Backyard Treasures

We have lived in our house for nine years (which is crazy to me), and we have had this ugly prickly tree in the backyard that assaults any being who gets too close.  Decomposed berries hang off the tree and scatter all over the ground; we have had many years of trying to keep the animals away from them.  

Our friends were over last summer and they took a picture of the tree with its leaves and berries.  After consulting with some gardening experts, they reported back that the tree is a sour cherry tree.  That's pretty awesome, but what do you do with sour cherries?  I made a batch of just-OK scones last year and called it a day.

Good thing this prickly beast provides some tasty cherries.

The eldest Picky has been watching the tree with baited breath and yesterday she announced it was finally ready!  Sure enough, the little hanging fruit had turned bright red overnight.  So as the Pickies got ready for the day (ie: started the fighting before 8:00 a.m.), I harvested some of the cherries.

Surprisingly, I was inspired to bake yesterday afternoon and I put Little Miss Picky to work.  In-between Kelly Clarkson tunes, while I got the batter ready, I taught her how to prep the cherries-she removed the stems, rinsed them and pitted each one.  I was glad to have her so helpful and willing.  (Because let's face it-you never know what you will get with an almost nine-year old girl).

And the muffins were a pretty awesome mix of sweet and sour.  Kind of like my Pickies.

Cherry Almond Muffins

1 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup sugar (plus more for sprinkling)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup favorite vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups sliced sour cherries

Preheat oven to 375 degree.  Grease your favorite muffin pan-you know, the one that doesn't have all the crispsies from the last baking adventure.  In a small bowl, add the apple cider vinegar to the coconut milk and set aside (this my non-vegan friends, is how you make butter"milk").  

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.  Add the oil and extract to your milk and gently pour it into the flour mixture.  Mix together until the batter is moistened...don't over-mix!  Fold the cherries gently into the batter.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way.  Sprinkle with sugar on top.  Bake for 25 minutes.  

Try not to eat them all.

Little Beings of Fur, Whimsy and CHOMP CHOMP

So my Pickies are err...picky and wonderful and exhausting, but the little furry beings that take up my heart are another story.

Hubby and I LOVE animals (duh) and when we were dating back in the day, we went to California and came home with a Boston Terrier pup.  We were such responsible adults; we not only brought her home on the airplane cross country, but we lived in an apartment with a pretty strict "no pet" clause.  Kali was sweet but she had a mean bite ("CHOMP, CHOMP!") and she did eat my first ever pair of expensive Steve Madden boots.  But we loved her anyway.

We continued our quest of responsibility when we rescued Pugsley (surprise-a pug!) from a puppy mill.  She came home the size of my palm and I loved her with every ounce of my being.  Of course she came to that "no pet" apartment where she and Kali became best buddies.  OK, not really, but they loved and tolerated one another amongst chewed-up carpet (hey, it wasn't ours!) and puppy pee pads.

Nine years went by with no issue; we moved, we had kids, the little beings carved out their places on couch cushions and in the laundry room.  Pugsley lost one of her eyes in a freak gasoline fight (shout-out to "Zoolander")-no, not really, but she had an accident and had to have it removed.  And for the next two years, she was the sweetest, kindest, most patient dog on the planet.  

A year later, we rescued Winnie the Pug and she brought an interesting energy to the house.  See, we knew that the girls were getting older and we were afraid that if one of them passed, the other would be miserable.  So Winnie, at seven months old, brought the playful side out of Pugsley and the persnickety side of Kali.

Pugsley passed away this past October and we buried her in the backyard and sang "Let it Be".  

Two months later in pure "The Notebook" fashion, we lost Kali as well.  We spread her ashes in the same area as Pugs, and we sang "Let it Be" again.  Sidenote:  My kids now get sad when they hear this song.  Lesson?  Don't use perfectly beautiful songs for animal funerals if you want to keep liking them.

We spent this winter with one dog-the first time in over ten years.  And we eagerly anticipated getting Winnie another little furry being to play, romp and create mischief.

