Weekend of Food!

I did alot of cooking this weekend, and lucky you- I took pictures!!!

We are so blessed (for now) in this country to have the abundance we have in food. I'm so thankful to God to even be able to have all the wonderful variety of great tasting food!

Trying to keep it healthy here, too!

So first things first, the kids and I headed to the YMCA! Jeromy had to work Saturday :o( But we went and worked out ! Then the kids and I did a major grocery shop at Costco, Albertsons, Maxx Nutrition, Group Health to fill prescriptions and then to JCPenney's to pick up our family pictures.

Jade helping put the groceries away... when she's done it's Kent's job to break all the boxes down and take them out to the recycling...

I love these green foods and fiber supplements. I usually go to Super Suppliment, but they are on the other side of town, so I thought I'd try this Maxx Nutrition place- also had a coupon for $10 off. The guy working there convinced me to try the new green food supplement on the right. They had samples and it tasted awesome!

Mmmmm, first a snack before I start cooking... I tell the kids I call raspberries "God's candy", they are so delicious and sweet and good for you- and pretty to look at!

Ok, I was trying a new recipe. It was funny cause out of all the health food magazines I have scattered around, I had been thinking about making this particular recipe and then Jeromy had commented on the same one.... that's it- I'm making it. But that was one of the reasons I had to do so much shopping. I had to get 3 more new spices... I feel like Jasmine on Disney's "Aladdin"- It's a whole neeeewww woooorld!

It was a carrot and almond type pate'.... so I made it...

It also called for Ciabatta bread, never had that before-- A whoooole neeew woooorld!!! This bread was delicious...

Mmmmmm

I toased the bread.... like I said the bread was awesome... but I think the family rated this a C-/D+..... I think I killed it with too much garlic. And I thought a blender was the same thing as a food processor (Which I don't have) hahaha, even Jeromy knew that but he wasn't here when I was making it. So I had to get out the hand held chopper and really chop that stuff cause the blender just was not cutting it. This also had cilantro in it--- smell so good!

Then Jeromy, I and the kids headed out after dinner, all reeking of garlic mouths, to go see Planet of the Apes- it was pretty awesome! The special effects is what I was going for, and it did not disappoint!

So Sunday morning, Jeromy and I got up early cause we both had been craving our oatmeal/banana waffles we make once in awhile (thanks to Jade's food class she took in high school- she found it online). I made regular waffles for the kids cause they don't like all the healthy stuff in their waffles. I also added blueberries in mine- I LOVE blueberry anything. And how much healthier can you get with oatmeal, banana and blueberry in you waffle? Oh, add real 100% maple syrup instead of the sugar stuff with corn syrup in it. Though I like it better, I need to get used to the healthy stuff.

Then we headed to church. Great sermon by our pastor Kevin, who's heading to Sudan in about 2 weeks. I think he tries to go once a year to help educate pastors in Sudan to lead those people who have practically nothing but their faith in Jesus. We have so much here to be SOOOO thankful. And I am. I've just been thanking God all weekend for this amazing food I'm discovering and feeding my family. I want to be healthy, and am trying to make small changes all the time that EVERYONE in the house can live with!

After church we were heading to my grandma's house. I had packed us some chicken sandwiches to eat on the way. With kale in them! I've discovered that kale is even better for you than spinach- which we also got at Costco.

Kent was invited by an older couple at church who had an extra ticket to a music production. Kent likes experiencing cultural things. So he went and did that. So Jade drove us to my grandma's, here's my view from the back seat trying not to critique every move...

Good girl, looking in her rear view mirror all the time....

My parents were also there visiting and my mom had made a blackberry pie and a lemon meringue pie--- super sweet!!!!

Cute grandma likes a piece of both- me too grandma!!!And YAY- my cousin Kimmy was there- I never see her!!!! It was great to see you Kimmy!!! Auntie Mary was there, too.... it's funny to hear my mom and aunt (jokingly) bicker... they always make me laugh! And hi to auntie Sharon, too!

Had to take advantage of the 4 generations when I can: Great-Grandma Lorraine, Grandma Cynthia Lorraine, Mom Katie, and daughter- almost turning 19- Jade Lorraine- love that name Lorraine!

Ok, onto dinner. I have been craving cherry tomatoes for a while- which is strange cause I used to hate tomatoes and have just over the last couple of years been forcing my self to learn to like them. Anyway- so craving the cherry tomatoes. And salad, too. I haven't really had salad in while cause I ate it sooo much there for bit. Got burnt out. But now I wanted it. And I remember another one of Jade's dinner's she had found in her cooking class. It was shredded chicken baked with salsa and black beans, then put over broken tortilla chips lettuce & spinach.... and I added the cherry tomatoes- I think I'm going to explode with how much good food I am eating. God is sooo good to provide all we have...

Oh, here is a quick picture Jade took on her cell phone Friday night. She was experimenting with making her own turkey burgers. She used our ground turkey and eggs, and she had fun with the spices... she's saying that the picture quality wasn't good but the burgers were great. With Jeromy's favorite sweet potato fries with it...

Ok, back to Sunday night. After dinner, I was going to make my yummy stir fry dinners that I freeze for work during the week. I know I've taken this picture a million times, but the colors of the peppers are so colorful- I knew you'd want to see them, with the onions and artichoke hearts...

Also last time I made this I added spinach, finally chopped up into the ground turkey and egg mixture- and I couldn't even taste it. So this time I also wanted to use more of the kale I got. What the heck, I'll use both, can never get too many greens. The left is the finely chopped spinach, on the right is the finely chopped kale. I just like the word kale- love words that start with the letter 'K'...

Now onto making Jeromy's healthy carrot muffins. I've been playing with this recipe as well. It calls for pineapple chucks in the original recipe which I did the first time. But Jeromy didn't care for the chucks. So I switched that ingredient to apple sauce and he loved it. So this time he wanted me to add some coconut shavings. So I did, plus an extra scoop of cinnamon cause he loves that, too.

So I've started doubling this recipe cause then I only have to make them once a month instead of every other week... that's alot of carrots to grate by hand... no food processor for me... yet...

These carrot muffins are pretty healthy. It's even in the title "Healthy Carrot Muffins", I don't know if adding the coconut keeps them as healthy tho :o)

Don't they look yummy?

Then I bag them up into 5, and freeze the bags, except for this weeks bag that sits on top of the fridge for him to grab one a day. Spoiled- but I love spoiling him. And I love feeding him and the kids healthy food!

Thank you God for this family and the blessings you poor out on us!

And lastly our family picture, not the greatest pic of a pic, but you get the cute idea, this year we chose shades of red/pink to wear.