What's For Dinner? Week 3

Sophie liked the blueberry-banana-tofu! She also decided cottage cheese and sweet potato is a great combo. We never got around to the mango (we'll do it Monday night instead) but she did get a lot more practice with "finger foods". Mostly Cheerios and little bits of cheese, but I think she's really enjoying the new challenge! Her pincer grasp is coming along though she still needs some practice getting the food into her mouth. It usually somehow works it's way down into her palm and then she can't seem to manuever palm-to-mouth. :) Here she is in action:





Still working with the sippy cup. She does pretty well with this Avent cup, though we mostly use the Playtex sipper without the spill-proof valve. The valve slows them down - too much like a bottle.


Coming up, Sophia is going to have a very tropical week! I've got the mango prepped for Monday and I picked up a papaya for a salad this week and so she's going to get some of the papaya too - probably mixed with avocado or banana or both! Papaya is "in season" usually beginning in February until late spring, peaking in April/May. But Meijer had them on sale last week and they looked good. Check out this link for how to buy, cut and prepare a papaya: http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipesstepbystep/ss/howtocutapapaya.htm. Mangos, on the other hand, have a very long flat seed. I had to refresh my memory on how to cut one. Very weird: http://homecooking.about.com/od/howtocookbasics/ss/cutmango_2.htm.

Baking... I did make Aunt Cathy's chocolate chip cookies last week. (Craig's aunt is famous for her cooking. Pretty much anything Cathy makes, Craig likes. And me too!) I came home from the store Thursday night and Craig laughed at me because I was debating on what I wanted to do with my free time that night after the kids went to bed: use the treadmill... or bake chocolate chip cookies. I went with the cookies... and they were/are fabulous!

But I did attempt a workout for the first time in ages on Saturday during nap time. I tried the infamous P90X workout but didn't complete any one session. I dabbled in the chest/back workout and the plyometrics. I can do push-ups, no problem, and Craig says my form is good. But I've lost all ability to do pull-ups. What happened? I almost made the school record in high school! So I could use a little more arm strength I suppose, but I'm lifting kids all the time so I'm not worried about arm definition. It's funny: I could hold a baby all day with no trouble where Craig would complain that his arms are exhausted. And yet, he can do pull-ups and I can't. Anyway, the plyometrics were awesome and kicked my out-of-shape behind! But I LOVE the feeling of being whipped after a workout - it's kind of a high. So I'm looking forward to more of that and wanting to have Craig and I workout together when his knee recovers.

OKAY! Moving on from that tangent... (LOL)

I have a great recipe to share for kids and adults alike! It's a granola-type, energy bar filled with ground almonds, oatmeal, dried fruit and sesame seeds. I used REAL maple syrup for the binder. They're yummy and healthy and I was happy to use that as a substantial part of Will's lunch on Saturday since he's not always a sandwich-kid and is often lacking in protein. They were good for breakfast too and I'm planning to pack them with my yogurt for a morning snack this week. Here's the recipe (from my favorite Family Fun, of course): http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/energy-boost-bars-688876/

Okay onto this week's meals. I unintentionally went with a Mexican theme for the week. It just sounded good and who doesn't love Mexican food?
1) Chicken Tortilla Soup with chipotle peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes. How about a little bacon, cilantro, red onion and lime to jazz it up? Oh my gosh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! I made it ahead today and we're eating it Monday night so I don't have to waste time cooking during the week. It's easily one of my favorites and I love to serve it when entertaining as well. Check it out at Food Network.com. I promise you will love it! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-tortilla-soup-with-chipotle-and-fire-roasted-tomato-recipe/index.html.
2) Beef and bean chimichangas (baked, not fried). I think I got this recipe from a Quick Cooking magazine YEARS ago! I love it for an easy make-ahead meal and extra portions freeze very well. 3) Green salad with papaya and mandarin oranges. A few years ago, my friend Jill and I attended a cooking class with a Jamaican "jerk" menu. This salad was absolutely amazing! Sliced papaya and canned mandarin oranges on top of a bed of greens. Then a dressing consisting of mayo, olive oil, fresh lemon and lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper. I think that's it? It's got a tangy bite to it and I may pair this salad with the chimichangas.
4) Hmm... for the extra day, I may just pull a soup from the freezer and do soup and sandwiches. Or maybe a panini night???