Manic Mondays

[Image of Jacqui Getty's home via C magazine]

I don't know about you, but I have a lot of items to check off my to do list this week. My head is full of home projects I need to finish, work projects that I need to wrap up, blog posts that I need to write, meetings I need to attend…… My brain kind of feels the way the picture looks - thoughts and projects and lists everywhere. So much stuff and it all needs to get done this week. Because next week is going to get even crazier... But before I get ahead of myself I have a birthdays (me and Kiki) to celebrate and work on this never ending list....


  I would love to start checking them off  in a space like...

[source]

Here's to a productive week!


P.S. Today is my birthday!!! And this was my dinner :)

Weekly Menu

 

It's been a little busy around these parts! But I assure you I ate... and I ate good. 

This week is looking to be just as busy, if not busier, after all we have some celebrating to do ;) But I assure you, I have a menu in place. Girl's gotta eat....

SUNDAY: CE's chicken parmesan

MONDAY: Baked tofu and oven roasted veggies

TUESDAY: Rotisserie chicken + baken fingerlin potatoes

WEDNESDAY: Salmon patties and cous cous mediterranean salad

THURSDAY:  Work "family" dinner

FRIDAY: More work dinners

SATURDAY: BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!

[weekend in photos]

Another weekend spent inside....Yes we live in Florida and somehow it has rained for last three weeks and hurricane season hasn't even started. So we made the best out of it - we played a lot, had dance parties and ate delicious smoothies. My baby girl may not like eating fruit, but she loves fruit smoothies. I spent the whole weekend attached to my camera taking pictures of this beautiful little face. Her eyes are absolutely mesmerizing. But than again I am completely biased.

We are back on track

I can finally relax, the weekly menu is prepared, groceries are bought, we are set for the week. Yes, I truly have a problem, I am addicted to meal planning and it's for a good reason. 

I feel anxious when the weekend goes by and I haven't planed our meals. Unfortunately the last three weeks we've gone with no plan and it's been obvious.....Our meals were all over, spending way too much money, eating take out when it was really not necessary, no blog material, etc. 

I had to put a stop to it...so here it goes - a well planned out meals, using a lot of food from our pantry and my goal of spending $80 on weekly groceries just barely accomplished. Barely...well, once we buy rotisserie chicken it will take us over that amount, but I am OK with that.

SUNDAY: White bean + parmesan baked orzo with tomato salad

MONDAY: Curried broccoli couscous

TUESDAY: Tex-mex rice bowl/Blogger wine pairing dinner

WEDNESDAY: Skinny chicken + broccoli alfredo

THURSDAY: Hazelnut crusted halibut + roasted asparagus

FRIDAY: Avocado + chicken salad

SATURDAY: My birthday party!!!!!

This week's meals have been "Cooking Light" magazine inspired. I finally sat down and read the April issue, and it's probably one of the best ones I have picked up [I believe May issue is out on stands, but if you can pick up the April issue - it's well worth the find].

This issue is great - 40 fast and easy meals under 40 minutes. I will be "testing" them all as they perfectly fit our weeknight criteria - quick, simple, delicious with all the right shortcuts. What a I really like about this issue is that it provides you with an option of complete meals or creating your own meals from main dishes, salads and sides... so many solutions combinations! Just think of it as a guide for faster, healthier weeknight dinners, shopping list included.

Lets go shopping

It's an early Saturday morning. It's raining. The weather channel says it will rain 90% of a day today. I am stealing a moment to myself before Kiki gets up and enjoying my coffee. Of course the relaxing for me means shopping and I couldn't resist and not get one of these comfy chairs for Kiki's birthday. 

I think it will be perfect for her. She loves "reading" and this seems like a perfect reading chair. There is something so cute about kids reading and it's so important to start reading early. It's incredible the skills they learn now is what they carry with them all of their lives. I read somewhere that you should read to your child 30 minutes a day. I think it's a little early for us to read to Kiki for that long, but 5 minutes here and there and suddenly we've read 30 minutes.

 If you are looking for a really cute item to add to your kid's room I think this chair is it and it's on sale!!!!! Nothing ever that I want at PB goes on sale. Don't walk, run!

I was not compensated for this post. PB doesn't know who I am nor do they care, but I a obsessed with all of their stuff! 

Meatless Monday Reinvented

We have no weekly menu plan, again. We have some food, but nothing to actually make a meal out of. The worst thing is I went to the grocery store 3 times this weekend, and yet, we do not have "any" food. Tragedy!  Oh the horrors! How does this happen??? Can you tell I don't like it when things are out of order...

But there is a reason to my madness of organization and why I like to stick with it, I promise... if you meal plan, you grocery shop for all the right items, you don't overspend and than making nightly meals is easy.  The madness of organization prevents you from doing "crazy" things like having food at home but still ordering the take-out. Yup, you read it right, we ordered our meatless Monday dinner. Tonight's dinner was the good ol' Chipotle.... or not so good tonight. It was just "ah meh"...very mediocre. For some reason it didn't have much flavor, and it was topped with too much sour cream. At the end very dissatisfying. I have to admit I was disappointed in myself. So to stop driving myself crazy over the whole weekly meal plan thing, we are going grocery shopping tomorrow and the meal plan for the next 4 days has been set. No more excuses.... I am ready to eat the good food.

