep it real.  If one night out of the week he ends up having some microwaved hot dogs or a box of macaroni and cheese, it really isn't the end of the world. We're careful about when we do it, but sometimes it is more important to just sit down as a family without tears, yelling, and throwing food (and for TIH to be happy too.) :)

6.  When in doubt - offer ketchup.  (We always use a natural ketchup brand that we found and like so at least it's a little better, but honestly, if TIH has something to dip his food in, the popularity of that food goes up 400%.)

7.  We give him a multivitamin.  At least we know we're rounding out the nutrients he might be missing in food.  It's actually become a fun little routine for all of us after TIH's bath.  Mama likes her gummy vitamins too.  It's all good.


It isn't perfect.  There are some books that have been recommended to me and they continue to be on my ever growing to-do list.  But so far, our method isn't based on anything any expert would probably prescribe.

However - it works.

Our child continues to grow.  He continues to eat a range of foods better than I would expect from most three year olds and he is learning lessons that are equally as important in the process - table manners, eating a balanced diet, trying new things, the importance of eating together at a family, and a multitude of other things we're probably not even aware of.  I'll call that a win any day of the week.

-----

If anyone has any further questions about picky eaters, please feel free to email me or post a question to Facebook and I'll try my best to point you in the right direction.  I'll take any questions not related to picky eating too!  Have at it! AFONM is always ready for you!