Menu Plan Monday - Cooking Blues Solutions?

I like to cook and I enjoy my time in the kitchen but sometimes, the idea that I will cook more than 1000 more dinners until I die can be a little much to take... Mostly because I get tired of thinking of things to make and although I enjoy new meals, I like to try and fit meals into my plan that are quick and easy and don't often require too many 'special' ingredients. I like to keep costs low and tastes high.

How do you keep your menu plan interesting and diverse? I like to include plenty of vegetable servings with dinner and keep it nutritionally balanced but I struggle... This week, I'm trying something different - although I had developed my Menu Planning Program, I was finding it less than stellar because I had to scroll from a laundry list of recipes which allowed me the option to get too picky and give up before I got started.

As I was perusing the local university bookstore, I came across an index binder
Courtesy of Amazon.com and as part of my participation in the 52 Week Organizing Project with Laura at the Orgjunkie.com. one of my 'to do' items is to do something with my recipes... Although I did manage to binderize them a couple years ago, the binder was too small and now it's over flowing!

But when I saw that index card binder, I thought it would be a perfect solution to my recipe problem. I have packages and packages of index cards (which I'll now admit, I can't find) but I saw this and thought it was the perfect solution... Except that still means I need to type up all my recipes (which I started in 2009 but have yet to finish) and print them and since this plan didn't materialize after my first attempt, the likelihood of me completing it this time was also slim.

But it planted a seed of how to ease my menu planning doldrums! But for this week, I'm back to scratching my head trying to come up with something (since I fell off my usual monthly planning) for this week. At least I've only got 1057 more dinners to plan!

July 25 to 31

Monday TroubleMaker's first "sleepover" - my husband and I doing a "YOYO" or a "Choose your own adventure" night!
Tuesday Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Wednesday Chicken Parmigiana
Thursday Blue Ribbon Chili with Cornbread muffins
Friday Pizza Pops (handmade - recipe review to follow)
Saturday Nachos
Sunday Chicken and Alfredo Broccoli

Thank you for stopping by and check out Menu Plan Monday for more meal planning ideas!

Light a candle and help them find their way home...

It has been an emotional day - battles were fought - some were won and others saw no winners.

Ryan Nadeau is still missing and his wife's desk sits empty. Our office is filled with hushed whispers and clucking tongues and although everyone on the floor knows, no one speaks of it. Ryan's brother in law has been at work and although his mood is fair - an inexplicable sadness still falls over him like a grey storm cloud.



What can we do?

Essentially, nothing. Posters are circulating and are being posted in our city and beyond. Articles are being written and news broadcasts carry his photo and interviews with Amanda. Keeping his face out there, his story current is all anyone can do at this point in time. They family has done and continues to do everything they can. Friends, coworkers and strangers are uniting for a common cause: bringing Ryan home.

We all ask, how does a person just disappear? How can a person cease to exist? No trace. No record. Erased.

I don't know all the details of Ryan's disappearance but I understand how people can be lost, even when they are right beside you.

Today, after a few of us returned from posting Ryan's missing person posters around the campus, I had an email from a friend of a friend. She and I had been in contact because our mutual friend, Nire, has been on a slow and steady decline into mental illness. Or perhaps it was a rapid decline and we just didn't see it. Or we saw it and pretended it wasn't there.

I've known for a while something was "off" with Nire. I've known her for 23 years. She's been my best friend and big sister, confident and support network. Three years ago, as I was embroiled in being a new mother, something went seriously wrong for her. As her story started to unfold, it sounded like she'd found love. I was unsure if it was reciprocated but as time passed, it seemed to have potential.

But things changed. Our conversations began to get muddled - she'd speak of one thing and the next time, she'd repeat the tale but with a different ending or middle... Then the object of her affection became a dark, seemingly heartless jerk who was toying with her heart and emotions. Not being clear with her, sending her mixed messages. Professing feelings but hiding from her.

Slowly things slid further. Messages, conspiracies and accusations of everyone betraying her. It was nonsense and ramblings of a crazy person. I remember telling her that it sounded crazy and couldn't be possible. She said she realized how it sounded but she was certain it was fact.

I'd speak to her again a few weeks later and she sounded like she'd come back to reality. The next conversation with her was again, nonsense.



I ask myself now why I didn't act then. I knew there was a problem - something was wrong... I knew I was only one friend of many - could I be imaging things? Why did no one else seemed concerned by her behaviour? What could I do? She was holding her job and although she'd been more-or-less demoted, she admitted an addiction to Facebook caused some issues at work. Her son didn't seem concerned. Maybe I was the crazy one?

