Almost Two Weeks

I can hardly believe it has been so long since my last post. We have had so much going on and my back has just not cooperated much so sitting and blogging has been low on the totem pole for me. I do have several post I started on our laptop I hope to get finished up later today and posted so stay tuned.

Menu Plan Monday

We did pretty good this past week with sticking to our menu. I did move things around some but we had everything except the bourbon chicken; I made chicken and rice instead.

The Weight-watchers soup was surprisingly good; even the kids said they liked it.

Monday- Vegetarian lasagna, salad and french bread

Tuesday- Three pepper pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans

Wednesday- Salad and baked potatoes

Thursday- Bourbon Chicken and fried rice No Alcohol used (did not make last week)

Friday- Ratatouille stew and french bread recipe below

Saturday- Pizza and salad

Sunday- Pasta Primavera with Provolone (weight watchers POINTS value:5) recipe below


Ratatouille Stew

Ingredients
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 pound Roma tomatoes, cored, coarsely chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), cubed 1/2-inch
1 large zucchini (about 8 ounces), quartered, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large yellow bell pepper, cubed 1/2-inch
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar or alternative sweetener
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
Salt and pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese or nondairy alternative
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)


Ingredients
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 pound Roma tomatoes, cored, coarsely chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can vegetable broth
1 small eggplant (about 1 pound), cubed 1/2-inch
1 large zucchini (about 8 ounces), quartered, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large yellow bell pepper, cubed 1/2-inch
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar or alternative sweetener
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
Salt and pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese or nondairy alternative
Fresh basil sprigs (optional)


1. Combine tomatoes and broth in large saucepan. Cover; bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Add eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, garlic, sugar, basil, thyme and red pepper flakes to saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs if desired.



Pasta Primavera with Provolone

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup coarsely shopped plum tomatoes (could use canned)
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
3 cups hot cooked penne, farfalle, or medium pasta shells
1/3 cup shredded smoked provolone cheese
1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Saute the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and zucchini until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes

2. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, salt, parsley, oregano, and red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour over the penne, then stir in the Provolone and Parmesan.

Want to find more menu plans and recipes? Visit Organizing Junkie

Back Pain Update

Just a quick update on my back pain, first thank you to everyone who has prayed for me. Second thanks for the e-mails and tips.

I tried the yoga video for several weeks and slowly began to feel some improvement however I could still feel that something was not right, I kept feeling like one hip was higher than the other and despite my attempts to realign it with yoga my hip had decided it was staying put. I hem hawed around for days and tried to tolerate pain but then this past Sunday it again was back to being more than I could tolerate. I was considering taking the Flexaril because Advil was no longer cutting it. The only time I felt any relief was when I was flat on my back on an ice pack, and you just can not live like that!

So... I called the doctor who made the dvd I bought and asked her if she had changed her insurance policy; she had not but she did suggest a female chiropractor who did accept insurance and was willing to do all the filing. Like Dr. Rollins, Dr. Harris believes in treating the whole body and believes in allowing the body to heal itself when ever possible.

I called her office and she was able to get me in Tuesday afternoon. I was a little anxious, I always am in new places, but once I met her staff I felt at ease. Dr. Harris is very friendly, warm and caring. At first I was told my initial visit would only be X-rays and a treatment plan however after looking at me and discussing my pain she offered to start treatment immediately.

She informed me I was correct, my pelvis is rotated, I have some upper disc out of alignment and possible sciatica. Dr. Harris worked out my treatment plan that will involve probably 12-16 visits. Yesterday she manipulated my rotated area slightly, my muscles are very tight from the pain and did not want to move, and popped my mid and upper back. I did leave yesterday feeling a little better but still in pain.

I iced my back last night and again this morning and then went back to her office this afternoon. She started me on decompression therapy and then I used the roller bed. Oh did that feel good! Next was the manipulation and boy did things pop today. Don't you just hate the sound it makes? I sure do, it freaks me out every time! My pelvic area is still rotated but it is getting better and I am feeling much better! I can walk without much pain and I have been able to sit up and type. I am a little nervous about church tonight and may go into the transition room and watch from there so that I can get up and move around if needed without disrupting anyone.