Good Week, Good Eats

This wasn't a crazy week, this was an insane week! But I ate good food...Sardinia Ristorante, Toscana Divino, the Chef's Kitchen....Sometimes I wish I could be eating like this every night, and than after a few days of eating out, all I want is a home cooked meal.

I got to say, it was a delicious week. A delicious week of Italian cuisine - I "traveled" to Sardinia, Tuscany and than some of good old home made American cuisine ;)

Crostini, with parma prosciutto, burrata and pesto

Paella Di Fregola - sardinian couscous with fresh seafood and spicy buddin chives

 Beef Tartar, "Funghi Trifolati", Mushroom & Herb Salad, Tuscan Olive Oil & Lemon

Prosciutto di Parma

 Mozzarella di Bufala

 Fagioli e Fagiolini  - Cannellini & Green Beans, Arugola, Frisse, Lemon, Balsamic Vinegar, Tuscan Olive Oil, Pecorino Cheese

Tiramissu

Shrimp Fried Rice

Waffles, berries and peanut butter

I have spent most mornings with a cup of coffee and a good breakfast, fueling for a long day at work. I would lie to you if I told you I ate my breakfast in peace and not working. But the only way to keep up with all the emails and all the other stuff, is to get a head start before I even get to the office. I have a feeling I will be doing a lot of this during the weekend...most likely during the naps. I am really hoping for an hour long naps!

I am off to bed now, and can't wait to wake up to have some more waffles tomorrow morning. What will you be enjoying for breakfast?

P.S. Congratulations to my dearest, oldest, bestest friend Ana for giving birth to a beautiful baby boy on Tuesday! I can't wait to meet him!!!!!!

If I could bottle up today

If I could only bottle up today or better yet freeze the moment. Today was perfect! I had such a great time with my baby. I couldn't have asked for a better time spent on Saturday. So what did we do to make it so perfect... well, of course what girls do best - sleeping, shopping, playing, reading, cuddling - overall a lot of mommy and baby time! Most of all today was perfect because I spent the whole day with my little perfection - everything she did today just made my day that much better - the hand holding while riding in her stroller, napping with me, cuddling, open mouth baby kisses, clapping when I finished singing songs, reading with me - it's really everything. I can't pin-point only one thing that she did that was perfect - it's really time spent with her no matter what I did is what made it so perfect. 

Today I decided to enjoy the moment and barely took any pictures. It's OK though! I will remember today forever - as I will treasure and cherish every moment of today. 

Kiki gave me the best gift and slept in till 7:40am. Once she was up I realized I just slept 9 hours - wowza...that was almost too much sleep;) Once she was up, I brought her over to our bed and she drank her morning bottle while cuddling - probably my favorite thing about mornings. Sometimes at night I walk into her room and can't wait for that moment in the morning when she wakes up and cuddles up to me and drinks her milk - sweetest moment ever.

We took the sous-chef out for a walk, came home and got ready to head out to the mall and do a little shopping. A shopped we did....but before all the shopping began we fueled up, Kiki with yogurt/blueberry muffin and egg/ham sandwich and latte for me. While we enjoyed our breakfast, Kiki entertained everyone that passed by - she waived and greeted everyone and she was not a happy camper if they didn't wave back. I think we might have a little social butterfly on our hands. 

After our breakfast, we shopped for a few hours, Kiki took two naps - which is probably why we were able to be there for hours and when we came home, we both crashed for an hour. What can I say, shopping is exhausting!

After our power nap, we played, and played and played! 

Our living room went from this

to this

While I was sitting right next to her, she asked to come to my lap (well that really means - sat her self in my lap), brought a book and we read together for about 15 minutes, and than she was off chasing the sous-chef around the living room. The sous-chef escaped to the second floor, and she proceeded to attack poor Elmo. 

That was my queue it was bed time. It took her about 15 minutes to fall asleep! It must be exhausting playing so much!

After she was down, I made dinner - the most refreshing, fulfilling, healthy salad. I cooked wheat quinoa, and combined it with diced red and orange pepper, cucumber, red onion, spicy black bean burger, goat cheese and some olive oil and salt. Perfect summer salad. I think I could eat this salad every day. I think I just might since I have enough of it pre-chopped and ready to go for next five days! And you should make some too, trust me you won't regret it.

And now I am off to read this book - yup, I am joiner so I will probably stay up most of the night reading it! Hope I won't regret it tomorrow ;) Hope you had a great, if not perfect Saturday!

hey there pretty....

Gosh do I love Saturdays! Especially Saturday mornings, they are my favorite - waking up slowly, cuddling in bed, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Chuggington, and thinking of breakfast - pancakes, fresh fruit and non-fat latte. Yum!