And there is our Ruby.  She is 2 1/2 months old and she is teething something awful.  Pity the animal, human or article of clothing that comes towards her mouth because CHOMP, CHOMP, she gets it.  Hoping this is a quick phase.

It is extraordinary how these little beings conquer our hearts and how much the grief physically hurts when they are gone.  Not only for us adults, but the Pickies talk a lot about them, too.  I'm so glad that they are able to experience the love and compassion of animal companionship-even if it means I'm mad at the pup for biting my favorite dress (or two!).

We will always have these little beings and their stories in our hearts.  What are YOUR animal stories?

Hopefully Summer Can Get Past Bodily Functions

Summer vacation is here and this was a text from yesterday:

(me): "He hasn't puked in over 24 hours and boom-continually every 20 minutes for the next few hours"

(response): "That's awful!

(me): "Yes.  Especially since I got toilet water in my eye during one of the sessions.  It's OK to laugh."

That about sums it up. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have started summer vacation with the stomach flu. Besides the random vomiting at the most inopportune times, jumping into action every time someone coughs, and making the littlest Picky carry a bucket everywhere he goes, it's been OK. I've worked on laundry, planted a garden, read and even got in a couple workouts.

Hello Veggies.

But now what? As I wait to see who will be the next to drop, we need to have some fun. Not too much fun, the kind of fun that requires a bit of resting as to not aggravate the ex-sicky Picky. 

 I would like it to NOT include:

• Vomiting (duh)
• The Wiggles "Hot Poppin' Popcorn dvd or music
• Slug-Bug or Jeeper assaults
• Dog pee from the new puppy (who is very cute-but she bites and pees in the house.)

  

  I'm cute but my teeth are sharp!

I'm hoping I can stick with blogging this summer's adventures. I'll let you know what the Pickies decide they want to do to pass the beautiful, warm days.

The biggest picky just stepped in pee. 

And as the littlest picky would say, "That's what you get!"

Meal Planing Monday 10/7-10/12

My family ran a race last Sunday morning, and while my hubby made awesome time, my meal-planning for the week didn't fare as well.  I use Sunday mornings to plan our menus and then go grocery shopping while he takes the Pickies to the gym.  That didn't happen last week and our entire week felt the pinch:  lots of take-out, not-so-healthy meals. 

My handsome running hubby  is a rock star!

My parents are coming this week-YAY!-so Thursday and Friday are up in the air.  

Monday
Smoothies and oatmeal
Red pepper and white bean soup, salad
Pumpkin and white bean lasagna, salad, bread

Tuesday
Smoothies and pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins (NEED baking powder!)
Leftover lasagna and salad
Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, green beans, fruit

Wednesday
Smoothies and cereal
Chickpea salad sandwiches, fruit and salad
Hot and sour soup, edamame, rice, salad with miso-ginger dressing

Thursday
Smoothies and cereal
Out for lunch!
Tortilla soup and taco salad

Friday
Smoothies and coffee cake
Leftover soup and salad
Out (Birthday dinner?!?)

I forgot to mention that I have been loving my crockpot and the cookbook Vegan Slow Cooker.  Not only are the recipes delicious and pretty healthy, but some of them can cook on high for 3-4 hours, which is awesome when the littlest Picky is resting and I'm thinking about dinner in the afternoon.

Next week's plan should be fun because my mom is gluten-free, and that's always fun with a vegan menu, haha.  :)

Meal-Planning Monday IS BACK--9/24-9/28

And...I'm back.

So it turns out that when you do the school PTA newsletter, you don't blog.  And when you blog, you don't knit.  And when you knit, you don't read.  And when you read, you don't snuggle on the couch with your handsome hubby.  I guess it's about finding balance, right?  Anyway, I can't even begin to tell you the number of people who have asked about my blog these last couple weeks, and more importantly, they want to know what we are eating (which I find funny).

