Sunday, January 30, 2011

Lunch: 1.31.11


Snack is a couple pocket pop tarts (prune filling), some raisins, and a juice.

Lunch is a clementine, some skillet bread with cheese, grapes, homemade Greek style yogurt with honey and vanilla stirred in, and a couple oatmeal jammy bit mini muffins.


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Recipe: Crockpot365's Baked Bean Soup

Stephanie over at Crockpot365 blogged this better than I ever could - and it's delicious.

Baked Bean Soup.  It has a little zip, and is super healthy.  I used canned white kidney beans and some canned diced tomatoes with diced chilis.  Mmmmmm.

Give it a try. I think it's a winner.


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Friday, January 28, 2011

Recipe: Spiced Apricot Oatmeal Bars

These are lovely!  I have had similar bars with raspberry jam, but I had some apricot jam, and couldn't resist throwing in some spices to make them even more scrumptious.  I want to try it with some other kinds of jams, too.  Mmmm.

Spiced Apricot Oatmeal Bars

1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 c rolled oats
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c butter
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c apricot jam

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine all ingredients except for jam in a food processor (or mix by hand).  Line an 8"x8" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Press about 2 c of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. 

Spread jam evenly over the crumbs, to about 1/4" from the edges.



Cover with the remaining crumbs and press down evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Allow to cool before cutting into squares.


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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Recipe: Southwestern Tomato Soup

The Girl wasn't feeling well tonight, so I decided to make grilled cheese and soup.  I had some condensed tomato soup on hand, but wanted to make it a little more interesting. 

It turned out really yummy!  I can highly recommend this quick and easy dinner.


Southwestern Tomato Soup

2 cans condensed tomato soup
2 soup cans skim milk
1/2 c salsa
1 Tbsp taco seasoning

Combine condensed soup and milk.  Stir well.
I used special edition orange colored tomato soup, but you can use regular


Add in salsa and taco seasoning. Allow to simmer for several minutes for flavors to combine.  Serve with grilled cheese or corn chips.


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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Lunch: 1.27,11



The Girl has a new lunch box!  This one is from Crocodile Creek, and the Easy LunchBox containers fit beautifully inside.  I'm really excited for this lunch box - it is more easily cleaned than her old lunch box, which was getting seriously grimy on the cloth. Hooray for new lunch boxes!

Snack is a fruit cup, some pocket poptarts, and a juice.  (A note - the juice does not fit in the snack pouch of the new lunch box... instead, it goes in the big container with the lunch.  She may drink it at lunch.  That's up to her).

Lunch is some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, a hard boiled egg, some pistachio pudding (from a box mix... cleaned out my pantry the other day and found that I have about 10 boxes of pudding!), and a couple oatmeal jammy bit mini muffins.


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Recipe: Mushroom Curry

I love Indian food.  I had mushrooms that needed using.  Mushroom curry needed to happen.

A note.  The kiddos did not really eat this.  Mushrooms are a challenge.  Still, I keep trying.  The Girl took a couple bites at least.

Me?  I love mushrooms.  Adore them. 
Mushroom curry with basmati rice and carrot & beet raita

Give it a try!

Mushroom Curry

5 Tbsp olive oil

2 lb mushrooms
2 onions, finely chopped
1 can diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp fennel seeds
2 inch cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground cloves (or 3 whole cloves)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 inch chopped fresh ginger)

2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric

1/2 c water
salt to taste

Cut mushrooms into thin slices (I use my egg slicer).



Grind cinnamon, cloves, fennel, garlic, and ginger into a fine powder in a spice grinder (I use a dedicated coffee grinder - if you are using fresh ginger do not put it in the coffee grinder).

Heat oil in a large pan and add the powdered spices (and fresh ginger if using).  Cook the spices, stirring, over medium heat for about a minute.

Add onions and saute until golden brown.

Stir in tomatoes, and saute for about 5 more minutes.  Add chili powder and turmeric.

Add the mushrooms to the pan with the water and salt to taste.  Stir well, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until mushrooms are well cooked.

Uncover and stir for a few more minutes, until water evaporates.  Serve with basmati rice.


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Lunch: 1.26.11

I got these adorable new containers (nesting, Christmas themed... I got them at 75% off!) at Borders this past week, and they are perfect!  (The two smallest ones are less Christmas-y - penguin and gingerbread man, and those will be the ones I'm using for now).  Heads up, our local store also had a Valentine's set, but they were not on sale yet, so you might be able to find them there.  There was also another food themed set that was not on sale.  So it's worth looking.

