Archives for January 2014

Bread for Becca.

January 30, 2014 / By Courtney / 9 Comments

As you know by now if you follow my blog, we have a new little member of the family. Our cousins brought home their precious boy Reid and he could not be cuter. L and I had the chance to visit him the other day and the whole way down to the city (they’re cool like that) I kept saying how I couldn’t wait to gobble him up. L’s response? ‘Mom, you can’t EAT Becca’s baby.’ Thank you, L.

If you know me by now there is nothing I love more than to feed people, so putting together this little package was so much fun! And hey, how cute is the tag? My sister Talia got me them for Christmas and they are from anthropolgie.

Back to the package.

To start, there was dinner. Monday during nap I whipped up a big batch of this super healthy bolognese sauce. Call me selfish but if you’re going to make a meal for someone else it’s just common sense to make enough of something that you can enjoy as well. Why cook twice? We enjoyed a small amount Monday night and the rest was packaged up in a Mason jar for Becca. I was happy to find some whole wheat fresh pasta and a chopped up kale salad. You have to stay healthy to take care of a little one!

A sample of homemade biscotti also made it in, which I can’t take credit for. My nice (and very Italian) friend and her mother made them from scratch and I thought they would be perfect dipped in their morning coffee. We all know sleep isn’t exactly the easiest thing to find with a new one. Even if you have an angel that will sleep perfectly in the bassinet (B, you did not do this), it’s truly hard to fall into a deep sleep because you’re obsessing about every little movement, sound, is she/he still breathing….etc. Rightfully so. Being a new parent can be….terrifying.

Lastly, breakfast. L helped me bake up this chocolate banana bread and as tempted as I was to steal a slice or two, it actually managed to get to the city in one piece. I hope it was delicious – I honestly think this is the first time I’m sharing a recipe I did not sample. I can say that it came together awesome and smelled out of this world. I’ll keep you posted when I make it again.

So, that’s that! A little care package for rock star new parents Becca and Stephen. We can’t wait to watch Reid grow up and can I just say this – I am SO HAPPY to (finally) have a bebe in the family that I am not responsible for 24/7! I can be that fun girl that visits, dotes on him, and…..leaves!

Congrats again!
C

P.S. I forgot the most important item . L obsessed over what type of bracelet/charm to make Becca all morning. At one point we were trying to loom a baby. Let’s just say I’m glad he settled on a flower bracelet with a white/navy palate. Just a tad less creepy.

wwww.

January 29, 2014 / By Courtney / 8 Comments

Well, we are back in (dusty!) winter gear for this week’s What We Wore Wednesday, darn! So not as fun as shorts, ray bans, and rainbow flip flops, but we’re making it work and trying to stay positive despite the painful temps. I’ll be honest, most days it’s a massive effort to get out of the (sometimes 2) sweatshirts and flannels but hey, that’s what wwww is all about so let’s do this!

We had a busy Tuesday beginning with an exciting meeting for me. I met Mr. Heinen of Heinen grocery stores! Cool, right? Great guy. After that it was off to the city with L for a lunch with dad at Piccolo Sogno, and then off to meet little bebe Reid. A completely fun day. On the way home from the city I hear from the back ‘mom, can we go to Nordstroms?’ That answer would always be yes. Here is what we wore:

On B: He enjoyed a day in playing with BFF Hannah. He dressed up in his new Junk Food jeans from Gap and a striped tee from Target.

On L: Gap skinny jeans, and J Crew gingham shirt. Margarita pizza by Piccolo Sogno.

On C: J Crew classic white shirt, CABI top, AG Jeans, and J Crew boots. What do you think of my bracelet stack? The watch is from the boys for Christmas (love!!!), and while I love all the other pieces I think I fail at making cute bracelet stacks. Hoping for some input from fashionista Aunt Carolyn soon. Stay tuned….

That’s our look this week – what’s yours?
C

6PM lasagna.

