she gets it

i have an amazing mom {in law}
she gets it
she knows this week is bound to produce loads of anxiety for me
i am traveling a few days for work
josh is traveling quite a few days for work
i have a work retreat--local but critical i attend
influenza is flying around like crazy
stomach flu is everywhere
she gets the stress level i feel
how do i know? she called this morning to tell me she is sick BUT to not worry as she will be better for when i need her and it not, dad is there to help as well.
she gets it



oh and now lukes is a puker.

i vow to not be super stressed this week--internally or externally

one step at a time

temporary
baby tj had trouble sleeping at aunt t's house
aunt t had trouble sleeping too.....
puker lukers confined to a spot
grandma tractor sick too
wondering who will be next
snow storm a comin'
grandma and grandpa cathy kindly came a day early
working to keep tj healthy and all safe on the roads
 hoping the puke comes asap or stays stay stays away
there are travels to make and work to be done
temporary

deep breaths.....

one deep breath. two deep breaths. three deep breaths.
let me help you love.
i did. i let him in. let him hug me. let him help me breathe deep. let him hold my heart in his hands.

i am strong but strength does not mean along. strong means letting others in and helping.

must eat again

OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH

Chicken with Garlic White Wine Sauce.... SO TASTY 　 I substituted fresh basil for the parlsey.

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: divide between 4 • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 6 pts Calories: 169 • Fat: 5.5 g • Protein: 22.8 g • Carb: 4.9 g • Fiber: 1.2 g • Sugar: 1.7 g  Ingredients:

8 chicken tenderloins, 16 oz total

2 tsp butter

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup all purpose flour* (use rice flour if gluten free)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup white wine

1/3 cup fat free chicken broth

salt and fresh pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:  Preheat oven to 200°. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour.  Heat a large skillet on medium heat; when hot add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Addchicken to the skillet and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink. Set aside in a warm oven. Add additional oil and butter to the skillet, then garlic and cook a few seconds; addmushrooms, salt and pepper stirring occasionally until golden, about 5 minutes. Add wine, chicken broth, parsley; stir the pan with a wooden spoon breaking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook a few more minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Top the chicken with the mushroom sauce and serve.

reframing

i tried to title this post "sigh" but remembered i am working to reframe my thoughts...... i am working to be positive.

we are going to be super busy....and that stresses me out

we have thomas for the weekend (exciting but ugh for stress)

i am in lansing for two days--including one night

i get back and josh leaves for the czech republic until monday

over the weekend, jack has a bday party out of town i can't take him too that raised his anxiety
luke has a hockey game 1.5 hours + away. i have a soccer game. blah blah blah

i can do this. i am strong. i am kind. i am smart. i can ask for help.
ive got this!

scentless

maybe my parents think i'm funny :) or they are proud.... or both :D

i think it is a hoot that i found this in the monthly troop newsletter!

tomato and recipe tarts

oooh another to try!!!!

proud of him

Wife Bragging Moment: 
My husband subbed for a friend's soccer team tonight and had a header goal grin emoticon How's that for my soccer coaching, hockey playing "I've never played soccer" husband grin emoticon

just to save a memory :D

that stinker!!! Turns out Jack has been turning his light back on and READING after I tuck him in! Should I be mad??? grin emoticon

PS explains why he has been so tired on some mornings.....

luke's dreams

My heart is full of joy as I watch Luke write his "BIG dreams" for homework-- his dreams are to stand up for people, make sure the world is better, to make life better...... and to be appropriate smile emoticon

new recipe

to try next week!

Chicken and Mushrooms in a Garlic White Wine Sauce
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: divide between 4 • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 169 • Fat: 5.5 g • Protein: 22.8 g • Carb: 4.9 g • Fiber: 1.2 g • Sugar: 1.7 g 




Ingredients:

• 8 chicken tenderloins, 16 oz total
• 2 tsp butter
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour* (use rice flour if gluten free)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 12 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup fat free chicken broth
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 200°. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour. 

Heat a large skillet on medium heat; when hot add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Addchicken to the skillet and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink. Set aside in a warm oven.

