Feasibly Fit Mom

Meal Plan: Week of February 1

 

(Image: stu_spivack)

In accordance with a positively rainy forecast, we planned lots of soup again this week. Though it's barely rained, we are sticking with the plan. And thanks to the babysitter, I had a bit of "free time" to experiment with cooking and preparing a couple dinners at the same time. I definitely appreciated some economies of scale, especially when it came to chopping onions and sauteeing veggies.

Here's how the week's looking:

• Red lentil and carrot-coconut soup (in slow cooker for tonight)
• Vegetarian tortilla soup (despite my grumbling about the preparation required, the flavor is so spot-on, right-on). We enjoyed it with avocado and slab of chevre sunk in the middle of the soup.
• Fried egg sandwiches (just like it sounds)
• Date night: Vietnamese food and insanely good ice cream (thanks, Kate, for the tip!)
• Baked chicken tenders with salad

Today we went to a baby-mom dance class. I wasn't in the best space for it: fussy morning and I'm not a dancer -- we ended up leaving a bit early and needed a change of scenery. So naturally, we headed to the taqueria for a veggie burrito. 

FitBoy and I sat together and looked around. I zoned out and stared at the Virgin Mary mural while he made googly-eyes at the sweet ladies behind the counter. All we have to do is stand in line and by the time we place our order, he already has a sweet itty bitty baby burrito in his mitts. 

He ate his burrito and several bites of mine...which got me thinking: He does much better eating when we're out and about than he does at home. And, he does much better eating for anyone other than me! I try to keep it low-key: offer a few healthy choices, let him ask for bites or feed himself, etc.

Any any ideas why this is? Or should I just chalk it up to another "mom" thing?

Meal Plan: Week of January 25

 

FitBoy 'n' his Dog

I'm a little late posting, but here's what's been cooking in our house this week:

• Easy tortellini soup (fresh tortellini, sauteed garlic with canned tomatoes, broth, and spinach, chard and kale)
• Taco Tuesday
• Slow-cooker lentil soup (the one I like has lemon zest/juice and cumin to punch it up)
• White bean and greens frittata (pretty much whatever's leftover in the pantry and produce bins)

The citrus in season is still insanely delicious; I have to hide the satsumas from FitBoy while he's eating -- otherwise that's all he wants. While "orange" isn't the easiest word to say (neither is "naranja," in Spanish), I have a feeling learning to say "orange" is close on the heels of "na-nuh" (banana)!

* * *

Last week it felt great to get back to meal planning; I rarely decide which meal goes we'll have on a certain day ahead of time, which gives me flexibility. The mushroom apricot pilaf from vegetarian slow-cooker book was a bust. It reminded me, once again, why I usually don't care for casserole-y slow-cooker meals.

Meal Plan: Week of January 18

It's definitely winter cooking week here at FFM. Between two(!) new Le Creuset dutch ovens for Christmas and a new Zojirushi rice cooker, I'm inspired. We've been trying a CSA delivery service and while I love the idea of walking down to the vestibule and walking back up the stairs with a box of cleaned organic veggies, I'm afraid our usage and the cost just aren't worth it.

In other news, FitBoy has outgrown his dairy allergy -- yay! -- so we're doing a bit more raw milk and cheese in these parts lately. [Having been dairy intolerant for some time, avoiding dairy while nursing him was a good thing for me. My skin and gut have suffered lately with the re-introduction of delicious aged cheddar and lattes.]

 

(Photo: silent shot)

This week:

Chipotle White Beans (via 101cookbooks.com) - a perfect and easy winter casserole. Do remember to soak your beans overnight. When I made it the first time, I thought it'd be the most boring bean dish ever. The flavors come together so nicely. 

Modifications: 1) More greens (chard or kale) 2) Sub smaller navy beans (cook faster and are the right starch ratio for my taste) 3) Add bread crumbs before popping into oven (over feta) for a lovely golden crust. 

I made this for a friend in my son's playgroup, assuming it was gluten-free (planned on omitting bread crumbs), only to see that adobo sauce has flour in it. We made-do with an adobo-free version of the tomato sauce, greens, beans, cottage cheese topping (ran out of feta), and popped under the broiler. She said it reminded her of pizza!

Taco Tuesday - each Tuesday we walk to the taquería and pick-up a taco or two. Lately, the ladies behind the counter have been handing FitBoy his own "burritito" wrapped in foil, which he devours, like a big-boy, all the way home.

Easy Curry Noodle Soup - a lazy version I adapted from this already-easy noodle soup (inspired by 101cookbooks.com), sourced exclusively from Trader Joes:

1 carton veggie broth

1/2 - 3/4 jar of Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce (spicy!)

1 package spinach chive linguine noodles

1 package savory flavor tofu, cubed

1 bunch organic baby spinach (optional)

Cook pasta, slightly al dente. Simmer curry sauce and broth in separate pot. Add cubed tofu to curry-broth and simmer. Add pasta and spinach. 

Lentil Soup with Spinach - from a vegetarian slow-cooker book I'm borrowing from my mom. (This soup is her favorite from the book; mine, too.)

Wild rice with mushrooms and apricots - also from the borrowed book.

* * *

It's been a while, but I'm also sharing over at Mindful Menus (hosted at Chive Talkin'). I'm about to head over there for some inspiring menus focused on *real* food.

Local Feature: Classy boudoir photo shoot

Ooh, la la! This is one of those times I wish we still lived on the Central Coast. 

 

You may know Rachel as an awesome trainer and dedicated mom. She's kind and humble, so you may not know she's also a talented photographer.

Through her photography business, Rachel Neumann Photography, she's offering the perfect Valentine's Day photo package: a tasteful, sexy private boudoir photo shoot. Get pampered and primped with complimentary hair and makeup, then relax and enjoy expressing your sassy side with complimentary champagne, strawberries and chocolate during your 30 minute photo shoot. 

The best part: you'll receive 5-10 images on CD.

Yeah, I'd probably be giggly and nervous, and I'd love to do something like this. Just for fun!

She's got 6 more spots available for Sunday, January 24. Email her to snag her *half-price* offer of $75.