Snack is a couple pocket pop tarts, a fruit salad, and a juice.

Lunch is a couple corn muffins, some mini hot dogs, a hard boiled egg, baked beans, and apple slices.


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Monday, January 24, 2011

Lunch: 1.25.11


Snack is four mini oatmeal jammy bit muffins and a juice.

Lunch is some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, a plum and a strawberry pocket pop tart, blueberry apple fruit roll-up, and some apples.


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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Lunch: 1.24.11


Snack is fresh pocket poptarts (the circle has a plum filling, the square is strawberry jelly), some blueberries, and a juice.

Lunch is some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, a hard boiled egg, blueberry applesauce fruit roll-up, apples, and a couple oatmeal jammy bit mini muffins.


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Recipe: Nutella Granola

I needed to make a new batch of granola, and I have seen recipes that have peanut butter in them, but I wanted to try something different.  How about nutella?

(By the way, Amazon's price on Nutella is really good!)

This recipe gives a subtle nutella flavor.  You can add more nutella in if you want it to be stronger.  You can also use some coconut if you like (my girl doesn't like it).  You could also add more sweetness in the form of honey or syrup if you prefer a sweeter granola.

I modified my Grandma's Granola recipe.  As with that recipe, according to my grandmother, if you eat more than 1/4 c in a serving, you are overeating.  Take that advice as you may.
A small tasting portion.. Mmmmm.

Nutella Granola

4 c rolled oats
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 c dry milk
1/4 c ground flax seeds

1/2 c Nutella
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c vegetable oil

1 1/2 c dried fruit (I used raisins)

Combine dry first four ingredients in a bowl.


Heat the nutella, brown sugar, and oil in a bowl in the microwave until they can be easily stirred together (about 30 seconds).

Pour nutella mixture into dry ingredients and combine well.


Spread into large baking pans and cook at 250 F for about 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  If you don't stir it, it could burn, and there is little more tragic in the kitchen than burnt granola.  Consider yourself warned.

Once the granola is well toasted, let cool and stir in dried fruit.

Transfer to an air tight container and enjoy!


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Saturday, January 22, 2011

Recipe: Hot Cocoa Mix

I don't know about the weather where you are, but here in Vermont, tomorrow's HIGH temperature is -1 F.  Today is a relatively balmy 10.  Yipes.

This calls for hot cocoa.

Hot, sweet, chocolately, but not too decadent, so I can feel ok giving this to the kiddos after a cold romp in the snow.  And easy!  I put this together in less than 5 minutes, and it will give me about 20 servings of cocoa, I think.

Hot Cocoa Mix

2 1/2 c nonfat dry milk
1 c sugar
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c non-dairy creamer


Combine ingredients in an air tight container.

Shake well to mix.

To serve, put 3-4 Tbsp in a mug and pour in boiling water.  Mix well.  If desired, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  It makes a difference.  Enjoy!


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Friday, January 21, 2011

Lunch: 1.21.11

Snack is the same as yesterday - 4 mini oatmeal jammy bit muffins and a juice.  No picture.

Lunch is a couple lil' smokies with cheese inside, a burrito with a lentil filling, apple bits, and some berry applesauce.


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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Lunch: 1.20.11 (and Lunch for the Boy)


Snack for the girl is some Oatmeal Jammy Bit mini muffins and a juice.

Her lunch is some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, apple slices, blueberries, a berry applesauce, and a couple heart shaped chocolate covered pretzels.

The Boy is staying with our dear friend tomorrow, so his lunch is packed, too.  The applesauce is for his snack, and he also has some oatmeal jammy bit mini muffins, apple slices, some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, and a couple chocolate covered heart pretzels.


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Lunch: 1.19.11


Snack is a mini bagel with nutella, blueberries, and a juice.


Lunch is some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, apple slices, a fortune cookie (she found it and got very excited), and the last of those Gushers... she likes them, but I am so glad they are gone.  :D


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Monday, January 17, 2011

Lunch: 1.18.11

Back to school after a long weekend!

Snack is some Strawberry Jelly Pocket Pop Tarts, a couple dried plums, and a juice.

Lunch is some tie dyed stuffed pizza bread, marinara sauce for dipping, blueberries, cheesey mini hotdogs (the Hubby bought them for my party this past weekend), and some crackers with wonderful currant and honey cheddar cheese that I found, all packed in our trusty Easy Lunchbox!


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