Today we are planning on a girls' day out - shopping, lunching and walking at the beach. We might squeeze some playing in the park, too. 

I am also planning on doing some de-cluttering, re-organizing and cleaning, but that will be happening once my little princess goes to bed. It seems as though lately that's when I get all my work done. It's amazing how much I can get done once she is asleep - the power of naps and bed time!

And now, I am off to bed because tomorrow is a big day and a lot to look forward to! Of course, the shopping tomorrow will be extra special, it's the birthday shopping time!!!!!! All I can say, OH BOY!!!!!

Have a great Saturday!

Let's Celebrate...My Birthday!

Let the celebration(s) begin!!!! My Birthday Month has began and I am ready to celebrate. Regardless of the age I am still obsessed with celebrating my birthday! There is certain magic about birthday celebrations! Needless to say I love my birthday...or better yet my birthday month!

Yes you read that correctly, I celebrate my birthday the whole month - for all of 30 days of April! I make every day special and I remind all those around me that it's my birthday month. The reminder is just so they can join me in celebrations of course ;) 

Birthdays are fun! Birthdays are joyous! Birthdays are memorable! 

With every birthday I feel more confident, happier, wiser, living a fulfilling life....Birthdays are about celebrating the life we are living and all that's to come....So join me in celebrating - I promise you it will be a fun month!

♥ ♥ ♥ These sunflowers were a gift from the chef today! They put a smile on my face!?! They make me giggle! I absolutely luff them ♥ ♥ ♥

Mama Pea's Thai Veggie Burgers

Remember how yesterday was supposed to be a "Meatless Monday", well now it has become a "Meatless Tuesday" - it's called flexibility in meal planning, people! Tonight's meal was inspired by one of my favorite "Pick me up/funny/great advice/motherhood/foodie blogs". Actually it was her book that inspired tonight's dinner.

I bought the cookbook couple of months ago, but it just kept sitting on my bookshelf, until this Sunday. Every meatless recipe I suggested to the chef, he denied until it dawned to me that Mama Pea "converted" Pea Daddy from a meat eater to a vegetarian with some great veggie burgers! Ah ha...I don't want to convert the chef to a vegetarian, but I do want to find good meatless option. Because if the chef doesn't approve the recipe, we don't get to eat (what I want that is).

When having a veggie burgers, we are much more accustomed to black bean burgers than any other type, so having this chickpea/broccoli slaw based burger was a great change.  The chef loves a good burger. And I really think this was a very good burger.

Originally I planned on us having some sweet potato fries but because of my poor planning (I forgot to buy the fries) we even had a better side dish - arugula salad. The chef made a great salad dressing with some olive oil, lime, salt and peppers. It was very refreshing salad dressing. Got to remember this for next time.

I was not able to find the recipe online, so I will share it here, but please note that the chef followed the recipe to a T from the book.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, ground into a coarse flour
1 14-ounce can chickpeas
2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
3/4 cup broccoli slaw

RECIPE:
1. In a food processor/blender, grind oats. Add chickpeas, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, peanut butter, cilantro and broccoli slaw ad pulse until mixture is combined yet still slightly chunky.  Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Score bean mixture into quarters and form each portion into a patty. Fry in skillet for 5 to 6 minutes on each side.
~~At this point the house started smelling divine~~

Mondays, Mondays

Yup, I know our menu says we were having "Thai Turkey Burgers" on a Meatless Monday, but our weekend schedule got a little off track. The chef marinated the skirt steak for Sunday night, but since we spent the whole Sunday frolicking at our friend's pool-chilling, eating, swimming and napping no one was hungry for a full meal. So it got "moved" to a Monday.

And let me tell you, it was a wise decision! I wouldn't have enjoyed it last night. We spent a whole day munching on hummus, Stacey chips, pasta salad, spicy wings, chicken tenders, etc...., and by the time we got home the steak would have been too much. 

So on a Meatless Monday we had grilled home-made marinated skirt steak, wild rice/quinoa and sauteed mushrooms. I asked the chef details about the marinade, but I already forgot. I believe he says it had soy sauce, honey, and something else and something else, but I can't remember what it was. So perhaps the chef can write the recipe in the comments section. It was flavorful, juicy and tender. Grilled to perfection!

Kiki was very busy destroying the living room, by pulling out ALL her books and throwing them on the floor....

She was very, very busy and everything she required A LOT of concentration!

 The chef whipped up a quick and healthy din- din on Saturday night since we had quite a few leftovers - baked tilapia, wild rice and veggie medley.

Kiki made new a new friend this weekend too!

Don't they look absolutely adorable together! Who knows what they were "talking" about, but they were going for "hours" until they started pulling hairs and pinching...I guess it's all part of playing....

It was such a perfect Sunday spent with friends, playing in the pool, sleeping, eating...what more can you ask for!!!! Hope your Sunday was full of fun and memorable moments and some new friends!