Chopped Archives - NAPTIME MEETINGS

To Cook or Not to Cook

I generally don’t make many New Years resolutions, not because I don’t have things to improve on, I just generally don’t keep up with them until I really decide I want to make the change. This year, I decided to be brave and make the resolution to stop spending as much money on things just because they were on sale and to spend less money eating out. Most days after working and coming home to play, the last thing I want to do is make dinner. My first week of January, I failed miserably. Athleta and Nordstrom had their semi annual sale, and I didn’t have any food that even seemed like they would be good for dinner, so we ate out a good 4 times that week. Ugh. I decided I needed to meal plan and get exactly what I needed for each meal so I wasn’t frivolously buying whatever I was craving randomly waking through the store. This was my first week of it and we’ve done great so far! Below is my meal plan for the week with the grocery list to go along with it! Everything has turned out so yummy so far and I have felt all sorts of accomplished. I’ve been so less stressed having it planned out instead of trying to figure out what I want driving home and inevitably ending up at cafe rio.

What are some of your favorite meals?

Grocery List:

Dairy

• Ricotta Cheese

• Cheddar Cheese (2% milk)

• Mozerella Cheese

• Grated Parmesan and Shredded Parmesean

• Butter

• Sour Cream (optional)

Grains, Pasta & Sides

• Tortellini

• Lasagna noodles

• Spaghetti Sauce

Meat

• Turkey Pepperoni

• Ground Beef

Produce

• Tomatoes (grape or cherry)

• Bell Peppers – 3

• Sweet Potatoes

• Lemons – 4-6

• Asparagus

• Fresh Parsley

• Garlic – 10 cloves

• Onion – 2 (optional)

Seasoning

• Italian Seasoning

• Salt and Pepper

• Olive Oil

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Taco seasoning

• Red Pepper Flakes

• Sugar

• Dried Basil

• Dried Parsley

• Dried Oregano

• Bay leaf

Soups & Canned Goods
• Crushed Tomatoes

• Canned Tomato Paste

• Chicken Broth

• Black Beans

• Salsa

• Olive Garden Italian dressing

• Frozen Corn

Seafood

• Salmon (1.5 lbs)
Baked Parmesan garlic herb salmon http://therecipecritic.com/2015/10/baked-parmesan-garlic-herb-salmon-in-foil/

Image from http://therecipecritic.com/2015/10/baked-parmesan-garlic-herb-salmon-in-foil/
So yummy!

Taco Stuffed Peppers

http://thecozycook.com/taco-stuffed-peppers/ (I added frozen corn)

Image from: http://thecozycook.com/taco-stuffed-peppers/
But the final product actually looked similar! Win.

One Pot Lasagna Soup

http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/easy-one-pot-lasagna-soup/

Spinach Tortellini Salad

1 bag spinach

1 container tortellini (I find in refrigerated section)

1 container grape or cherry tomatoes

1 small can chopped olives

1 package pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)

1 container shredded Parmesean cheese

Olive Garden dressing to taste (I use 1/3 to 1/2 bottle)

Slice tomatoes in half. Cook tortellini as per package instructions. Chill. Mix everything together. Enjoy!

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Christmas Party Shenanegans

This year I decided to start the tradition of having my team at work come over for a Christmas party dinner to show appreciation for all they do (and they killed their goals this year so they deserved it!) I love hosting parties and having an excuse to try half of the things I see on Pinterest (and half of them end up being a Pinterest fail). The party was on Thursday so Tuesday we went to the store to get all of the fixins for the big day. The menu consisted of (all recipes and links below):

Appetizer: Bruschetta with baguettes, cheese with crackers, and fruit
Main Course: Pomegranate salad (with roasted pecans), beef roast and veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls
Dessert: Cake batter truffles, peppermint bark, muddy buddies, a bunch of candy

: Desserts

: Main

: Appetizers

I was planning on getting a bunch of stuff made on Wednesday so that Thursday I could just do finishing touches types of things. Kallie had a different plan. On Wednesday morning, I get a call from Josh saying that she had thrown up twice and was acting pretty lethargic. I came home from work as quickly as I could and she wouldn’t let me put her down from pretty much the time I got home until she went to bed. We watched Frozen (or “Go” as she calls it) at least 6 times that day. As much as I loved the snuggles all day (but hated her being sick), it definitely thwarted my cooking plans, which was fine by me because she never just snuggles anymore. That night I stayed up until about midnight getting everything I could get done and would have to finish the rest up on Thursday.