Add additional oil and butter to the skillet, then garlic and cook a few seconds; addmushrooms, salt and pepper stirring occasionally until golden, about 5 minutes.

Add wine, chicken broth, parsley; stir the pan with a wooden spoon breaking up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook a few more minutes or until the liquid reduces by half. Top the chicken with the mushroom sauce and serve.

*I only used 1 tbsp of flour and tossed the rest, so calculations were for 1 tbsp flour only.

just in case

i can't remember if posted.... so just in case.........

we took the boys, along with the bartlett fam to a u of m vs msu soccer game. it was a fabulous game and awesome experience! this pic sums it up :)

new colors

out with olive and beige.....

in with navy and pewter :) WOOOO HOOOOO thanks sweetheart for doing an awesome job painting! now to find some fun decorations for the walls.....

dog

el rancho regulars

you know you are a regular when.....

jorge does not even ask to see your card--he just gives you the jacket discount because he knows you have it :)

he said we are like family :) LOVE IT

klackles fun

yeah i know this picture is not from klackles but the ladies and their families are who made an evening at klackles super fun. 

we had a fella who wanted to tryout for the spring season for our team so we decided to set up a tryout.... but it is WINTER so we rented klackles for an hour. of course we put it out for all soccer families to join us..... and we planned to have dinner after with the four families. the kid didn't make tryouts due to a sprained ankle and no other families joined in on the fun SO these three ladies and their amazing families made the evening a blast! i love how much fun we have when we are together. good women. good families. great laughter. 

hockey

who would have thunk that i would become a sports fanatic mama? i cannot say enough good things about the experiences both boys have had with sports. 

saturday was no different. it was a very special day for my little #4 mite--he got to play in a jamboree at van andel arena (for future readers--that is where the grand rapids griffin's play--the team that feeds the nhl red wings team).  it was truly amazing to watch. there were 44 teams playing cross ice. needless to say it was controlled chaos. luke had the best two games he's had yet!!!! :) 

  

after the games, josh and jack scooted off to the first indoor soccer game of the season. luke helped uncle john with household "man stuff" AND getting the van unstuck from the snow in their driveway....and lj and i along with tj went to menards to get paint. 

we then had a super tasty dinner with gary and linda before meeting back up with josh and jack for the game................ 

in the evening, we went to the griffin's game!

family fun--us four, lynda, john, tj and grandma/pa tractor. good day. good sport. great memories.

workout buddy

who doesn't love a good workout buddy :) he sure does motivate me. today was a "jim's gym" day (snow day friday). normally i have been working out two days a week with some soccer friends--with a trainer abby who is awesome. i'm going on 9 months or so :)

worms

poetry

sunrise

winding through the trees

awakening every soul

hope for the hopeful

a haiku by jack boyer

    the raven

the raven woke up and blinked his eyes,

and said to me why must you cry? then he flew,

flew like the eagle then I heard the loud voice of a gun,then you fell down to the ground

so that little raven,is why I cry

wizardZ

the wizardZ

the lizardZ

the potatoeZ to

a goat’s gizzardZ       

that’s why I’m a wizard

Homework              Homework, homework

     my dreadful schoolwork

     it fills me with dread, it fills me with sorrow : ( my life will never be

the same!  

life lesson

 Luke's Lesson for the Day: Do not drink carrot water (water that drips out of the carrots while you eat them). It tastes horrible.

review

Review of the Miso Butter Steak with Shitakes and Asparagus (posted last week):

Meat was not as Brown on the outside as I like. I'll figure out a solution for that. *i cooked in olive oil instead of cooking spray.... maybe that was the reason

I have never used miso and found out I LOVE it!

Rice..... sticking to adding nothing to it next time.

Asparagus and shitake recipe was perfect!!!

Overall great dinner smile emoticon

Shitake and Asparagus:
Roasted Asparagus and Shitake Mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces asparagus, trimmed
4 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine olive oil, pepper, asparagus, and mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet; toss to coat. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Drizzle with soy sauce.

