Meal Plan Monday (6/30)

Curry chicken and veggies

Brittany's stuffed shells

Spinach quiche and pesto sundried tomato & broccoli quiche

White Chicken Chili

I know I don't always include recipes or links to the recipes, but you can find most all of my meal plan meals on my Pinterest boards. Just click the Pinterest botton on the side bar of my home page. If you are reading from a mobile device, click "view web version" to see the side bar.

White Chicken Chili

adapted from Betty Crocker

White Chicken Chili

1 quart organic low-sodium chicken broth
1 can butter beans
1 can great northern beans
1 can white shoepeg corn
1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 small white onion finely chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dries oregano
1/4 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lime juice

For stovetop:
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large pot and cook the onions and garlic until soft.
Put remaining ingredients except chicken into the pot.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Stir in chicken.
Serve with shredded cheese, corn chips, fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, etc.!

For slow-cooker:
Put all ingredients into the slow-cooker, and cook for desired amount of time.

Basic Quiche Recipe

Recipe for two- pie crust

8 eggs

1- 1 1/2 cups milk

2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped*

2 cups shredded mozzarella*

Salt and pepper

Make the two crusts and press them into two pie plates. 

Whisk the eggs and milk with salt and pepper. 

Stir in the spinach. Pour egg-spinach mixture into the pie plates. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes. Let the top get nice and golden-brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. 

*You can really do any cheese/veggie combo that appeals to your family. My favorite is blanched broccoli, sundried tomatoes, and 1 Tbsp of pesto.

Best Homemade Pizza Dough!

We here at the Mills house love homemade pizza. And I love to bake... but I always seem to end up unhappy with my pizza crust. A couple of weeks ago I shared that I had a huge breakthrough with my dough, and I want to share it with you.

I do believe that using good flour makes a very big difference. I decided to use King Arthur brand unbleached all-purpose flour, a staple in my pantry. On a whim I had grabbed one of these three-packs of pizza crust yeast at my grocery store. I was skeptical, but for the price I thought I would try it.

I followed the recipe on the back of the packet for the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, water, and oil quantities, doubling the recipe. But then, of course, I did a few things "ad-lib" to the recipe. 

I baked the dough on stoneware, sprayed lightly with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. 

Here's the recipe:

1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 envelope of the pizza yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup very warm water

3 Tbsp oil

(I doubled all of this.)

Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (used my stand mixer). Add water and oil. (I microwaved my water for 1 1/2 minutes.)  Mix until well blended. Gradually add remaining flour just until soft dough ball is formed. It should slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface for about 4 minutes. (I used my dough hook for 4 minutes.)

Remaining instructions are my own: 

Half the dough by eyeballing, then with floured hands pat it out onto the prepared stoneware; cover with slightly damp, clean dish towel. 

Place stoneware on stovetop and begin heating your oven to 425°; OR, if you made your crust ahead of time, like I did, let it "rise" until time to go in the oven. (The yeast packet recipe does not instruct for any rising, but my results were so good, I think I'll let it sit next time too. I think it was about 1 1/2 - 2 hours before it finally went into the oven.)

No pre-baking required. 

Brush oil lightly onto crust. 

Top as desired. 

Bake 15-20 minutes until crust and cheese are nice and golden. 

If baking two pizzas that won't fit side-by-side, make sure you rotate them halfway through baking. 

Homemade Frozen Fruit Bars and Coconut Smoothies

1 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2-1 cup coconut water (fruit juice will work too)

Put the mango chunks into the blender first, then the raspberries. Pour in 1/2 cup of the coconut water, and secure your blender lid. 

Begin to puree, adding more liquid as necessary. 

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Enjoy outside on a hot summer day!

Spinach Coconut Blueberry Smoothie

Big handful baby spinach

1 cup blueberries (frozen)

1 ripe banana (optional)

Small palmful almonds (optional)

1 cup yogurt of choice (We prefer vanilla Greek.)

1 cup coconut water

Put ingredients in your blender in the order listed. Blend/purée until very smooth. 

Meal Plan Monday (on Tuesday 3/20)

We got hit with the stomach bug last week! It staggered through the kids and Ben, and we are still seeing lingering symptoms. I've somehow been able to avoid the bug so far. We did still manage to get a few good meals in last week, despite the madness...

