How things have changed…

I gave up blogging a long time ago, because, well, life just got too crazy, and something had to give. In the interim, I’ve taken some time off from teaching, got pregnant & gave birth to my third child, spent time with her, bought a house, moved, and now I’m back at work, at a brand spanking new job, and my daughter is 2.

Wow how time flies.

Here’s a picture of some of the characters in my life right now.

First, there is Linus, a 7-year old boy in grade 2. Very smart, complete underachiever. Not a fan of team sports, a killer smile and a big mouth to accompany it.

Then we have Stewie. He’s 5-years old according to the calendar, but significantly older in spirit and soul. Ruled by his stomach, he’s been known to out eat even his father. He’s 1 pound lighter and and 1 inch shorter than his older brother. He is quiet (except when home with me!), confident, and has a bit of an attitude.

Finally, there’s my little girl. 2 years old with a tonne of hair, and an attitude to match! She’s talkative, inquisitive, and incredibly cute. She was my miracle baby, the third child I never realized I wanted!

And me? I’m a working mom, back in the classroom teaching after 3 years away. I’m teaching middle school now, after many many years of high school. It’s hectic, it’s busy, but it’s lots of fun!

So many things have happened that I wanted to document, and so here I am.

Menu Plan Monday: August 18th

It’s been a very busy summer!  We just returned from week up north, and after all that greasy fattening resort food, we need to get back into the meal planning routine!  We’re stepping up our vegetarian intake this week, and keeping our carniverous night to Friday only.

For lots more fun menu plans, visit the Org Junkie.  You won’t be sorry!

This week our menu looks like this:

Monday: Big bowl of noodle soup & salad, veggie burgers for the kids

Tuesday:Broccoli polenta served with “meat” (seitan) with broccoli & spinach, salad (recipes from Veganomicon)

Wednesday: Out for dinner with the family, back to school shopping for the kids!

Thursday: Homemade pizza

Friday: Mayonnaise-chutney/curry chicken, rice, sauteed veggies

Saturday: Tortellini with creamy mushroom sauce, salad

Sunday: Leftovers or a roast chicken from the grocery store

WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?

Menu Plan Monday: July 14th

Summer is a time of fun, and it’s so busy!  I think that here in Canada we try to cram so much into the summer months, since it’s so short!  Anyway, here’s our simple (hopefully) meal plan for the week.

For lots more fun menu plans, visit the Org Junkie.  You won’t be sorry!

This week our menu looks like this:

Monday: Veg burgers & noodles

Tuesday: Asian Tilapia served over spaghetti noodles, green vegetable & salad

Wednesday: Spinach Souffle Roll (Or some variation of it), a variation of Quinoa & Wheatberry Pilaf, green salad

Thursday: Homemade pizza

Friday: Not my problem!  Ha ha!  I’m going away on a girls weekend, and so the children and husband will need to fend for themselves!  (Actually, I suspect they will get takeaway with the mothersister-in-law)

Menu Plan Monday: June 16th

It’s been such a hectic couple of months here in our household. The school year is winding down (although it’s not done yet) and I’ve been doing a lot of tutoring and other preparations. Makes meal planning (and cooking, actually) very difficult! Only 2 more weeks, then I’m done! Yay!

For lots more fun menu plans, visit <a href=”http://orgjunkie.com/2008/06/menu-plan-monday-june-16th.html&#8221; target=”_blank”>the Org Junkie</a>.  You won’t be sorry!

This week our menu looks like this:

Monday: Broccoli & Mushroom crustless quiche, a variation of Quinoa & Wheatberry Pilaf, green salad

Tuesday: Order in Pizza (I’m having my physics students over for afternoon study session & food always goes with teenagers!)

Wednesday: Baked chicken, pasta with tomato sauce, vegetable

Thursday: Tacos (veggie)

Friday: Unknown. Probably something take away, to end a long week!

Menu Plan Monday: We will return

Good morning!

This is my last full teaching week, and I’m busy busy busy! I’ve got lots of students (I tutor) to help get ready for exams, and I’m just very busy! To top it off, we’re off to visit family for the latter half of the week, so there will be very little cooking going on around here!

Visit the Org Junkie for more exciting meal plans. There are lots of them. Go and see!

Monday – Leftovers from the weekend. There’s takeaway chinese food, yummy curry chicken from Friday, and some other random items.

Tuesday – Tortellini pasta with creamy mushroom sauce, green salad – we never did have it last week

Wednesday – Friday – off with family

Have a good one. Keep watching this space for a wonderful food announcement sometime this summer!

Menu Plan Monday: May 19th, Victoria day Edition

Good morning! It’s a holiday weekend up here in Canada. Fireworks, sleeping in (ha!) and all that. I took an unplanned break the last 2 weeks, both from menu planning, and blogging. As a teacher, I’m just really busy this time of year!