Luckily, I have a small army of support close by. My darling sister-in-law Hanna came over Thursday morning and helped Josh get all of our family pictures hung (which we got taken in July – oops) and came back that night to help me set things up. Paige came over to help get everything cleaned up. Josh ran and grabbed all my last minute items (including a new roast to cook because I’d turned the crockpot to high instead of low the night before and ended up burning the original roast) I’d forgotten and finished cleaning parts of the house, and my mom came over to help with Kallie that night so I could get everything complete. And Diet Coke. We can’t forget Diet Coke. Everything ended up coming together at the last minute as it always seems to do!

The people came, the food was eaten, gifts were given, and games were played. We laughed all night long and Kallie made a few cameos to come and hang out with the big kids. And she stole the show every time. She is such a ham when people come over and I love it! This kid doesn’t even know what social anxiety means. The more people the better!

It was such a fun night and made me appreciate even more the wonderful people I am lucky enough to work with and the wonderful people in my life that help me everyday. And Kallie was feeling great by the time the party hit which I was extra grateful for!

What are your favorite holiday recipes?? What holiday party disasters have you had?

Bruschetta This was so delicious and easy! I’ll be making it again Christmas Eve!

Cake Batter Truffles Need I say more?

Muddy Buddies I only used 8 cups of Chex instead of 9 and mixed in red/white peanut M&M’s before serving.

Peppermint Bark:

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 box (12) peppermint candy canes

Line 9×13 with foil. Melt in 30 second increments semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour and spread on pan. Let harden – I put mine in the fridge. Unwrap 11 candy canes and place in ziplock back (I double bag mine). With hammer or meat tenderizer crush candy canes until fine. Melt white chocolate chips in 30 second increments until smooth. Mix in candy cane bits. Pour over the hardened semi-sweet chocolate. I crushed up the 12^th candy cane and sprinkled on top. Put in fridge to let harden. Break apart (I just dropped mine on the pan multiple times until in smaller pieces). Serve chilled or at room temperature! Eat and enjoy!

Pomegranate Salad: (From my MIL Kim Nuttall)

1 head of Romaine Lettuce

1 Pomegranate

1-2 Gala Apples – sliced/cubed

Glazed Pecans (can buy in store or use recipe below)

1-2 cups Shredded Swiss Cheese

Dressing:

¾ cup Olive Oil

1/3 cup Red Wine Pomegranate Vinegar (Popeian Brand)

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2-3 Tbsp sugar (to taste)

Salt and Pepper

Sugar and Spiced Pecans:

½ lb pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

¼ cup of sugar

¼ cup melted butter

Line a baking sheet with foil. Mix all spices/sugar together. Spread pecans on baking sheet, drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle spices/sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, toss pecans so all are coated with spice mixture. Set aside to cool.

Roast Beef and Veggies:

1 Roast

1 packet Onion Soup Mix

½ cup of water

1 bag baby carrots

1 bunch of celery

1 onion (optional)

Place in crockpot. Cover roast with onion soup mix, pour water in crockpot. Cook for 8-10 hours on low. 3 hours before serving, add veggies. Shred and enjoy! Use drippings to make Gravy.

Gravy:

Drippings from Roast

1-2 packets of brown gravy mix (depending on flavor)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain drippings from roast into a pot on the stove. Mix gravy packet with ½-1 cup of cold water. Pour into drippings while whisking. Bring to a boil. If need thickener, mix 2 tbsp of corn starch or flour into ½ cup of cold water. Whisk swiftly. Bring to boil while whisking then reduce heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mashed Potatoes:

5 lb bag of red potatoes

1 cube butter

½-1 cup of milk

1 tsp garlic powder (to taste)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash and boil potatoes. Drain and return to stove. Mix in butter, milk (to desired consistency) and seasonings. Use hand mixer/blender or hand masher to mash potatoes.