Spinach quiche (click here for tutorial on my easy homemade pie crust)

Grilled marinated chicken tenders with homemade mac n cheese and French green beans

Leftover quiche

Mug brownie for a late-night treat

Summertime chicken tortellini soup (made with leftover grilled chicken tenders)

These leftovers were great for soothing sick tummies all weekend. 

The kids helped me make batch of these mini muffin corn dog bites to freeze. As it turns our, they don't like corn dogs! Oh well... they'll make good snack or lunch for me.

Here's a little pre-view of our eats for this week:

Sweet potato and black bean chili
Crock pot BBQ sandwiches
Eggplant Zucchini Bake
Trader Joe's black bean burgers
Indian spice curry chicken and veggies

I hope these meal plan posts inspire you to try some new stuff for your family!

What are some new recipes you've liked lately?

Easy Money-Saving Whole Wheat Pie Crust Tutorial

If you read around my blog much, you know that our family LOVES quiche. We would eat it twice a week and not complain. For a very long time, I used store-bought refrigerated pie crusts in my quiche. I always felt intimidated by the prospect of making my own. But several months ago, in an effort to cut back even more on the amount of packaged foods in our house, I started doing some research on making simple pie crusts. I experimented with a few different recipes, and finally came up with my own. It makes two crusts, so it's perfect for my quiche recipe, which makes two pies. It could certainly be halved, or doubled if you wanted to freeze the other two crusts.

Here's what you will need:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up

1/4 cup cold water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or spoon)

Put the butter into the bowl and begin mixing on low-med speed

It will start to combine and look crumbly or cornmeal-ish

Add the water, a little bit at a time.
Increase the speed slightly and scrap the sides of the bowl as it combines.
A dough ball will begin to form and stick to the mixer attachment.
Turn off the mixer.

Lightly flour your two pie plates

Push the dough out of the mixer attachment. Form a ball again.

Dough ball

Divide the dough by eyeballing into your two floured pie plates, sprinkling a little flour on top of each one.

Press dough into pan evenly

Pinch the dough if you want it to look a little more polished (This is totally not necessary; you can just fold it down.)

Refrigerate until you're ready to use it. (Cover it if it will be more than a couple of hours.)

No need to pre-bake this crust. Just pull it out of the fridge, fill it as you desire, and bake! Enjoy!

Super-Easy Tortellini Marinara with Broccoli

My kids gobbled this up like it was cake! I hope yours like it too!

Here's what you need:

1 package refrigerated tortellini

1 small bunch of broccoli, florets chopped into toddler-sized pieces

1- 1 1/2 cups marinara of choice

grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired, for serving

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to directions. Throw broccoli in the pot with the pasta the last four minutes of cooking. (For this TJ's pasta, 4 minutes is the cook-time, so the broccoli went in right away.)

Drain the pasta-broccoli combo gently to avoid tearing any tortellini. 

Toss gently with the marinara; put into your munchkin's bowl; cut it up if necessary; top with grated cheese and serve. 

So easy and so yummy! I enjoyed this meal too! Hope your family enjoys it!

Friday Favorites (3/28/14)

Hey, y'all! I haven't been making much time for blogging lately, but I have really missed it. We've had lots of things going on lately... nothing major; but you know how it is. Sometimes life just kinda takes over. 

One of the highlights during my blog-break was getting to do a service project with the young marrieds small group Bible study that we lead. We stationed ourselves at both entrances of a local grocery store and handed out water bottles with our church invite cards attached while attempting to simply talk with people. 

We had hopes of getting opportunities to ask people what was going on in their lives and if we could pray with them/for them about anything. Our signs said "Free water, free prayer." 

Many people were very distrusting of us, refusing the water; (I think they thought we were going to trap them into something if they took the water but didn't want to talk.) There are lots of great stories from that day, but the thing most worth mentioning is how much our eyes were opened to hurt all around us that people keep hidden but will gladly tell someone about if they sense genuine care. I was humbled by the experience of showing compassion to strangers in this way. I was also emboldened; I know now that it is a very simple thing to ask someone the question, "Is there something that I can pray for you about?" The worst they can say is "no." But when they say yes, God pours out His love into us, as we pour it out into another person. "For whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." Jesus in John 4:13-14

This past week has been a fairly normal one. The weather has been really wacky, but we have still gotten some outside playtime. Here are some of my favorites from the week:

Playing outside on Saturday afternoon, grilling turkey burgers for dinner, and eating on the deck. 