Let me tell you a little secret:  We have been eating out WAY too much, spending WAY too much, and eating WAY too much.  So now that I feel like we have established a good routine, I have been meal-planning.  As always, if you want a recipe, I'll be happy to share.  :)

Monday:

Shakes and cereal

Salad and tomato-macaroni soup

Chickpea piccata, cauliflower mashed potatoes and green beans

Tuesday:

Shakes and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

Salad with quinoa and tempeh

Miso soup, stir-fry, rice and salad

Wednesday:

Shakes and cereal

Leftovers

Spaghetti squash with black beans, salad, fruit

Thursday:

Shakes and baked donuts

Out

Chocolate-orange pancakes, scrambled tofu, roasted veggies

Friday:

Shakes and cereal

Leftover tofu and quinoa

Homemade calzones, green beans and salad

And I am sure I will make these every night.  What are you eating this week?

Beans for Breakfast? Who is this Crazy Woman?

I can't possibly be the only one.

Everyone else eats beans for breakfast, right?


OK.  I am fully aware that I may get the "weird award" for my breakfast preferences, but if you haven't tried eating them in the morning, you are missing out.


When hubby and I went vegan, I did my fair share of baking vegan donuts, pop-tarts and coffee cakes.  I have never been a huge breakfast eater, so most of the time I would skip it.  Or I would eat half a Larabar or an apple and a handful of raw almonds to give me the energy I needed for my morning workouts (I still do that sometimes).  I was never a huge egg person (blech), but I definitely missed the savory options in the morning.

And then my southern friend introduced me to garlic-y, salty, creamy grits.  And I was sold.  I started making them every so often with tofu and then one day I had leftover black beans.  They were delicious, although the grits were a bit heavy and the protein in the beans left me satisfied through my usual "snacky" times.


When hubby and I went to Costa Rica, we had this incredible buffet at the hotel.  Obviously we didn't partake in the majority of the offerings, but they had these awesome potatoes and gallo pinto (black beans and rice).  We would eat it with fresh salsa and guacamole...seriously it was probably one of the best things we have ever eaten.  The great thing about this was that we would eat around 6:00am, go surfing, ziplining or work (apparently we had to work in paradise), and I had very little desire to snack until lunch time.  I wasn't stuffed, just comfortably satisfied.

Our unbelievable Costa Rican breakfasts...

So now, I try to eat beans for breakfast...whatever is leftover works for me.  My friend's mom made us her Arabic mjadra (lentils and rice) and I ate that for four days straight.  Yesterday I ate leftover chickpea piccata.  Since I have been doing this, I haven't wanted to eat everything not glued down.

So as Yo Gabba Gabba says, 
"Try it.  You'll like it."

What do you eat for breakfast?

Mama's Making Some Meals 3/13-3/16

Another Monday, another mildly crazy week.  

Only this one starts off with a home-bound mama with a sicky Picky.  

I ran away to the grocery store yesterday afternoon after planning a few meals off Pinterest and I am hoping everyone likes them around the house.  I'm only planning dinners because we mainly rely on sandwiches, burritos and leftovers for lunch.

Monday:

Vegan pizza soup, salad and sesame soy green beans

This is most definitely not my picture
(I "borrowed" it from the link)...but it looks yummy!

Tuesday:

Potato and pea samosa phyllo triangles, kale salad and fruit

Wednesday:

Chili, cornbread and broccoli

Thursday:

Crock-pot baked potatoes with leftover chili, salad

Friday:

Homemade pizza, roasted veggies

What are you making this week?

Happy Philanthropy Friday.

I know you're on Facebook.

I know you're on Pinterest.

I know you have the ability to click the little mouse on your keyboard OR hit enter on your phone.

If you literally have 30 seconds, you can make a difference, without giving up money, time or energy.  No volunteering, no signing over your first child (however, that may suit some of you on a Friday) and no annoying emails trying to get you to buy various magic creams or weight loss-plans.

I have two sites that I need you to visit daily for a short period of time and your click will make an impact.

Happy Philanthropy Friday.

