cooking – Page 30 – Hewes Family Fun

7/27/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

July 27, 2020Abby H.

I’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the weekly calendar/schedule and prepping the snack box for the week.

I’ve been buying snacks in bulk and only putting weeks worth out in the snack box. It keeps us out of the stores, and its healthier. I’ve been doing this for about a month, and I’ve gotten really good at hiding the extra snacks.

So I haven’t kept up on getting snacks replenished, so I’ll be getting some new snackies this week. Otherwise, we are still ok on groceries and I’ll probably be able to skip a full grocery run.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day: Right now our local school district is serving lunch for a drive-through service for kids 18 and under M-F. It’s great because it helps stretch our budget and it gets the kids out of the house for a few minutes. They also include a cold lunch (usually cereal and milk and a piece of fruit) for the next morning. Often times, the cereal ends up being a snack for late afternoon. I’ll be posting more info about summer lunches this afternoon or tomorrow.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix). I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

We’re in the final stretch of summer vacation. Summer School is over, and so now we are left to our own devices for the next month or so. To that end, we’ve recently started playing Pokemon Go to help get our bodies active. We go out for walks each day to try and get some monsters and steps. I love that the big kid has a pokemon Buddy in the game and as part of taking care of his buddy, he has to “walk” the buddy daily. It encourages him to get exercise and it teaches him empathy- something that can be hard for kids on the spectrum.

Sunday: Leftovers
Monday Biscuits, Country Gravy, hashbrowns, poached eggs, and melon (I am not ashamed to admit I ate half of a cantaloupe)
Tuesday:Veggie Burgers or chick’n nuggets, salad or fruit
Wednesday: Pulled BBQ Chicken, rice, steamed veg
Thursday: Pizza Night (pizza and salad or fruit)
Friday: Shephard’s Pie (I haven’t made this in AGES, and we have all the ingredients!)
Saturday: leftover fiesta

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

7/20/2020 Weekly Meal Plan!

July 20, 2020Abby H.

I’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the weekly calendar/schedule and prepping the snack box for the week.

I Haven’t gone to the grocery store for this week. I’m trying to use up a lot of what we have on hand. With California re-tightening it’s ruling on what kinds of businesses can be open, the grocery shelves are starting to look sparse again.

I plan on doing some baking this week if it stays cool. Probably cookies, a couple pizzas, and buttermilk biscuits.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

School has wrapped up, but we are starting distance learning summer school. It’s a lot less, but it will still keep the kiddos brains sharp. And we’ve recently started playing Pokemon Go to help get our bodies active. We go out for walks each day to try and get some monsters and steps. I love that the big kid has a pokemon Buddy in the game and as part of taking care of his buddy, he has to “walk” the buddy daily. It encourages him to get exercise and it teaches him empathy- something that can be hard for kids on the spectrum.

Sunday: Leftovers and Birthday Cake
Monday Breakfast Burritos and fruit salad
Tuesday: Tortellini Casserole (I’ll post a recipe this week)
Wednesday: Orange Chicken and veggie stir fry
Thursday: Pizza Night (pizza and salad or fruit)
Friday: Veggie Burgers or chick’n nuggets, salad or fruit
Saturday: leftover fiesta

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

6/22/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

June 22, 2020Abby H.

I’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the weekly calendar/schedule and prepping the snack box for the week.

I went to the store last night and spent a little more than I usually do- We were out of a lot of staples. I try to keep the weekly grocery budget to around $100, last night I spent $150.

I was looking over everything last night and I realized that I shouldn’t be so hard on myself- we are all home all the time, which means that we are all eating (and drinking) at home, and that means an increase in both food budget and cooking.

4 people eating 3 meals a day, 7 days a week is 84 meals per week, plus snacks and drinks. That’s approximately $1.78 per meal, per person. And I cook a lot from scratch- which saves us even more than buying convenience foods or eating out. As you can see from our meal plan below, I’m not making Haute cuisine- It’s healthy, wholesome food that the kids enjoy.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

Sunday: Customized mini pizzas for Father’s Day (We cooked them on our new Pizza Stone)
Monday Chicken Enchiladas, Beans, Rice, and Salad
Tuesday: Breakfast night (Pancakes, Eggs, bacon, fruit salad)
Wednesday:BBQ chicken and salad
Thursday: Pizza Night (pizza and salad or fruit)
Friday: Veggie Burgers or chick’n nuggets, salad or fruit
Saturday: leftover fiesta

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

5/25/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

May 25, 2020May 25, 2020Abby H.