Getting back to reading My Utmost for His Highest in the mornings, now that our church-wide devotional is over. I love the teachings of Oswald Chambers. 

Trying out a new slow cooker recipe for pulled pork sandwiches. Oh. My. Heavens. 

Brainstorming a service project with the moms group at church related to low-income / at-risk expectant moms. I am SO excited about this!

Catching up on some blog reading. Becky's post blew me away yesterday!

Trucking on with marathon training. I did 16 miles for my long run two weeks ago and 12 miles last weekend. Both runs went really well. I am supposed to run 18 miles this weekend. It's only a little over a month away to the race!!! Eek!

Rush is sounding out words and spelling them!!! This little boy is blowing my mind! I haven't pushed this type of learning because he has never shown eager interest in it. He is much more concerned with riding his bike and scooter and playing baseball,etc. It is amazing watching his little brain develop. He is like a super-sponge right now at 4 1/2. 

We have NO plans for this evening, so we'll probably have homemade pizza and watch a movie in the living room. {My favorite!} Tomorrow, Ben is playing in a dodgeball tournament as a fund-raiser for a St. Jude fund-raising team called "AC and the Tough Kids." These are friends from our church, and they are amazing people. 

Sunday, Ben is teaching a lesson on suffering and trials in our lives and how  we are always responding to our circumstances, good or bad. I really enjoyed this chapter in the book How People Change, so I am looking forward to the lesson. 

I hope you have had a great week too!

I want to know:
What's the last service project you did?
What's your favorite meal to eat outside?

Meal Plan Monday (11/18)

I have again planned four meals for this week, none for any particular night. Here they are:

Rachael Ray's New England crabby melts with alexia sweet potato fries

Veggie calzones 

Rachael Ray's spicy chicken, sausage and bean pot with French bread (made with turkey sausage)

Slow cooker ratatouille (from my freezer)-- recipe coming soon

For breakfast:

Monday:

Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts

Tuesday:

Blueberry banana wraps

Wednesday:

Cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter

Thursday:

Everything bagel thin with laughing cow cheese and egg

Friday:

Banana oatmeal waffles

Saturday:

Out for breakfast

Sunday:

Bacon and eggs

Here's what I had for lunch today:

Quick and easy southwest stuffed sweet potato:

1 sweet potato washed, dried and pierced a few times

1 can black beans rinsed and drained, 1/4 cup needed for recipe (refrigerate the rest)

1 chipotle pepper in adobo

Shredded cheese, if desired

Microwave the sweet potato for about 3 minutes on each side (1500 watt microwave).

Drain and rinse the beans while the potato cooks.

Once the potato is done, cut it in half lengthwise, but not all the way through. 

Grab your kitchen shears, and chop the pepper right into the sweet potato. 

Sprinkle on about 1/4 cup of cheese.

Put the beans on top, and mix it all into the flesh of the sweet potato. 

Yummy! (as my kids would say)

Chicken and Wild Rice Slow-Cooker Soup

42 oz. chicken broth
2 cups water
1 lb. cooked, chicken breasts and/or thighs, cubed or shredded
2 cups water
1 package long grain and wild rice with seasonings
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup (approximate) chopped onion (optional)
1 tsp. dried parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into the slow cooker and mix well. Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours. Serve with hot bread of your choice. Oh, so good!

Mmm mmm Clam Chowder

This has been a staple in our home every fall and winter since we were married. My mother-in-law made this for Ben a lot before he left home, and she gave me the recipe. I love pulling out the hand-written recipe card. It makes it even more special.

 

In case you want to copy & paste the recipe, here you go:

 

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

28 oz. chicken broth

approx. 4 cups diced potatoes ( or 1 package refrigerated diced potatoes and onions)

2 cups milk

1 cup half and half

4 slices bacon crisp-cooked and crumbled (optional)

2 small cans each tiny shrimp, clams, crab meat, all drained and rinsed

1 cup carrots, chopped (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

 

Start by sautéing the chopped celery in 2 Tbsp of melted butter in a large soup pot. 

Cook the celery for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle on the 2 Tbsp flour and stir. 

Once combined, continue stirring and pour in the 28 oz. of chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium). Turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. 

Toss in the diced potatoes and carrots and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft to your liking (I soften ours quite a bit for my kiddos).

Slightly mash the potatoes with a wooden spoon (or the amazing Pampered Chef Mix n Chop) to thicken the chowder. (Sorry, no picture of this step!)