1 cup uncooked instant brown rice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon white/yellow miso (soybean paste)

1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

Roll Out The Red Carpet for These Recipes

Preparation

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Place butter and miso in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Sprinkle steak evenly with pepper and salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Add steak to butter mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle steak with green onions.

3. Stir rice vinegar and oil into rice. Serve rice with steak mixture.

review of pad thai

so i made pad thai tonight (the new recipe)

first of all--i am proud of me! i've never made pad thai before, never used tamarind before, etc.

2nd---i made changes--i added a little bit of soy sauce and lime juice. i used chicken tenderloins instead of the shrimp (but shrimp would taste great) and used more cayenne.

the result was GREAT! a very zangy flavor :)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons tamarind paste soaked in 3/4 cup boiling water (or 1/3 cup lime juice and 1/3 cup water)
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 8oz dried rice noodles (Use the ones that look like linguine)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 12oz medium shrimp peeled, deveined, (if desired. Thin slices of chicken or tofu make good substitutes)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 6 tablespoons chopped, unsalted roasted peanuts
• 3 cups bean sprouts
• 5 medium scallions, green parts only, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves (optional)
• lime wedges

Directions

1. Soak the tamarind paste in 3/4 cup boiling water for 10 minutes, then push through a strainer with a silicone spatula to remove the seeds and fibers. Extract as much pulp as possible. Stir together the fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons oil into tamarind liquid and set aside.
2. Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in a large bowl and soak until softened, pliable, and limp (but not completely tender). This should take about 20 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside. In a separate, small bowl beat eggs and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke (about 2 minutes). Add the shrimp (or protein) and sprinkled with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and browned at the edges (about 3 minutes). Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
4. Take the skillet off the heat and add remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and shallot, then set the skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until light golden brown (about 1 1/2 minutes). Add eggs to the skillet and stir vigorously until scrambled and barely moist (about 20 seconds). Add noodles and toss to combine. Pour the fish sauce mixture over noodles and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing constantly until the noodles are evenly coated.
5. Scatter 1/4 cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but 1/4 cup scallions and cooked shrimp over the noodles. Continue to cook and toss until the noodles are tender (about 2 1/2 minutes).
6. Transfer the noodles to a serving platter and sprinkle with the remaining scallions, peanuts, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
7. Enjoy!

big changes in paint!

no pictures yet to share but WE ARE CHANGING our paint! it may seem tiny to some but huge for me! :D i decided i was done with the "neutral' olive and beige with white trim and have started the process of moving to a navy/royal "evening elegant", with a light silver/beige revere pewter, and white trim. SOOOO excited!

after a super crazy weekend of a snow day, josh hockey, luke hockey at van andel, paint plus supply shopping with lynda and tj, dinner at logans and then the griffins game, josh decided to paint today :D

on a roll--another new recipe

grilled chicken and soba noodles with miso vinaigrette

3 ounces uncooked soba noodles

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon white/yellow miso (soybean paste)

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onions

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

2 (8-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, halved horizontally to form 4 (4-ounce) cutlets

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Prepare soba noodles according to package directions. Add carrot during last minute of cooking. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain.

2. Combine oil and next 6 ingredients (through honey) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place 2 tablespoons miso mixture in a medium bowl. Add noodle mixture, cabbage, and green onions to remaining miso mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

3. Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Add chicken to reserved 2 tablespoons miso mixture, turning to coat. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with noodle mixture.

Laraine Perri

,

JANUARY 2015

You Might Also Like

one to try!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/seared-sirloin-steak-bites-miso-butter-rice

sirloin steak with miso butter (i've never tried miso! excited but scared!) :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon white/yellow miso (soybean paste)
• 1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. Place butter and miso in a large bowl, stirring to combine. Sprinkle steak evenly with pepper and salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Add steak to butter mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle steak with green onions.

3. Stir rice vinegar and oil into rice. Serve rice with steak mixture.

Roasted Asparagus and Shitake Mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces asparagus, trimmed

4 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine olive oil, pepper, asparagus, and mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet; toss to coat. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Drizzle with soy sauce.