Potato Refrigerator Rolls: (I doubled the recipe – these are great because you can make the night before. Recipe from Claire Mellor)

1 pkg. yeast—dissolve in 1 C. warm water

½ C. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs—well beaten

½ C. shortening

1 C. mashed potatoes—use instant potatoes

4 ½ – 5 cups of flour

Mix all ingredients into yeast and water. Add shortening to the hot potatoes so that it is easier to mix. Add about half of 41/2 -5 cups of flour and beat with mixer until it is smooth. Gradually add the remaining flour to make soft dough. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Two hours before serving, shape the dough and let it rise for 1 ½ hour. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

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Fast Foods Friday: Raspberry Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

Friday’s here!! Yay!! This week has been one of “those” weeks and a Friday has never tasted so sweet. Partially because we have delicious fast foods to feature today and what better way to honor a weekend than with a yummy meal! I first found a similar recipe on the infamous Pinterest and have adapted to make faster and easier. I love how quick and easy these are but make you feel like a rockstar cook! All you need for the Raspberry Chipotle Turkey Meatballs is 4 ingredients and about 30 minutes total for them to cook! I use the extra lean ground turkey, but you can use whatever you like!

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
1 tsp Minced Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (I use the Fischer & Wieser kind from Costco but have found different brands at Target and Wal Mart that have worked great!)
Optional: Fresh or dehydrated onion.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all ingredients EXCEPT sauce in bowl and mix. I use my hands to mix it – kind of gross but works great!
Form into 1-2 inch balls, should make 10-12 meatballs. Put in cooking-sprayed pan (I generally spray additional cooking spray on during the process to make sure the meatballs don’t fall apart as they are browning.)
Brown on all sides for 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to oven and bake for 5 minutes, remove, add sauce and make sure each meatball is coated, return to oven for 5 more minutes.
Remove and enjoy! Serve with rice and veggies, or roasted potatoes and asparagus, or you could even put it on a sandwich with some provolone cheese! The possibilities are endless!
Time Saving Tip: Most times I’ll double the recipe and freeze half of the raw meatballs and cook again in a few weeks!

Happy cooking!!

: Ingredients

: Put all ingredients EXCEPT sauce in bowl and mix

: Form into 1-2 inch balls, should make 10-12 meatballs. Put in cooking-sprayed pan

: Brown on all sides for 10-12 minutes

: Transfer to oven and bake for 5 minutes, remove, add sauce and make sure each meatball is coated, return to oven for 5 more minutes.

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Sunday’s are for Baking

Weekends are always cheat days and Sunday’s are the cheat day of the weekend. Kallie is the best little helper whenever we make things. She’s the taste tester (I know you wouldn’t think she likes treats by looking at her but……she loves em). Today we made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies because it’s fall and they are our favorite so we take any excuse to eat anything pumpkin we can. The best part about these: 3 ingredients. The 2nd best part about these: no eggs so Kallie can eat as much of the dough as she wants.

1 15 oz can of Libby’s canned pumpkin

1 box of spice cake mix (whatever kind is on sale)

As many chocolate chips as you want

Mix. Drop on cookie sheet (I use an ice cream scoop). Bake 18-20 minutes at 350. Eat all in one sitting.

You’re welcome.

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Fast Foods Friday – Italian Roast Sandwiches

Being a working mom (and I think really any mom in general) I am always struggling to find foods that taste good, are decently good for you, and are FAST to make. I’m going to start making this a weekly or bi-weekly post on Fridays featuring a quick meal to help out in a pinch! This week’s feature is Italian Roast Sandwiches. I was first introduced to these by my mother-in-law, Kim. They are so yummy and even a picky eater like Josh (although he will tell you he isn’t picky, he just knows what he likes so why deviate) loves them! Best part – they only require 5 ingredients!

Italian Roast Sandwiches:

1 Beef or Pork Roast (I use a lean roast but you could use any kind you have on hand)
1 Jar of Sliced Pepperoncini’s
1 Loaf of French Bread or 6 Hoagie Rolls (open face)
Provolone/Swiss Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Option: put garlic butter on bread first. I generally don’t do this (save on calories) but have before and it’s delicious

Step 1: Put roast and jar of pepperoncini’s in crock pot on low for 8-10 hours
Step 2: Shred meat
Step 3: Put back in crockpot to soak up juices
Step 4: Put shredded meat on bun/bread, top with cheese
Step 5: Broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melty. Eat and enjoy!

Leftovers/Additional Options: I use the leftovers or just the meet for a lot of things! I mix it with spinach, parmesan, croutons and olive garden dressing, tacos, put it on a wrap, etc.!

All ingredients

Step 1: Put roast and jar of pepperoncini’s in crock pot on low for 8-10 hours

Step 2: Shred meat

Step 3: Put back in crockpot to soak up juices

Step 4: Put shredded meat on bun/bread, top with cheese

Step 5: Broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melty. Eat and enjoy!

