Seems like every night this week I've been rushing to get dinner on the table before 9:00! Whether it's work, after work activities, working on our fitness, or running after kids, we all need a quick go to meal. My first mainstay is tacos, but sometimes get tacoed out (it takes a lot of tacos to get there, but occasionally I reach that tipping point). So my plan B menu item... pizza, of course!
I always have a ball of whole wheat dough in my fridge just waiting to be made into a pizza, stromboli, or calzone thanks to GreenBEAN delivery. It makes homemade pizza night sooo easy!
Usually we stick to traditional red sauce with mostly traditional toppings. But this time I changed things up a bit by making a white pizza! And what goes best with alfredo sauce? Chicken and broccoli! This pizza has become the new favorite in our household. Can't wait to make it again. :)
Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! This weekend was packed with fun things like Race for the Cure, a Cbus bloggers lunch, and visiting with friends. A bit of a mixed bag with weather after almost getting hailed on walking around Bexley. Got 'lost' for hours in the Book Loft with a friend (from my 40 things to do in Cbus when its cold or rainy post). Then we tried Tom+Chee which opened recently in Pickerington followed by going to see Godzilla.
Tom+Chee is a cute little grilled cheese place, kind of like Melt, but a little less extreme. My husband had a grilled mac and cheese sandwich. They also have grilled stuffed donuts (we shared a smores donut). They apparently have a bakers dozen challenge for eating these donuts... I don't know that I could even eat one whole one let alone thirteen! I wonder how many people they get attempting the challenge?!
If only the weekend could be longer! Oh well, time for this week's menu...
jerk shrimp sandwiches (kind of like po' boys)
sundried tomato pasta
baked sloppy joes
broccoli stuffed chicken and salad
pizza night
I first read about oil pulling a couple years ago. It was on this 'live from the earth' type blog, so I shrugged it off as something people who make their own toothpaste kind of thing. I have no beef with Crest and didn't give it a second thought until this viral blog post from fashionlush in February.
Just by checking out her blog, I figured this oil pulling idea was a little more mainstream than I originally thought. At the time, I had a lingering cold that I couldn't shake and her post said it relieved sinus issues and removed bacteria and toxins from your body. Well, seemed like coconut oil was performing miracles, not harm in trying it.
So I have been swishing about a tablespoon of coconut oil around in my mouth for 20 minutes every morning since then (well, until a week ago when I ran out and decided to give it a break). It is a little weird. Coconut oil is a solid until it warms up in your mouth. I was expecting to hate it because the only coconut I like is in pina coladas, but it really doesn't taste like coconut. And the whole 20 minutes thing seems like a long time and a big deal, but you just save a minute or two by not brushing your teeth and you're free to move about your morning routine... swish in the shower, pull while getting dressed, push in the kitchen making coffee... you're done before you know it!
So here are the miracles that oil pulling promises and whether I noticed a difference after two months (and a dentist appointment)...
* whitens teeth - maybe half a shade?
* clears sinuses - nope, not really
* healthier gums and teeth - I could get behind healthier gums, it definitely doesn't reverse cavities :(
* draws out bacteria/toxins from your body - it definitely removes bacteria from your mouth
* cures bad breath - with less bacteria, yes, but it doesn't quite have the same minty freshness as toothpaste
* cures headaches - not that I'm aware of
* clears skin - inconclusive evidence
* strengthens mouth - for sure, 20 minutes of swishing uses muscles
* moisturizes lips, gums, and skin - yep, totally checks out
Final result? Tried something new, didn't hate it. It definitely has some perks and drawbacks, just like anything would. And I'm not sure if this was related or just coincidental timing... but after having a cold off and on for two month, it went away (and stayed away) after I started pulling. However, I do love the minty fresh feeling from toothpaste, so I started adding a drop of peppermint extract to each tablespoon and that seemed to help.
I would definitely do it again, maybe two jars a year? It gives my gums and enamel a break from my strong-handed brushing and is kind of meditative in the mornings. But I also can't give up my toothpaste cold turkey. So in a few months, I'll buy another jar and see what happens!
If you want to try it out for yourself, get a jar of organic, unrefined coconut oil from pretty much any grocery store. It will set you back about $8-10. Start off with about a teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth (you can upgrade to a tablespoon when you feel good). Let it warm up on your tongue or begin swishing right away. Keep on swishing. Push and pull the oil through your teeth to get the effect of flossing. Keep swishing. After about 20 minutes, spit out the oil into a trashcan (it will turn back to a solid in you drain if you spit it in the sink). Rinse some water around in your mouth and then go about your day. Remember to do this first thing in the morning to get the most out of it!
