What's For Dinner? Week 3

Okay... a little delayed with the weekly meals post. We ARE eating. I promise.

First things first. I got a new lunch bag!!! Ha. Is it ridiculous that that made my week? Enough to require three exclamation points after the announcement? I also got some new Rubbermaid containers to pack my lunches 'cause the old ones from my wedding shower are about shot. Anyway, my new lunch bag has three compartments and a shoulder strap so I don't feel like such a bag lady with my hands so full when I walk into work with three different bags: purse, clean pump parts and lunch. Yay!
Also, thought I'd share a pic of my favorite dessert in the world: cookies! I made coconut chocolate chip last Thursday and, while a little flat, they were delicious.

New for Sophie this week: asparagus, pineapple and kiwi. She is getting so much better at her pincer grasp and hand control. A lot of food still ends up in her lap, but I think that's just 'cause she eats so fast. Remember my comment about her gagging a lot back when Taylor and Amanda came for dinner? Well that only lasted about a week and then she figured out how to use her tongue to control the swallowing better. Now she eats so well! Go Sophie!

Okay, so I've accomplished a few of my National Nutrition Month goals that I mentioned awhile back.

#1 - I tried star fruit at that wedding shower I went to at the beginning of the month. It was pretty good!

#2 - I made a new asparagus recipe compliments of my mom's recipe box. Just one bunch of asparagus and one red pepper in strips, steamed in some water on the stove top, and then a delicious balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing (that I could totally drink straight up - I love homemade dressings!) with Dijon mustard and thyme.

#3 - I asked Craig to come up with a meal for this week. He decided on corned beef Reubens (sp?) for St. Patricks Day dinner and just maybe he'll have a hand in preparing them? I've never made Reubens before, but I've had them in a couple restaurants and they're pretty good!

So all that's left for my goals are to make something with spinach and to make and share my yummy quinoa salad recipe.

On the menu this week:

1) Steak. You may (or may not) have read my post about our manly Valentine celebration. Actually, even before I made that plan, Craig asked me last week if I'd give "Soupapalooza" a break and start up "Steakapalooza". Haha. Not likely... because I hate grilling. But once a month or so, it's not too bad. So we had steak, the asparagus (above), corn and bread.

2) Grandma Verna's chili mac. Craig loves this. Will used to. There is just no pleasing Will these days with any main dish. He refuses it all. The boy is living off of fruits, veggies, dairy and the occasional meatloaf. He doesn't eat bread either, so it's often a struggle getting his carbs in too. Whatever. I'm so totally over stressing that topic. I make healthy food... he eats or he doesn't. He's growing just fine and I'm not resorting to garbage food just because...

3) Corned beef Reubens, perhaps a salad, and rainbow fruit parfait. (Pictures later) We've had Reubens a couple different ways and Craig and I are planning on each having a different version. So I have corned beef from the deli, canned sauerkraut, sliced provolone, sliced cheddar, lettuce, tomato (like the ones he loves at Subway), and Thousand Island dressing. I'm going to toast mine on the panini grill. Craig likes his bread warm but soft, just like with BLTs.

4) A big salad with BBQ chicken strips and light ranch dressing. This is one of my quick, go-to meals. Fast and tasty. I prep the chicken strips and just saute and lightly coat in BBQ sauce the night of dinner. Salad fixings are chopped in advance and everything assembles pretty quickly.

You know, Craig complains every now and again that I don't make food he likes. This entire week is food he likes and I didn't even ask him to try the asparagus. Several years ago, I used to think he was an adventurous eater and didn't refuse much (except peas, most legumes, and yogurt). But he has gotten picky since we've been married and much more difficult to please when it comes to food. I try to make a variety. I try to make things we'll all like. But I also like to try new things and expand our palate a little. Know what I mean? And every time I ask him what he'd like for dinner, his answers are: steak, taco salad, hot dogs and burgers. We do eat that stuff, but it gets boring. But then he'll pick apart the meals I do make with how this or that could be better. These criticisms coming from a man who once cut up a string cheese stick to melt over leftover pasta because we were out of mozzarella and because he absolutely must douse everything in sauce or cheese until you can't taste whatever it is...

But I digress...