Visit the Org Junkie for more exciting meal plans. There are lots of them. Go and see!

As you may notice, we’ve been trying to eat more salads. We buy a big tub of mixed lettuces, keep cut up cucumbers and peppers in the fridge, and just toss with a favourite dressing for an instant salad!

Monday – Planned for wraps, but some of the ingredients were not available at my grocery store. So I’ll probably make some sort of modified bean burritos

Tuesday – BBQ burgers, corn & some sort of vegetable, green salad

Wednesday – Chili couscous pie. (3 bean veggie chili)

Thursday – Tortellini pasta with creamy mushroom sauce, green salad

Friday – Curry-mayonnaise chicken, basmati rice, green vegetable, salad

Menu Plan Monday: April 28th

Good morning! The festival of Passover is over (thank goodness), so it’s back to the status quo around here. Last week was overwhelming in its meat content, so we will be returning to our flexitarian lifestyle with a vengeance this week!

Visit the Org Junkie for more exciting meal plans. There are lots of them. Go and see!

Monday – Cauliflower lentil soup, sauteed snow peas, crusty bread

Tuesday – BBQ burgers, corn & some sort of vegetable, green salad

Wednesday – Homemade pizza with vegetables, no homemade crust, though; green salad

Thursday – Leftovers, or raiding the freezer

Friday – Mayo-curry chicken on basmati rice

Saturday – Corn chowder and a nice homemade bread (need recipes for both!)

Yummy Passover Lasagna

You won’t know it isn’t real!

Ingredients

4 sheets of whole wheat matza
1 jar tomato sauce
8 Shitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1/2 – 1 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp minced garlic (approximately 2 cloves)
1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Use a square pyrex (or aluminum) pan, approximately the size of a sheet of matzah.  Pour about 1/4 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom and swirl it around.

Put 1 sheet of matzah in pan.

Mix cottage cheese, garlic and the Italian herbs in a bowl.  Layer them on top of the sheet of matzah.  Spread a bit of sauce on top, and add another sheet of matzah.

Layer sauce, mushrooms, about half of the zucchini, sauce, matzah.

Layer sauce, remaining zucchini, half of the mozzarella cheese, matzah.

Cover with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350, covered, for about 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more.  Allow to sit 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy with a green salad.  Yum!

Menu Plan Monday: April 21st, Passover Edition

Good morning!  This week, Jewish people around the world will be celebrating the festival of Passover.  In a nutshell, this means that we avoid any bread or other items made with wheat.  The exception, of course, being Matzah, a flat, unleavened cracker.

The holiday started on Saturday night with the first of two big dinners (called Seders).  Our menu this week will follow Passover tradition.  Unfortunately for me, this holiday is a big meat eating holiday (after removing all grains, pasta & legumes, there’s not much left), so my menu will reflect that.  By the way, my husband, a (semi) reformed meat & potatoes guy loves Passover.  Me? Not so much.

Visit the Org Junkie for more exciting meal plans. There are lots of them. Go and see!

Monday – Leftovers from our dinner last night.  Brisket, Matzah farfel (a kind of stuffing), vegetable puffs, cauliflower-leek kugel, french beans with mango & pine nuts

Tuesday – Dinner @ my husband’s grandmother.  Likely to consist of 4 kinds of meat, boiled potatoes and an iceberg lettuce salad.  Seriously.  I’ll probably eat only chicken soup.

Wednesday – Matzah lasagna. (finally, meat free!).  This is just like a regular lasagna, but instead of noodles, pieces of matzah are used.  Green salad.

Thursday – Baked chicken breast with honey mustard topping; roast potatoes; some sort of green vegetable (snow peas, perhaps)

Friday – EIther a roasted turkey breast, or a baked salmon fillet.  Quinoa (the only grain actually allowed on passover) and a vegetable.

Saturday – another night of leftovers.  Probably a matzaroni & cheese casserole for lunch.

Sunday – It’s all over!  Probably take away chinese food! Yum!

If you celebrate, Happy Passover!!

Menu Plan Monday: April 14th

Good morning! I’ve been missing in action for a bit here, but I’m back this week. It’s mid April, and around here it’s time for Passover preparation. I’ve written a little bit about that over at the new Playdate website, but keep your eyes peeled for recipes here.

This week it’s all about using up food in the refrigerator and freezer! Next week I’ll have a full Passover menu with recipes, for those that celebrate, so come back and see!

Visit the Org Junkie for more exciting meal plans. There are lots of them. Go and see!

Monday – Tacos (made with soy meat), Black bean dip, Spanish rice

Tuesday – Squash polenta with mushroom topping

Wednesday – Butter Tofu, split pea or 3 bean daal, naan, basmati rice

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Take Away food – no more bread, since we will have turned the kitchen over for Passover

Have a good week!