More time passed and then odd emails started appearing from her. Accusing things - odd statements like "Corrie, quit fighting, she's my mother". When questioned, she said several coworkers were standing outside her cubicle talking about 'the game' (what she'd started to call the entire conspiracy) and she'd found out a long time ago that the only way to end these games was to email someone else involved.

I contacted her older brother. He was useless. Absolutely and utterly useless. I understand they aren't close. I understand they live two different lives. But as a family member and human being, shouldn't he have been concerned?

I contacted three of her other friends. One called me back and yelled at me. Literally reduced me to tears. One offered help, but didn't know what to do and her other "old time friend" was concerned but didn't know what to do either.

I called around to different agencies looking for help. Short of the police or an adult crisis unit, I was powerless to do anything. I had resigned myself to just sit tight, talk to her son and wait.

Her son said everything was "fine" and that his Mom had just been really lonely. At that point, I decided that perhaps I should just be her friend - listen to her, support her and try to steer her towards some professional help (which I had been doing since I first realized that something was wrong). I knew that everyone else in her life had been pushed out of it because they all told her she was crazy and needed help. I knew that I was one of the only people left and I could get her to talk and as crazy as she sounded and as draining as it was, I knew that I had to keep in contact with her in case things went south.

And as I spoke to her step mother today and to the mutual friend, I realized just how easy it is to disappear. To vanish and not even have anyone notice...

So tonight, my head is filled with thoughts. Of Ryan and his family, of Nire and her family. Of the people wandering the streets, lost - no matter what the cause.

Let's all light a candle and help at least one of them find their way home.

We-Design-Day: A Renovation Break

Last week, I was all prepared to commence the Great Demolition.

It did not happen. Sometimes I have a tendency to over schedule myself, my fantastic memory also occasionally forgets previous commitments, thus leaving me double booked! So instead of driving myself around a bend trying to get it all done, I bumped the demolition. As it was, I still had too many things booked on Saturday but I know now there is not possible way I would have gotten any demolition done.

I did however get to Ikea to get all the additional furnishings needed and I scored some flooring for a fantastic price! Brand new flooring, I might add, for $14 a box (which covers 24 square feet). It’s not funky linoleum or cork liked I’d hoped but it will be functional and clean and will allow me to put money towards extra furniture and better lighting!

The demolition is planned for the last week of the month. I’m planning to take three days off work to get it done. This will give me six days off (in a row) to complete the demolition, building and finishing the space.

This week, I’m featuring a great Upcycled Interior Chic project! I found the plan on Ana White and imagine my surprise when I blog I read and follow built the exact same plan – scaled down to fit any interior!

The genius of this plan is the availability of the materials needed to build it. It is a classic example of taking something that doesn’t always have a second use and making a fabulous piece of furniture out of it! The cost is minimal (often free) and it can be a grand or as simple as you decided. It is solid wood and if you’re lucky (and it fits your décor), it often looks antiqued or aged naturally! If your taste is more modern – it’ll take paint or stain and you can match it to other pieces in your home.

Are you excited yet? I am. I can’t wait for my neighbours to free up the five or so pallets they have in their yard!

Yes. Pallets. Typical, everyday crate-like resting places for goods being shipped anywhere and everywhere. Not a commercial shipper? No problem! Scout out the back of any industrial area in your city and there are likely stacks and stacks of good and broken pallets behind the rows of warehouse doors. Pallets are a dime a dozen (unless they are the fancy blue ones – those are hot commodities and you could get beat up trying to take one of those) but the usual pallets that a local big box store receives it’s good on are likely fair game. Furthermore, many companies can’t get rid of these things fast enough. When I worked in a warehouse, we’d spend hours calling companies trying to get someone to come take the hundreds of pallets away!

Check Kijiji, Craigslist or join a local Freecycle site and find them there.

So what do you do? Well, someone was kind enough to post the plans on how to build a full book shelf and Courtney from Cooking Up a Family built the most awesome wall mounted magazine rack!


Picture from Cooking Up a Family, used with permission










The uses for old pallets is endless… Coffee tables, tea carts, islands, picnic tables, dollhouses – the list is endless for this upcycled project!

Menu Plan Monday: Summer Heat

It's summer.

Like really summer. We've had three days of full sunshine. So much sunshine that our sad, soggy vegetables (that didn't die in the June frost) are blooming even though they haven't grown much in weeks.

It also means it is hot. Really hot. Sticky hot.

I don't like being hot.