I’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the kids at home learning schedules, and prepping the snack box for the week.

I’ve been buying snacks in bulk and only putting weeks worth out in the snack box. It keeps us out of the stores, and its healthier. This is only kinda working- I need to do a better job of hiding the snacks that are meant for the future.

The big kid and I went to the store on Saturday- all masked up and ready to hunt for bargains. We went over budget by about $20, but we stocked up on some extra stuff like a big bag of frozen mango chunks, more eggs (we’ve been eating a lot more eggs recently as the price of meat keeps going up), and cheese.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

We’re wrapping up distance learning in the next two weeks. That means I’ll be looking for more fun stuff for us to do. Our local parks are opening up to walking and I think we’ll be getting outside more as we are able.

Sunday: Leftovers
Monday Cheese enchiladas, Right Rice, and Beans
Tuesday:Veggie Stir Fry with Lo Mein
Wednesday:BBQ chicken and veggie bowls (with rice)
Thursday: Pizza Night!
Friday:Cheesy Chicken Broccoli casserole, kale salad. The casserole has a very small amount of chicken, so I can scoop some out for the big kiddo and he can have some meat-free.
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner (possibly breakfast burritos)

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

5/10/2020 Weekly Meal Plan!

May 10, 2020Abby H.

I’ve started doing weekly meal planning on Sundays. It’s easier to do it while I’m writing up the kids at home learning schedules, and prepping the snack box for the week.

I’ve been buying snacks in bulk and only putting weeks worth out in the snack box. It keeps us out of the stores, and its healthier.

And I’ve been trying to visit the store once a week or less. I stocked up yesterday on stuff the kids love (and eat a lot of), so we should be good for the week.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

We’re on week 4 of distance learning. It’s finally become a habit, and there are plenty of chances to play and get our wiggles out. I bought the kids a kiddie pool for the patio and that is totally helping them get out the pent up energy.

Sunday: Cheeseburger Salad (It’s a cheeseburger served sans bun on a bed of greens). The kids will have chick’n nuggets as Big dude is a vegetarian, and Bitty doesn’t like red meat.
Monday: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli casserole, fruit salad, Texas Toast and leftover nuggets. The casserole has a very small amount of chicken, so I can scoop some out for the big kiddo and he can have some meat-free.
Tuesday: Bean, Rice, and cheese bowls with grilled veggies
Wednesday:BBQ chicken and veggie bowls (with rice)
Thursday: Pizza Night!
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Waffles and fruit salad

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Recipe: Hearty Veggie Soup

May 7, 2020May 7, 2020Abby H.

I made this last month while it was cold and rainy. I keep forgetting to post this recipe. It’s so tasty. And easy. The leftovers (if there are any) freezes well.

It’s vegan and gluten-free as is, but you can make changes and use bone broth if you want, or even add meat of your choices I think kielbasa pieces would be really great in this soup!

I used Right Rice in this recipe in place of regular white rice. What I like about Right Rice is that it’s made from Lentil Flour, Chickpea Flour, and Rice Flour. Those ingredients mean that this “rice” is high on protein! The “rice” thickens up the soup for sure.

I found Right Rice at Grocery Outlet, but you can also order it on Amazon. You can substitute canned chopped tomatoes for fresh tomatoes- Use what you have on hand.

Hearty Veggie Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced (I used green)
2 T. cooking oil (your choice)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green or yellow zucchini (whatever is in season or you have on hand)
2 quarts veggie stock
2 cups chopped tomatoes (you can also use a large can of diced tomatoes)
1 14oz.-ish can of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
2 cups Right Rice
1 bay leaf
2 T. Penzeys Forward Spice Blend
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large, heavy-bottom stockpot, heat oil.
Saute carrots, celery, bell pepper, and onions until onions are soft and clear, about 5-10 minutes.
Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients and spices. Cook on low for 20-30 minutes, or until right rice is done and soup has thickened up.
Soup can simmer on low as long as you like. I let it simmer on low for about 45 minutes.
Serve with bread and butter and salad.

Forward Seasoning blend contains extra bold black pepper, onion, paprika, garlic, turmeric, spice extractives (including oleoresin of celery, rosemary, black pepper, thyme, basil and paprika).