January 28, 2014 / By Courtney / 5 Comments

Lasagna, while always delicious, comes with a certain connotation of just being high maintenance. So high maintenance that it would be a terrifying thought to tackle after 6PM on a week night…until now.

Enter skillet lasagna. Just as tasty as the original, but modified down to a quick 30 minute dinner that comes together beautifully. You can do this on a weeknight, promise. Massive bonus that it’s a lot healthier than the original by using chicken sausage and whole wheat noodles. Optional of course – but why not when it’s just as tasty? It is still January. We’re supposed to be eating healthy, guys.

M and I gobbled this up on a cold winter night (is there any other kind of night?) and loved every single bite. Even the baby gave it a thumbs up – meaning, it didn’t end up on the floor. Nothing makes mom happier. Huge win, all around!

Skillet Lasagna

2014-01-27 16:08:04

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Ingredients

½ onion, diced
½ teaspoon salt
pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
1 lb. chicken Italian sausage, crumbled
10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (I used whole wheat)
2 (19 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan
¾ cup cottage cheese
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick (or cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Add a small bit of oil, onions, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened.
Add garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add sausage, and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat, if needed.
Add lasagna noodles to skillet. Top with tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer.
Cover and simmer, stirring often, until pasta is tender (20-25 minutes).
When pasta is tender, remove from heat. Stir in half of mozzarella and parmesan, and ¼ cup cottage cheese.
Smooth top and dollop with spoonfuls of remaining ½ cup cottage cheese. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan over all.
Place under a pre-heated broiler until cheese is browned and bubbling.
Remove from oven. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil just before serving

Adapted from Kitchen Simplicity

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

C’s picks.

January 26, 2014 / By Courtney / 4 Comments

Things are turning around here for 2014 – no sudden change of weather or anything, but we had a weekend of being healthy (knock on wood it lasts), basketball fun, lego afternoons, dinner out as a family, and most importantly – we welcomed our cousin’s new baby boy into the family. Little Reid made his stunning appearance into the world and we could not be happier!

Alright time for our weekly meal plan line up – let’s do this:

Sunday night let’s go with this healthier spin on Chinese chicken. Served over brown rice, can’t wait to try it out.

Monday afternoon I’m going to be working on a nice big batch of homemade Bolognese sauce. Some to eat, some to share for a very special delivery Tuesday. Becca, I hope you don’t suffer from newborn brain as much as I did…!

Tuesday is going to be busy around here so I’m going with one of my go to quick meals: busy chicken.

Wednesday night I have my fingers crossed for a girls night. I’ll be sure to grab something for M during the day so he doesn’t starve!

Cheesy chicken pot pie for Thursday? Yes please! Hello comfort in a baking dish.

We haven’t had our pizza in awhile, so we’ll end that week with that! Always a great way to welcome the weekend.

That’s our line up – what are you cooking this week?
C

-15 degree stew.

January 25, 2014 / By Courtney / 2 Comments

I have to say, it was a bit of a shock to my system to return here. This winter can only be described as relentless and everywhere I look people just look….in pain. It doesn’t stop snowing. The wind is insane. I literally almost blew over while getting gas. And of course, it hurts to breathe. Nice.

I knew some type of soup had to get going on my stove ASAP as it’s the only thing that can help. This one is super healthy (kale!), super hearty (barley!), and comes together easily (almost one dish!). A big bowl of barley stew, some crusty bread, and a glass of pinot noir – hopefully it will take the edge off the fact that spring is nowhere in sight. Sigh.

Barley Stew

2014-01-24 23:55:37

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Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking barley
Salt, to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. chicken sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juices
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil.
Add the barley and a big pinch of salt, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil.
Add the sausage and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, the onion and garlic to the saucepan and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
Cut the sausage into 1-inch slices and return them to the saucepan. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Season with the red pepper flakes, salt, & pepper.
Add the tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the barley and the kale and cook just until the kale softens, about 5 minutes.

By A Life From Scratch

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

Eat up!