What are some fast recipes you have!? I’d love to hear and add to my repertoire!

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I’m a Mom

Part 2: I’m a Mom.

Becoming a mom was the greatest thing that has happened to me. Ever. I had contractions all night – although I didn’t know they were contractions because I was two weeks early– and when I felt that it was an acceptable time to get out of bed, I decided to work for a few hours until my doctor was in the office. Once I was able to get a hold of the office, they told me to bring my hospital bag because I was in labor and going to have my baby! I even finished up a deal while I was just waiting for her to arrive. OK – I probably should have kept my phone away, but we were just hanging out so might as well, right? August 5, 2014 changed my life in the most positive way.

Maternity leave was great. It was such a change of pace from my normal crazy, busy life. I was still busy, but it was different. My access to my work email was cut off and it was the first time in who knows how long that the only emails I had to go through were my daily flash sale emails, which I treated with just as high of importance (sorry, Josh). I had been so concerned before Kallie was born about updating my candidates, and clients, and everyone I worked with, and how were things going to run with out me there?! Once she was born though, I realized that things could and did function without me. I was lucky to have a great team behind me so I didn’t have to stress about what was going on and I could truly enjoy being a mom.

I had never been more tired in my life but I didn’t mind waking up with my sweetie, because I knew I wouldn’t always have this time to just “be” with her. I could just sit and hold her and watch all the seasons of Nashville and Heart of Dixie guilt free. It was a time I could enjoy my relaxed life because I knew I would be going back to work eventually. My company gave me 3 months of maternity leave and, before I had Kallie, I was certain I would be back when she was 6 weeks old. After I had her, however, it took me a good 4 weeks to even feel like I could wrap my head around being a parent and at 6 weeks she still seemed so little. In no way was I emotionally ready to leave her. Not yet. I finally understood why my boss wouldn’t listen to all of my plans before I had her.

Another thing that stopped me from going back so quickly was some postpartum complications. At 2.5 weeks and again at 5 weeks, I started hemorrhaging and had to be rushed to the ER each time, getting a total of 2 D&C’s. As scary as it was at the time because initially they weren’t sure what was wrong with me (one of the potentials being cancer – yikes! – ended up being part of the placenta was extremely fibrous and attached to the uterus causing there to still be a steady blood supply which would build up and cause me to bleed out…ew.) I’m really grateful it happened because it was the excuse I needed to justify to myself (as if I needed a justification) to stay at home a little longer with my baby.

The remaining 6 weeks flew by and I continued to get more and more attached to my baby and fall ever more in love with her. As my return day approached my anxiety grew. It was time for me to merge my two lives – my old workaholic life and my new baby-loving life. I didn’t know how it would all work and as mentioned before, I like to have it all figured out. I made about a months worth of freezer dinners (link to some of the recipes below – pick and choose what you like) so I had that out of the way, I practiced using the breast pump so I’d know how to pump at work (ugh), and I’d gotten back up to being able to run 6 miles in preparation for the half marathon I had signed up for (over ambitious), doing all of this so I could prepare for what I had control over.

A week before I was to go back, Kallie had started to sleep at least 6-7 hours! It was a Godsend. Even though she had started to smile, hold her head up, coo, become very aware, and do all sorts of grown up things, she was still so little and I was getting heart sick to think of not being with her all day. I had everything lined up to where Josh would stay with her in the morning until about 9 or 10 and then go and drop her off with my sister in law, mom or MIL. I knew she would be in good hands and I was and am so grateful to have such a strong support system, but it still wasn’t with me.

Finally, the day of reckoning was here and it was my first day back…

(I’m starting to feel like Bachelor in Paradise with how many “To Be Continued’s” I’m having.)

How did you prepare to go back to work? Did you feel emotionally ready? If you decided to not go back to work, was it a difficult adjustment to stay at home? Let’s hear your stories!

Links to recipes (thanks, Pinterest):

http://ashleynoelbarnes.blogspot.ca/2013/05/10-freezer-to-crockpot-meals.html?m=1

http://hearthandholm.blogspot.com/search?q=40+freezer+meals

http://moneysavingmom.com/2014/09/6-crockpost-chicken-freezer-meals-30-minutes.html

http://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/12-easy-freezer-meals-2-hours/

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Who I Am