But today's post is not about my like or dislike of heat. It's about food. Food that one can prepare and eat without charbroiling one's family by turning the house into a sweat lodge.

This is how our week is looking.

July 18 to July 24
Dinners

Monday: Craquelin et fromages avec crudités
Tuesday: Tuna Salad sandwiches with tossed salad
Wednesday: Roast Turkey sandwiches with tomato cucumber salad
Thursday: Falafel Stuffed Pitas
Friday: Hot dogs and burgers with Caesar salad and chips
Saturday: Grilled chicken bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches on Ciabatta bread with Greek salad
Sunday: Alberta Cheese steak Sandwiches

I can almost taste the Cheese steak sandwiches - I 'invented' the recipe last year and it was amazing. I'm drooling just thinking about it! And for those who are wondering, yes, I'm going to roast a turkey (breast) roast. My Mom borrowed my counter top roaster, but I figure if I do it on low in the oven with the fans going, it should be too bad? We'll see... At the moment, I just feel like eating left over Sesame Noodles with chicken bouillon and curling up for a nap.

This week, I'm linking up to Joy in My Kitchen as she is graciously hosting the Menu Plan Monday while Laura enjoys a vacation! Thanks for popping by and did you check out my review of the Taste of Thailand?

Menu Plan Monday: Meals in Review

Ahhhh. Thailand... I do believe it is highly unlikely that I'll ever travel to this beautiful island, so I must obtain the culture through ready and culinary experiments! Thankfully, with the globalization of the world, I am no longer required to have the traditional North American fare but can recreate exotic dishes from around the globe with a simple trip to a grocery store!



The special celebratory dinner I had planned was a range of dishes I had not really prepared before. I have done the typical Chinese dinner and have Teriyakied with the best of them... But blending the flavours as required by Thai food, was one I doubted.

I do not like cilantro. Moreover, cilantro makes me wheeze. Badly. I don't think it's an allergy, per se, many things make me wheeze and I'll suffer and eat anyway, however, I don't especially enjoy the taste of cilantro so I always substitute... Cilantro (come parsley) coupled with mint perplexed me.

When we moved to our house, we had a mint patch. I daresay we had a mint field as it had taken over the East flower bed. Lots of digging, some tilling, hand weeding and finally an application of herbicide seems to have killed it all... For which I was just a little sorry for but considering mint is readily available all he time, the hassle of thinning out an out of control mint patch coupled with the nauseating scent of 'skunky' mint smell, I was just as happy to buy a bunch at the store...

But I digress...

After an hour long trip to the store, TroubleMaker and I had assembled the cast of what would eventually be our delectable dinner!

A Taste of Thailand: The Menu
Thai Satay
Thai Cabbage Salad
Sesame Thai Noodles (a last minute substitution)
Thai Iced Tea
Coconut Pudding with mango and fresh coconut for dessert


The reviews work like this:
I'll tell you the selection criteria. I'll tell you what I did different from the way the recipe is written and then I'll rate three ways: ease of prep, taste and whether I'll include the recipe in my regular rotation... Simple enough, hey?

Item 1: Peanut Satay

• minimal work

• simple and easy to put together

• short cooking time

What I did different
I used a different barbecue sauce (Diana's Original). I marinated the chicken in half the sauce for four hours. I baked in my oven (we were out of propane for the barbecue) and we used the reserved sauce as "dipping sauce". Also, I did about half of the chicken in a commercially prepared President's Choice "Taste of Thailand, Sweet Thai Chili sauce. Again marinated for four hours and used extra for dipping.

Ease of Prep: 5
Taste:5
Make again: 5

Everyone loved both types although I think the general thought was the Peanut was better and less "prepared" tasting.

Item 2: Thai Cabbage Salad

• minimal work

• simple and easy to put together

• short resting time

What I did different
I used parsley instead of cilantro. I prepped the salad, tossed it and refrigerated it for about an hour or so before dinner. I added more carrots - not sure how much, just more and I also added more of the cabbage.

NOTE: Napa cabbage is a Asian cabbage that looks similar to Bok Choy but more leafy. I have a head of regular cabbage in the fridge as we purchased it by mistake (thinking that perhaps, Napa Cabbage was in reference to it being grown in the Napa Valley. Keep in mind we are Canadian and have learned to now google foreign to us ingredients)

Ease of Prep: 5
Taste:3
Make again: 2

This was an enormous hit with my mother in law. I didn't mind it, TroubleMaker tried it and declared it tasted funny (he didn't like the flavour of the dressing or the fact he got a huge hunk of red onion). My husband said it was "Ok" but he wasn't fond of it. I think it gave a very clear illustration of Thai food. It was good, mildly spicy, had an interesting flavour and amazing colour and texture.