4/13/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

April 13, 2020April 13, 2020Abby H.

I went to the grocery store on Friday to stock up on essentials. I was hoping to go two weeks between trips, but the kids found the snacks. This time I’ve done a much better job of hiding them.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

The Big Kid is starting distance learning this week, so I’m trying to use the downtime I’ve got to do food prep and keep up on household chores.

Monday: Italian Feast Night (I’m making a batch of meat and veggie sauce, that I’ll be serving with pasta, as well as garlic bread, steamed veggies, and leftover pizza for the big kid since he doesn’t eat meat)
Tuesday: Baked Potatoes, Soup/Salad
Wednesday: Frittata and Fruit
Thursday: Pizza Night!
Friday: Frozen Entrees & Veggies
Saturday: Leftover fiesta!
Sunday: Baked Pasta & Veggies

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

Spice Deals at Penzeys!

February 14, 2020February 13, 2020Abby H.

I love to cook, and one thing that really elevates recipes and home cooking is quality spices. That’s why I love Penzeys. They sell quality spices and herbs, and the prices are really reasonable. Oh, and they always have really good deals!

This weekend you can score their $9.95 Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box for free with any $5 purchase.
Their Lemon Pepper is just $1.
Wanna spice up your stir fry or cookies? Their Powdered Ginger is just $2.

No coupons or codes are needed for the good Lemon Pepper and Ginger prices. Those are automatic for everyone. Online at penzeys.com, once you’ve reached $5 in spending, simply enter Cuddle into the apply code box at checkout. No need to place the box in your basket, the code will do that for you and for free. It’s easy.

And the Fine Print:

*Penzeys Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box Offer Details
Limit ONE free Penzeys Cocoa Cuddle Gift Box per household during run of promotion. Minimum $5 purchase required. Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. While supplies last. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Online, visit www.penzeys.com, and enter “CUDDLE” into the “apply code” field at checkout. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

*Penzeys Lemon Pepper Offer Details
Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

*Penzeys Ginger Powdered Offer Details
Not applicable to prior sales, not valid with other offers. Not for resale. While supplies last. Standard shipping rates apply. Offer ends midnight Sunday, February 16, 2020.

Veggie Soup Recipe- 2/4/2020 is National Soup Day!

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020Abby H.

I received an email from Olive Garden this morning telling me tomorrow is National Soup Day. WOOO! In the mood for their Zuppa Toscana? Here is my copycat recipe.

I had planned to make veggie soup this week, it’s a perfect way to use up all the bits and bobs of veggies you have hanging around your kitchen.

Here is my No Fail, Easy Peasy Vegetable Soup Recipe. It’s Vegan and Vegetarian as is.

Ingredients:

2 quarts Veggie Stock
2 c. onions, diced
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 Bell peppers, chopped (your choice of color)
2 T. grapeseed oil or your favorite cooking oil
1 can tomato paste
1 large can (approx. 28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2T. Mural of Flavor
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1-2 yellow crookneck squash or zucchini with skin on, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions:

In a large stockpot, saute onion, carrots, bell peppers, and celery until veggies are soft and onions are clear (about 20 minutes).
Add garlic, cook 5-10 minutes until fragrant.
Add Veggie Stock, Tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, herbs, and simmer on medium/low for 30-45 minutes.
Add squash/zucchini and continue to simmer for 10-20 minutes.
Serve with bread (I like Beer Bread). Top with Nutritional Yeast or cheese of your choice.

Feel free to substitute in veggies in the amounts that you have. This recipe is just a guide! Other veggies that go great in soup: potatoes, cabbage, green beans, turnips (cook just like potatoes), kale, and spinach.

Leafy greens are added to the soup about 10-15 minutes before serving. Potatoes and turnips should be peeled, chopped and added during step 3.

My Favorite Pantry Staples!

December 22, 2019December 22, 2019Abby H.

I’ve used the term “Pantry Staples” a lot recently, and some of you may not know what that means.

Pantry staples are food items that most people have in their cupboards all the time. They are commonly known as “ingredients”.

Here are the 25 pantry staples that we always have on hand, and below them, you will find links to recipes containing these staples.

I’ve linked to these items on Amazon, which is where I buy a lot of our pantry staples, especially if there is no local deal. I do surveys and research studies to earn Amazon Gift Cards that I use to purchase items.

My Amazon List of Hewes Family Pantry Staples