… to let their grandkids do things that mommies and daddies won’t… in this case, push whatever keys she wanted to on Nana’s computer. Anna thought that was great fun! (And congrats to Nana for recently switching to Apple! Yea!)
After which, of course, Anna insisted on getting on our computer:
Yep, she thinks she can do whatever she wants to around here!
Well, here’s our menu, with an unusual amount of commentary this week. Find other menus at Menu Plan Monday, which has a guest host this week.
Monday: KFC (Using our free grilled chicken meal coupons that are about to expire)
Tuesday: Whole-wheat waffles, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit (we didn’t have this meal last week; we used up some leftovers on Sunday)
Wednesday: Oven-baked salmon, baked sweet potatoes, sugar snap peas
Thursday: (guests for dinner) Brown rice w/ mushrooms, sautéed green beans, carrots, rolls
Friday: Out for David’s birthday! Birthday cake: Carrot cake w/ cream cheese frosting
Saturday: (guests for dinner) Chicken tacos (with black beans as a meatless option), Mexican rice, fruit salad
Sunday: Leftovers if there are some; if not, then mac & cheese, sautéed green beans, carrots, rolls
As I mentioned in my last Menu Plan Monday, I would like to cut back our meat consumption. There are a few reasons for this:
1. Environmental/societal impact. Meat production uses HUGE amounts of fossil fuels, water, etc. It pollutes the ground and water supplies. It is responsible for more greenhouse gases than driving cars. It’s an inefficient use of land and resources; a hamburger patty serves one person, but the amount of grain that went into that hamburger patty could feed a bunch of people. And there are lot of hungry people in the world.
2. Health. We have been brainwashed into thinking that we need meat every day, a couple of times a day, to get enough protein and stay healthy. We don’t. A plant-based diet consisting largely of whole grains, beans, legumes, and vegetables can provide all the protein we need, without all the saturated fat that has dire health consequences.
3. Animal welfare. This is what originally got me looking into this. As I’ve contemplated our emerging passion for companion animal rescue and the formation of a philosophy about how we should view and treat animals, I’ve realized that philosophy should really extend to all animals. And, currently, the animals used to produce the cheap meat (as well as eggs and dairy) that we find in supermarkets are… well… not treated like they should be, to put it mildly. Do some Googling if you want to know more.
So should we all be vegans? I don’t think that’s the answer (more…)
There seems to exist a contradiction in the world of food and the money people spend on it. Sometimes you hear that you’ll save a lot of money by switching to a healthier diet; other times you wonder why the healthy option has to cost so much more. I think it all depends on what exactly you’re comparing. Are you comparing similar products? Food preparation methods? Lifestyle?
Now, I could do a lot of research and provide actual statistics and site my sources, but I really don’t have time for that at this stage in my life. So here are my thoughts; do what you want with them (more…)
I’m going to start trying something new with my menu plan. I’d really like to work more meatless meals into our diet, for reasons that will probably be the subject of another blog post once I get my thoughts together. No, I’m not going to become a vegan. :) My goal is to have fish one night (which should work well until I run out of the salmon in my freezer that I bought on sale), beef or chicken three nights, and meatless three nights. Don’t hold me to that, ok? It’s just a loose guideline for now. And feel free to send me your favorite recipes for filling meatless entreés!
Monday: Chicken & bacon quiche (leftover from Sunday), carrots, rolls
Tuesday: Garlic-potato soup, salad, French bread
Wednesday: Baked salmon, sautéed green beans, brown rice w/ mushrooms
Thursday: same as Tuesday
Friday: Beef tacos, fresh fruit, chips & homemade salsa
Saturday: same
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner—whole-wheat waffles (didn’t get around to trying this recipe a couple of weeks ago, so trying it now), scrambled eggs, fresh fruit
Visit Menu Plan Monday over at Organizing Junkie for more menus.
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Recipe: Garlic-Lemon Marinade for Salmon (more…)
Anna has finally crossed the 20-pound threshold, which means she can face front in the car! I know it is recommended that kids stay rear-facing as long as possible, and I originally wasn’t in any hurry to turn her around. But since this peanut allergy thing entered our lives, I want her where I can see her sweet little face, so that every time she coughs I’m not wondering if she’s ok. (I’m sure that will get better with time, but I’m still a little jumpy.)
We went to Staples yesterday for her first forward-facing excursion. I think she liked it. She even instinctively knew how to use the cupholder. Smart kid.
This was one of those times where she let out a big smile after I took the picture each time. I gave up after a few shots.
Oh dear, Monday’s almost over and I almost forgot! Funny thing is I had this done early this time; I just forgot to post.
Monday: Grilled chicken sandwiches, sweet potato wedges
Tuesday: Burgers, potato wedges
Wednesday: Chicken quesadillas, fruit, chips & homemade salsa
Thursday: Grilled chicken sandwiches, sweet potato wedges
Friday: Baked ziti, green salad, French bread
Saturday: same
Sunday: Chicken & bacon quiche, green beans, rolls
Check out Menu Plan Monday for lots more menus.
… when Anna brings me a book and wants me to read it to her. I mean, how can you refuse a child who wants to read a book? I love it! I tell you, I’m not getting a thing done around here because every five minutes she’s toddling up to me with that little “uuh, uuh, uuh” and holding up a book, and I just drop everything and plop down right there on the floor with her in a heap of smiles and cuddles.
We’ve always read to her, but she’s really gotten more into her books the past several weeks. She wants to pick out her book herself, she watches and listens more attentively, she wants to read the same ones over and over, and she’ll sit through 4 or 5 now rather than just 1 or 2. She’s amazing!
Peanut, that is. And apparently, Anna doesn’t.
After discussing it with her doctor, I decided to try Anna on some peanut butter for Friday lunch. I gave her a little taste on a spoon to see if she liked it, planning to make her a little sandwich if she did. I was watching her for a reaction, but I honestly didn’t expect to see one. Not MY kid. That’s the kind of thing that happens to someone else’s kid, right?
It wasn’t even a minute until she started pulling at her ears and rubbing at her face. Coincidence, surely? No, she was clearly agitated about something. Then I saw the little bumps on her face. Oh, crap. So I squirted a dose of Benadryl into her and called the children’s clinic. She ended up with an epinephrine shot, a prescription for an Epi-pen, instructions for strict peanut avoidance, and a referral to an allergy specialist. Just like that.
She never had any swelling in her mouth or trouble breathing; however, if she reacts again, it could be more serious.
There are still a lot of things we don’t know about how this will affect us. A visit to the allergist will determine just how sensitive she is and what kind of avoidance we need to practice. I sincerely hope she’s in the “don’t feed her peanuts” category rather than the “don’t let her within a mile of anyone who has ever even thought about eating peanuts” category.
At least we’re already ahead of where a lot of families are in terms of food preparation. We hardly ever eat out, we make most things from scratch, we don’t rely heavily on pre-packaged convenience foods, etc. So hopefully it will come down to a few little tweaks here and there.
Monday: (leftover from the weekend) Chicken tacos, fresh fruit, chips & salsa
Tuesday: Oven-baked salmon, sugar snap peas, brown rice
Wednesday: Chicken-rice casserole, green beans, carrots
Thursday: same
Friday: Breakfast for dinner—whole-wheat waffles with strawberry topping, scrambled eggs
Saturday: Grilled burgers, potato wedges
Sunday: Chicken quesadillas, fruit, chips & homemade salsa
Visit Menu Plan Monday for lots of other dinner ideas and recipes!
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