Item 3: Sesame Thai Noodles

• minimal work

• simple and easy to put together

• short cooking time

What I did different
I added 1/2 cup shredded carrot. I omitted the shrimp paste. I used more red pepper.

Ease of Prep: 4
Taste:3
Make again: 3

Again, my mother in law loved it. TroubleMaker didn't mind it but preferred to eat the plain noodles (I cooked too many noodles) with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. My husband seemed to like them but I think he said they were 'lacking' something. I too found them a bit bland and I think I would have liked them less spicy.

Item 4: Thai Iced Tea

• minimal work

• simple and easy to put together

What I did different
I could not find the Jasmine Essence. So I used Jasmine tea. I also couldn't find anything but the Orange Pekoe but I found a bag of lemon grass and assana in a mixed box of Asian teas I had at home. I reduced the sugar and increased the lime. I also quadrupled it.

Ease of Prep: 5
Taste:2
Make again: 2

I didn't like it but drank it anyway. It tasted bitter (maybe it was the Lemongrass?) and I find too many teas don't provide much in the way of flavour and it always tastes like I'm drinking coloured water. TroubleMaker didn't like it. My husband wasn't impressed either. However, my mother in law loved it and thought it was so refreshing - she asked for the recipe. :)

Item 5: Coconut Pudding

• minimal work

• simple and easy to put together

• Wouldn't melt on the drive home

I took a box of vanilla instant pudding and made it by substituting a half cup of milk with fresh coconut milk. I used Dream Whip made in the same bowl. I toasted 1/2 cup of a blend of sweetened and unsweetened coconut.

Ease of Prep: 5
Taste:4
Make again: 2

It was a perfect 'dessert' after such a flavour unique meal. It capped the dinner well. We served the pudding with fresh coconut and sliced mango. We also had cashew cookies. TroubleMaker didn't like it but everyone else did. I wouldn't likely make this again for us, but if I was to make this type of dinner again, it is, in my opinion, a perfect finish for Thai food. It had a gentle sweetness that didn't over power and it was cleansing.



Thanks for checking out the recipe review - I hope you enjoyed it and I welcome your questions and feedback. Thanks for stopping in and look for the next review - coming to you again the day after we have the meal.

I'd like to extend a huge thank you to my (photographer) husband for capturing the amazing images of the food. I love them! Thank you! All images copyright Blackstone Images. Use only with permission.

52 Weeks of Organizing: An Amazing Accomplishment!

This weekend, I. No.

This past weekend, we accomplished something I didn't really think was possible. We accomplished the impossible.

First, it was a team effort. I could not have done any of the work if it hadn't been for my wonderful son and my amazing husband. Everyone was involved.



This was my husband's office. This is the area that will be opened up to the rest of the family room. The picture above is of my husband going through 20 years of filing. Tax records dating back to 1990. Instruction manuals for tools that have not been in his possession for nearly 20 years. Every certificate our dog has earned in his 11 years (which always makes people ask why he is so unobedient if he's been so well trained). The receipt for my sewing machine (it was a gift from him in 1999). There was more - lots more.



There are three more full garbage/recycling bags to go out next week. Plus we've got two large boxes (and an armful) of items to be posted on our local Earthcycle group. Did I mention that I haven't actually gone through my stuff yet? That will happen after the renovation and I know just how much space I've got left.

I also believe we've got the only three year old who understands the importance of 'shredding the evidence'. ;) I'm not sure, but could this be proof of his future as a politician?



No one was harmed during the cleaning of this space. The dog couldn't find a place to lay down and the cat decided it was safer upstairs and we only lost TroubleMaker in the piles once.



I enacted Laura's PROCESS. It just so happened I had so much stuff that I literally buried the rest of the family room under my mountains of stuff. I actually exclaimed to my husband "Can you imagine if I was a real hoarder and our whole house looked like this!"

There was only a very narrow path to the laundry room and the stairs leading up to the main floor.



You can ask my husband why there is a toboggan in the middle of that picture... Since it arrived in the mail last November, it has been in my office. I'm not really sure why but since there is was so many things piled in my space, I honestly didn't realize there was a toboggan in there until we started emptying the room.

After almost an entire morning, we did something I thought was not possible. I had no idea it could be done and I'm still surprised when I looked at the pictures. We did it. We actually did it...