I have a beautiful friend who lost her love way too early, while she was six months pregnant.  She is up for one of the Top 25 Inspiring Blogs and it would sure mean a ton to her and her family and friends if you could vote for her blog, Everyday Kings, EVERYDAY until March 7th.  Please click here for the voting link.


The Home Depot Foundation builds more than just home projects; they build futures for many people who need it by giving $250,000 to a deserving non-profit.  Please, click here, scroll down and vote for the Ronald McDonald House.  This is a non-profit who houses the families of seriously-ill children, while being steps away from the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.  This money would be used to build a new roof and provide updates to continue their mission of caring about children.  Voting ends MARCH 31st, so I have plenty of time to harass you (I mean, give you gentle reminders).

The morning is just beginning; don't you feel like you have already done something good?  Please don't hesitate to pass this on!

Happy Philanthropy Friday.  

Learn Something New: Car Seats and Coats

I am always surprised that someone allowed me to be a parent.  Sure, I do research and I have an elementary education background, but really, what do I know?

And while I am at it, where did I put that child-raising manual?  

I want a refund!

Anyway, it frightens me to think that although I have been a parent for 7 1/2 years, I can majorly mess up for the majority of those years...just because I was uneducated and inflexible to new ideas.

Let's talk car seats and coats.

All of our little cuties have sat in those super heavy car carriers or five-point harnessed car seats (keep them in as long as you can, people!).  And if you live anywhere that gets mildly chilly, I have a PSA for you...and read it LOUD AND CLEAR.

TAKE THOSE COATS OFF YOUR KID IN THE CAR SEAT.

Before you roll your eyes or pat yourself on the back, humor me and pay attention for a second.  Those carseat straps may feel super tight against the coat-wearing little bodies, but when in an accident, the coat will compress and your little Picky can slide right out of the car seat.  NO joke.  Give yourself four minutes and watch this video:

(please note that this is NOT me, haha)



I found this to be deeply disturbing and shocking. Now, my Pickies all take their coats off and snuggle up with them in their laps while driving. Much more comfy, much more safe.

Please, please, please pass this on!

Dinner Plans 2/27-3/2

I had to take all three Pickies to Whole Foods yesterday...on a Sunday afternoon.  I think I deserve a medal or at least some delicious chocolate cake.  They can be super helpful, picking out the exact tortillas we need or loading up the cart with various colored bananas, but having three Pickies wander an already-crowded grocery store is...well, an adventure.  Thankfully we don't have to do that often.

This week is a crazy one, so I only planned the dinners and figured we will be in survival-mode for the rest.

Monday:
Breakfast for Dinner:  pancakes, yogurt, fruit and maybe some scrambled tofu

Tuesday:
Chickpea cutlets shaped like veggie tenders, roasted potatoes, green beans

Wednesday:
Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup

Thursday:
Chickpea picatta, mashed potatoes, salad

Friday:
Homemade pizza, salad, green beans

I let the Pickies each choose a dish this week and I am often surprised when the seven year old picks "chickpea picatta"...really?  What kid does that?  She likes capers, which I find extremely delicious as well.  Weirdo child.  ;)

What are you eating this week?

I May Be a Bag Lady

Honestly, why on earth do I carry a big purse?  

All I do is fill it up with junk, necessities and "No, thanks, I don't need a bag" purchases!  Really, this borderlines ridiculous (with the border being completely ridiculous), and boys listen up:  

This is why you never look in a woman's person.  God only knows what you will find.

The Bag.  

Oh, so cute.  I bought this across-the-chest bag at Whole Foods a year or so ago for $15 for a trip to Atlanta.  


It's a perfect bag for toting stuff around and I'm pretty sure at this rate, a small child could fit in it.  

The Contents.

Oh, let me list the full contents for you.