If you're like any college student ever, you have probably had your fair share of Ramen noodles in your life. Probably to the point of never wanting to see a pack of those noodles again! But then a couple years ago, Ramen noodles came back in a more sophisticated, trendy way with chunks of fresh salmon and cute little restaurants.
As the Ramen goes, so goes the Soba noodle. Maruchan used to make a yakisoba kit available in the refrigerated section next to the wonton and eggroll wrappers. It had instructions on how to prepare vegetables to go along with your soba noodles and "yaki" sauce pack. Several years ago, they got rid of that option and opted for a version just like those Ramen noodles we loved to hate in college. Added in more preservatives to give it a shelf life of forever and has about a teaspoon of dried veggie pieces to try to pass as real yakisoba. Ugh.
Well, now soba noodles are getting trendy and I'm loving this Japanese fast food!
In this recipe, we're piling on the veggies and they happen to be all green (with at least one serving of green veggies per plateful, you're mom approves of this recipe). The sesame oil makes this dish a real treat with tons of flavor. And it truly is fast food, taking less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!
Somehow after 'game night' at our place, a stop at the new REI and afternoon at Easton, going to the Crew game, mom's day brunch, time in the garden, and a walk in the park with the Snoop dog... I have zero photos from this weekend. Maybe I'm not as connected to my phone as I thought! I take pictures of everything, with my phone or camera, so this weekend seems quite out of character for me. Oh well, I am just happy to enjoy the moments.
So it is a short and simple post for this week's meal plan.
creamy salmon pasta
more sliders (we bought too many, like always)
pretzel chicken with broccoli
crab legs and corn
potato and leek pizza
What's your plan for the week?
It's funny how people turn out some times. Over Easter lunch, my mom was commenting about how different we are after I turned down a piece of cake (I really just don't like cake). We have said it before when talking about cooking, hiking, gardening... actually... a lot of my hobbies. But there are still many moments where I think we are much more similar than either of us realize.
Of course, I wouldn't be the person I am today without my mom. No one can say any differently.
So celebrate with your mom, your rock, with some delicious brunch. Bring her some flowers and tell her how much she means to you. There is only one day set aside to celebrate all the moms out there when we should really be celebrating them every day.
(Click on the pictures for the recipes.)
Do you ever have those moments where you learn something that seems like it should be common sense and it changes the way you think about everything? Basically like there must be a better way to do everything... I just don't know it yet.
That's how I felt after watching one of Jamie Oliver's 15-minute meal episodes.
After having issues cooking chicken breasts all the way through (you know, there's the thinner side that's done in seconds and the thicker end that can sometimes seem to take an eternity to cook)... I started buying cutlets or actually using my cooking mallet (I have no idea if that's what it is actually called). And of course, I always season my chicken.
The new-to-me, crazy easy trick... pound the seasoning into the chicken while your flattening it out! Seriously so simple and the flavor is so much more pronounced. Wish I would have had this moment years ago!
People go crazy for Starbuck's pumpkin spice latte. But the seasonal drink I always look forward to is their salted caramel mochas... mmm... mochas...
Thankfully, we have several months of Spring and Summer to enjoy before those drinks are back on the menu board. So until then, we'll have to settle... hmmm, not the right word... devour some salted caramel mocha brownies instead!
They are the perfect texture, somewhere between a dense cake and fudge. And gooey... those caramel pockets are sooo good!
Hope your weekend has been fabulous so far! Despite some mediocre weather, it has been a pretty great weekend. Started it off with sushi for the first time since some time in February, yum! Then met some fellow Columbus bloggers at Marmi's Easton location open house (some cute shoes in hard to find sizes). Grabbed lunch with my aunt and cousin at the Pub. Followed up with cheering on the Crew and constantly checking my phone for updates/running in the Upper 90 Club to watch the CBJ game (we were wearing our Jacket's jerseys and everyone kept asking us for score updates). Now we're heading to Dawes Arboretum to see the last of the Japanese cherry blossoms (and celebrate a belated Arbor Day).
Although the morning started out rainy, after some breakfast while shoe shopping and accessory trying on with Amanda, Lauren, Kathy, Kellye, Nicole, Alicia, and Christina... the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds!
Watched the first (and only) CBJ goal from the Upper 90 before the Crew game started. Caught the penalty kick goal scored by Arrieta.
Since the weekend is winding down, it's time to plan another menu. Here is this week's plan...
coq au riesling and salad
roasted tomato penne
pesto chicken lasagna rollups
taco bread with fresh guacamole
lamb burgers and roast potatoes (trying something new from Green Bean this week with lamb from 7 Sons Farm)
What are you planning to make this week?