Just in case you don't remember just what this space looked like when I started it... Here is a refresher...




I also just realized I never took a picture of the third angle. It was SO bad that even I felt I had to hide my shame!

Can you believe the change?



I know, I know... You're wondering if the rest of the family room still looks like an episode of the Hoarders... I am proud to report it does not. I absolutely refused to stop working on the Saturday until we could find places to sit. Because we are going to be taking down walls, all of my stuff has been packed into boxes and bins and it stacked in the back corner of the room that's coming down. I will cover it with drop cloths and start the demolition this coming weekend.

By Sunday afternoon, my husband was set back up in his "new" office space and continued purging his files. He went from a four drawer vertical file to a two drawer file cabinet! He's got enough space in his new digs for a reading nook and a third desk! We'll be putting the finishing touches on his space next week.

I'm not sure how I top this week's project. I am so proud of me and my boys - this was an enormous undertaking and means significant change for our entire house. Because my studio will be open to the family room, it necessitates me to pare down my mini-craft/design store to a reasonable collection and also will force me to work and live more organized! Thanks to the PROCESS, we were able to effectively empty two spaces, purge, purge, purge and then put it all back together again in a way that will work for our family!

Although I'm not really sure where the toboggan went... Probably to the same place the pair of eyeglasses I had to return... If you see them, please call...

To see more super work and for more information about Laura's PROCESS, check out the Org Junkie's 52 Weeks of Organizing!

We-Design-Day: Bringin' Down the House!

This past weekend was BUSY. My husband, son and I worked non-stop all day Saturday and Sunday preparing for the upcoming demolition…

Yes, you read that correctly. DEMOLITION! After months of dragging my feet, doing a little bit at a time, we dove in head first and tackled the hardest part of the project... Cleaning out my space!

My stuff is all packed away and in the back corner of the room we are demolishing. My husband is (very happily, maybe too happily) settling into his new office space. Houston, we have liftoff clearance, start the countdown!

The next things we need to look at is how to start our demolition project. I’m all about processes and safety. This likely comes from being married to a (former) computer programmer. He is all about process. He doesn’t like surprises and he wants a detailed flow-chart like map of what we are doing.

It’s a good thing he met me when I was young and still trainable!

Many people run head long into a demo project without a plan in mind… My sister lived without a kitchen for two or three years (and I still wouldn’t call what she has a kitchen). Her husband decided to take it all down. My brother in law is super at demolition. Many parts of their house have been demolished (as was his parents’ house) but few projects have been seen through to completion. My sister and her husband are like that – they go with the flow and enjoy their lives.

I’m about order and structure and controlled chaos. I plan, make lists, change my mind, make another list, plan some more and then start. I’ve also come to realize that I can get distracted easily… Did you know my original plan for the first We-Design-Day project (this project) had a 12 week schedule? As soon as I hit a roadblock, I started planning something else… The foyer project, for one… And last week, I came home with specifications for how I’d renovate the garage!

But the hardest part (for me) is out of the way and this Saturday morning, I’ll be assembling my tools and that wall will be coming down!

I’m a Safety Girl and I believe in the right tools for the job. Let’s walk through what we need to do before getting started.

Having taken a close and detailed look at the space, I know one of the walls coming down has no power or plumbing in it. The other wall has a light switch that we will be reusing. Don’t forget to look at your ceiling too – what is there for vents, lighting and other hazards? Since I’m working with a dropped (or T-Bar ceiling), I can pop the tiles out along the wall and take a look to see if there are any other things I should be aware of that I can’t see.

To do this job, I will likely need the following tools:

Gloves, masks, closed shoes
Pry bar, screw drivers, hammers
Supplemental Lighting (as we’ll be turning off the lighting to our basement and half of the main floor (our house is very oddly wired)
Drop cloths
Garbage bags

The first thing we'll do is run in the supplemental power and set up our temporary lights. Because we know our basement is creatively wired, we already know that in order to turn off the power in this area, takes all the basement lights, the living room and part of the master bedroom off line as well.

Once we get that in place, we'll switch the breaker for the area we are working in off. We'll test a couple outlets and the lights and then the fun begins!

After donning our safety gear, I'll start prying away the wood panelling. I'm hoping it comes off with ease. Once I get it all removed, I'll do the drywall inside the office.

When I have a clear view of the studs, they'll start coming down too. I need to see how they are attached before I take them out.

I'll confess I've never demolished anything before so a lot of this will be a learn as I go project... but we'll document and share the demo with you next week!

Until then, have a great week and thanks for popping by!