1.  A Super-why coloring book

2.  Various broken crayons, pencils, pens and markers

3.  Thomas the Train CD

4.  Two Jane Iredale concealers--two different shades

5.  Aveda hair product

6.  Brand-new mascara

7.  An empty Kombucha tea bottle (that's right-a heavy GLASS bottle)

8.  1/2 eaten Pure bar

9.  Empty iPhone case

10.  Various papers, including a funeral program

11.  This knitting pattern

12.  Wallet (well isn't THAT handy?!)

13.  Empty compact

Now seriously, why do I have so much stuff in my purse?  
I think I may have found a pug in there.  ;)  

What's in your purse or backpack?  'Fess up!

Kids are Funnier Than Most Sitcoms

These past few weeks have been packed with kid stuff:  Valentines Day, the middle Picky's 6th Birthday, a 125-person breakfast for art kids and their families, paper-mache in the kindergarten classroom.  LOTS.OF.KIDS.

But man, these little guys are funny.  

As we were prepping for a long weekend costumed as a "Mid-Winter Break", Picky #1 started to talk and ask about our plans for President's Day.  She wanted to bake a cake and Picky #2 said:

"Am I going to get presents, too, for Present's Day?"

Awww...sweet little guy.  I had to tell him that no, he wasn't going to get any presents and didn't he just have a birthday?  

When I was in Kindergarten class, I helped a sweet little boy wash his hands of all the paper-mache gobbly-goo that was on his hands.  This was our serious conversation:

"I don't like hot water in my bath."

"Really?  Why not?"

"It hurts my skin.  Especially my privates."

Ohmygosh, I just wanted to burst out laughing because he was so completely serious, so the only response I could fathom was this one:

"I totally can understand that.  You're right, little man."

But inside, I totally lost it.

Winnie, Dog #3 (and also a very playful puppy) finds Picky #3 to be a suitable play-friend.  She will chase, nip and knock him over just like she does with the other dogs and most days, he plays right back.  A little while ago, I heard a nervous wail from the other room:

"What's wrong?!?"

"Weeenie!  WEENIE.  BIT.  MY.  BUTSY!!!"

What a bummer.  he quickly got over it, but Hubby and I have been laughing about it for a while now.

The Perpetrator

When these vacation breaks get stressful, listen to the kids.  

They can provide you with lots of comic relief.  

What are some of your funnies?

Meal Planning Monday 2/20-2/24

Wow, these past few weeks have been crazy and I'm looking forward to a little bit of chill time; the kids are out of school for a so-called "Mid-Winter Break"...when in all reality it is just a long weekend. That's OK, I'll take a few days with no huge plans and rushing around trying to get three Pickies out the door by 8:30am.  :)  I'm really excited to try some of these new recipes this week.  :)

Monday

Smoothies and cereal

Leftovers

Crockpot Cherry BBQ tofu, quinoa, salad, green beans

Tuesday

Frozen yogurt, toast

Chickpea cutlets with mustard sauce, mashed potatoes, salad

Wednesday

Smoothies and butternut squash chocolate chip muffins 

(did you know that cooked butternut squash can be swapped with pumpkin?)

Bean burritos, veggie sticks and apples

Crockpot African Peanut stew, roasted potatoes, biscuits

Thursday

Smoothies and muffins

Grilled cheese sandwiches, carrots

Tempeh tamale pie, salad

Friday

Smoothies and cereal

Leftovers

Tostada pizza, green beans

Traditional Values

Like most Americans, I love Ellen.  She is funny, inspirational and kind to others.


Oh, and if everyone cares, she is gay.


As the new JC Penney spokesperson, there is a whole bunch of people who decide they aren't shopping at JC Penney because Ellen is gay.  If you haven't seen this, take five minutes and wait to be inspired:



"I want to be clear and here are the values that I stand for. I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated, and helping those in need. To me those are traditional values. That's what I stand for."
--Ellen


I think Ellen should run for President...

Must.Drink.Coffee

A busy mom of three needs her coffee, 

especially when they are in full Picky form.

I didn't start drinking coffee until the 2nd picky was born;  I guess that having two children 18 months apart forces you to the dark side.  Hubby always drank his morning brew and I would have a diet coke or Mountain Dew; not exactly the poster board for morning nutrition.