Stir in the milk, half & half, bacon (if using), and the rinsed and drained cans of seafood. 

Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or warm crusty bread, and enjoy! You'll have enough leftovers for another cold fall night!

 

Note: This is a great recipe to double and freeze for later. ;)

Marathon Training Log #9

Race day is three weeks from today!!!

We did our final L O N G run yesterday morning--- 20 miles! The weather was amazing! It was about 55 degrees when we started. I was a little cold before we started, which made me very happy. Training in the summer in East Tennessee has been brutal! So, to the fall season I say, "Welcome and stay a while!"

Chris and I were unable to run this one together, so Ben planned to go with me. We were able to arrange for kiddos to sleep over with my parents on Friday night (thanks, Mom and Dad!), so we got to have a date night and chose pasta from Johnny Carinos to fuel our run. 

For breakfast (around 6:00) we each had a slice of my homemade cinnamon-raisin flax bread with a thin layer of peanut butter and coffee. 

In my belt, I took my usual one water and one sport drink, each 10 oz. I planned to use a Power Gel (the brand that will be provided at the race) at 6 miles, 12 miles, and between 16 & 18 miles. We were running a double out-and-back route, so we were able to plant some drinks and fuel (Marathon Bars, VO2 Bars) at our car. 

We both drank a Spark 20 minutes before we started the run. I stopped to take a bathroom break and re-fill my water at the usual park (5.9 miles) and took a non-caffeine Power Gel with about 8 oz. of water. I also topped-off my sport drink with some water. I decided to turn on some music for a little while, which is unusual for me. But I knew I had a long way to go to be alone. I did not have headphones, so I just carried my phone in my hand. It was a nice little change to pass the time. My two favorites from yesterday were Mandisa's What If We Were Real and Travis Cottrell's Oh My Soul March On. I  stopped for another bathroom break at mile 12, which was back near our van. I refilled my water and sport drink and started eating a VO2 Bar as I started running again. Before I knew it, I had reached 16 miles, which was my turnaround point. I had to go a little further than that because Ben had planted a water for me. Ben ran by me on the other side, heading to the finish. He had planned a 23 mile run, and his pace is over 1.5 minutes per mile faster than mine. Since the planted water was a little past my turnaround, I decided to pause my GPS and walk after I picked up the water so I could pour the water into my belt bottle and eat another Gel (with caffeine). I had drunk all of my water between mile 12 and 16 and drank almost half of the sport drink. I knew that there were no more water stops along the way so I tried to be conservative, but reasonable. Around mile 17, I started getting "giddy" because I couldn't believe how good I felt. My pace had stayed the same (within 3 seconds) the entire run, and it was 40 seconds faster per mile than my goal race pace! I passed a friend at mile 19. It was nice to get some encouragement. When my phone said 20 miles and told me my pace, I let out a joyful "ha!" and threw my arms in the air. It felt great to finish so well. The best part was Ben waiting for me at the finish. 

Once I sat down, which was after a while of walking and stretching, I made a soy milk chocolate protein shake (I had packed a cooler in the van) and drank it on the way home. We took a quick shower, and I made us some roasted chicken and Swiss cheese on rye toast and black bean and cheddar cheese dip with yellow corn tortilla chips, all just in time for the Vols to kick-off at 12:30. We each ate a banana, stretched some more, and then I went to bed. I never went to sleep, but I rested. I think I was too excited from the success of the run. I was praying while I was lying in my bed, thanking God for giving us the physical health and ability to accomplish our goal.  That is something I pray I never take for granted- the blessing of a healthy, fully-functioning body (see Bible passage below). (I hope to write an entire post on this subject this week, so stay tuned.) God has entrusted me with this one body; and so far, he has blessed me with great health, including two healthy pregnancies despite a blood disorder! And I was also thanking God for our supportive family that has been willing to help with our kids while we train. We are so blessed!

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? For you are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I am finally able to say I believe I can run a Marathon. Until Saturday, I was not confident enough to believe it. This weekend, we have 12 miles assigned for the long run. I will still be journaling our runs as we taper.

I found a great blog this week that I just can't get enough of: milesandblessings.com. Jen is a Christian, mom, pastor's wife and runner. Her take on life is so sweet! Check her out!

In case you were wondering what "belt" I wear when running, here it is: the Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack. I could not train without it.