Anyways I go tomorrow for more decompression therapy and manipulation and then on Friday I go in for a deep tissue massage and then the physical therapist is going to work with me on stretching. For now I am not allowed to lift heavy objects, sit or stand for long or exercise.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan Monday

Monday Pasta Bake and tossed salad


Tuesday Taco Buffet- Black bean tacos, Spanish rice, nacho chips and goodies

Wednesday Weight Watchers Zero Points Soup and salad recipe below

Thursday Bourbon Chicken and fried rice No Alchohol used

Friday Spaghetti with eggplant-tomato sauce recipe below

Saturday Pizza and salad

Sunday Lunch Sticky chicken, roasted potatoes and salad


Weight Watchers Zero Points Soup

6 cups broth
Cooking spray
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 teaspoons garlic (from a jar or substitute four cloves minced garlic)
1/2 cabbage, chopped (or use a bag of slaw, the biggest chunks you can find vs the fine, don't skip the cabbage for it somehow makes the soup)
1/2 pound frozen green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large zucchini, diced


1. Bring the broth to a boil in the microwave. (This is a time-saving tip that can be skipped if there's no hurry.)

2.Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to MEDIUM and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve and enjoy!



Spaghetti with eggplant-tomato sauce

1 (1 lb) medium eggplant
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
6 ripe Roma tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, and chopped (1 1/4 cups)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sweetener of your choice (honey, sugar, etc.)

Peel and dice eggplant; place in medium bowl. Sprinkle
with salt; toss well. Let stand at room temperature 15
minutes to soften.

1. While eggplant softens, bring broth to a boil in large
heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat: stir in
onion and garlic. Simmer 3 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, bell pepper and red pepper flakes; simmer
an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Drain eggplant in colander; rinse well. Add eggplant,
tomato paste, and sweetener to sauce.

4. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve hot over
cooked pasta.

Be sure to check out more recipes at Organizing Junkie

Tasty New Recipe

Tonight's dinner was so good I just had to share the recipes. I came across these last night while I was searching for some new ideas and seeing how I only had to run and pick up cilantro I decided they would be great to try tonight.


Balsamic Pork Chops (Southern Living came through again with this one)

Ingredients
1 package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix (I made Chipolte Rice instead)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 (3/4-inch-thick) boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs
Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions; keep warm.
1. Combine flour, 1 teaspoon rosemary, salt, and pepper. Dredge pork chops in flour mixture.

2. Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add pork chops, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pork chops.

3. Add broth and vinegar, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook 6minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

4. Add pork chops, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Serve over rice. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2001



Chipotle's Basmati Rice Recipe

1 teaspoon vegetable oil or butter
2 tsp. fresh cilantro
2/3 cup white basmati rice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Lime

1. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil or butter over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted.

2. Add rice and lime juice, stir for 1 minute.

3. Add water and salt; bring to a full rolling boil. At boiling, cover, turn down to simmer over low heat until rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

4. Add Cilantro and fluff rice with a fork.

In a Rut

I am in such a rut meal wise! I am so thankful that today is Saturday, no thinking or planning. Saturday always equals pizza. However I have a strange feeling that my family is going to expect meals the rest of this week and I just do not know what to make.

I am trying to keep meals nutritious, tasty, kid pleasing, simple to make and relatively inexpensive.

I have had a stack of cookbooks sitting on our table for three days now, I move it to eat and then put it back. I have every intention of just "getting with it" but somehow no meal plan is evolving. I have spent the last hour or so visiting my favorite food blogs and cooking websites and have a few ideas but I still feel..... STUCK!

Be sure to stop back by here Monday if you want to see what I come up with. I promise to share recipes, pictures and links.

I will Survive

This video is very cute. I laughed throughout it mainly because I could relate. We had been homeschooling for probably 5 years before some family members stopped asking when the kids were going to go to "real school".

Now look at us, this year Sydney will graduate. I feel truly blessed that I get to homeschool my kids! I am not saying it has always been easy but it has been worth it so far and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for each of them.