I have come to love and appreciate my coffee; I don't want it to light or too dark.  I would rather pay more money to ensure that it is Fair Trade and I adore my vanilla coconut milk creamer.  I understand that there is quite the culture when it comes to coffee drinkers and although I am not too picky, there is something I do not understand:


Why do people love their Keurig Coffeemakers?


To me, it tastes like coffee flavored water, nothing more than a replacement for Folgers except with a really expensive coffee maker and cups that pollute our landfills.  Obviously, many people disagree with me because the Keurig Coffee maker is one of the best-sellers and really, you can now get K-Cups anywhere.  But man, does the coffee ever not taste like flavored water?


We have a Keurig and it is reserved for when my mom comes and needs decaf (it used to be in hubby's office but now he works from home), so it is sitting on my counter, occupying even more space and tempting the Mister to make an afternoon cup.  Well, then I got lazy and forgot to buy a bag of whole bean coffee (and by "forgot" I, of, course mean "wasn't told we were out of coffee") and we have been drinking this coffee-tinged water for a couple days.


I woke up at 5:30am this morning with the smallest picky whispering to me, "Mom.  Guess what?  I go to school today." and I looked forward to the new coffee I bought yesterday.  I come downstairs, my good-looking barista handed me my coffee in my favorite mug and boom...it tasted like sweaty water.  Yes, my friends, the damn Keurig struck again.  I poured it down the drain and happily made a fresh pot of coffee.  Peace.

So, Keurig Coffee drinkers, prove me wrong.  

Explain to me how those magic K-Cups are filled with morning magic and motivation.  

I just don't get it.

Meal Plan Monday 2/6-2/10

Meal planning hasn't been going so well at our house ever since I got sick, so I took this weekend as an opportunity to start fresh.  I'm tired of spending money eating out when I could be cooking; don't get me wrong, I love eating out with a purpose.  But it seems that those "I'm too tired to cook" days are far too often right now.  


Monday:
Smoothies 
Rangoli buffet to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday
Tomato-rice soup with roasted garlic and navy beans, kale salad


Tuesday:
Smoothies and cereal
Sandwiches and fruit
Leek and bean cassoulet with biscuits, green salad


Wednesday:
Smoothies and chocolate oat bars
Enchilada casserole with spinach and corn, tortilla chips
Cauliflower and kidney bean stew with coconut milk, green beans, cornbread


Thursday:
Smoothies and cereal
Leftovers and fruit
Whatever we can scrounge up because it is a crazy busy night for us!


Friday:
Smoothies and banana millet muffins
Pizza lunch for the middle Picky's 6th Birthday
Homemade miso udon soup (his pick), rice edamame salad


Extra's:  
Birthday School Treat--Chewy chocolate raspberry cookies
Pretzel bites
Hummus


Yes, the six year old picked out miso soup for his special birthday dinner.  Silly kid.  :)  Looking forward to trying out a bunch of these new recipes!

Hey, Mom, You Probably Won't Read This, But "Happy Birthday", Anyway!

I am so happy and grateful to be spending the day today with my mom.  Sadly, we have to spend the day at a funeral, but today is her birthday and we never really get to spend it together.  

I don't have any presents ready, I don't have a cake baked, but I am really looking forward to getting to spend some time with her on our car trip.

I hope that I can have as caring and giving of a heart as my mom, and I hope that my daughter and I have a close relationship like ours...

Happy Birthday to my magnificent Mom!  

Meal Planning Monday 1/23-1/27

Ugh, I'm sick and completely uninspired to do anything in the kitchen or anywhere else.  My appetite is "eh" at best, so making this week's meal plan was a challenge.  So I relied on the Pickies and their favorites with a few of my own, and we are calling it a week.


Monday:
Smoothies and cereal
Sandwiches, crackers and fruit
Grilled hummus wraps, pineapple (mom and dad out, if I feel better!)


Tuesday:
Smoothies and banana "ice cream"*
Mac and cheese, apple slices
Jambalaya, rice, cornbread, salad


Wednesday
Smoothies and banana chocolate chip millet muffins
Burritos, "ants on a log"
Spaghetti and black bean meatballs, salad


Thursday
Smoothies and toast
Leftovers and veggie slices
Chickpea piccata with steamed kale, cauliflower mashed potatoes, salad


Friday
Smoothies and cereal
Leftover piccata and sandwiches for the Pickies
Pizza night with green beans and salad


*Banana "ice cream" is the easiest, most fun thing to eat.  You take bananas, peel them and freeze them in halves.  When you are ready, you let them sit out for a few minutes and put them in the food processor.  Process them until smooth, like ice cream.  Top with various fruits, nuts and sauces.  Who says you can't have ice cream for breakfast?

Happiness in a Box and an Oven

I must have known it was coming a few days ago.  The oldest Picky was home sick (kinda) and I made one of the best soups I have made: Chicken-less Noodle soup.  I ate a couple bowls of it and sure enough, I am sniffling with a scratchy throat.  I can deal with it because I haven't really been sick for about a year (yay, vegan diet!) but man, now I want more soup.  But it wasn't just the soup that made this meal so extraordinary and sick-worthy:

It was all about the oyster ranch crackers.

My friend's aunt used to make these beloved crackers every year at Christmas time and we would eat bowls of them.  Now that I won't touch those artificially-flavored ranch packets, I came across the homemade recipe on my new favorite website.  And now I will share it with you.  

The entire recipe was not NOT gone within a couple hours.  

(please note the double negative).

Oyster Ranch Crackers

Recipe from Peas and Thank You

2 t. garlic powder

2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. dried dill

2 t. dried parsley

1 t. salt

3 T. oil (olive oil, canola, grapeseed, etc.)

One 8 oz. package oyster crackers 

(or any other cracker...even Gluten-Free!)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, mustard, dill, parsley and salt. Add oil and stir to combine.  Pour in oyster crackers and toss to evenly coat.  Transfer crackers to a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

The disappearing oyster crackers...picture courtesy of Mama Pea 

TRY THEM NOW!  

Meal Plan Monday 1/16-1/20

And here I am again, planning the meals for the week.  It's a lot like laundry; I think I'm done, take a good little break and then it's time to start all over again.  And then I think I can just make do with staples from the pantry and brainstorm ways to keep my grocery trip super low but that NEVER happens.  It's always those weeks that I have to stock up on vitamins, vanilla extract or spices.  But still, no matter what, it is cheaper to shop at Whole Foods then for me to take our family of five out a few times a week.

Monday:

Smoothies and cereal

Lunch at Miguel's

Teriyaki Tofu, quinoa, pineapple and salad 

(I ran out of tofu last week.  Really.  Who runs out of tofu?)

Tuesday:

Smoothies and oatmeal squares

Easy enchilada casseroles and veggies

Chipotle-lime tempeh tacos, taco salad, fruit

Wednesday:

Smoothies and bagels

Chicken-less noodle soup and ranch oyster crackers

Grilled cheesy hummus wrap, tomato soup

Thursday:

Smoothies and cereal

Soup and sandwiches

Jambalaya, cornbread, roasted carrots and apples

Friday:

Smoothies and banana chocolate chip millet muffins

Burritos and applesauce

Homemade pizza pockets (calzones), salad and green beans

Extras:

Cinnamon vinaigrette

Sugar cookies (I swear I wasn't putting them off.  OK, maybe...)

Ranch oyster crackers

I'm still cooking out of my Peas and Thank You cookbook.  Although I feel that some of the organization could be better, I love the recipes and the attitude of the book.  They are very kid-friendly and the Pickies have been a lot less whiny at dinnertime.  And for that, I am very appreciative.

Have you seen this new "Healthy Eating Plate" that Harvard has recommended for our daily eating?  What do you think?