About making dinner

It does happen. Actually, I make dinner on average 5 nights a week. Lately I've been trying to make the most of what I buy at the grocery store. I'm sure a lot of people are doing the same these days. For me it's about the cost but also about cutting down on trips to the store. So I've been working on carry-over dinners. These are items I make for one meal and carry it over to a meal later on in the week. I have three favorite meats for these: whole chicken, beef roast, and pork tenderloin.
I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and put my recipes on the blog. I'm pretty sad about that, because I have been experimenting a lot. I also want to include pictures of what I've been cooking, but that will also have to wait. These days, I cook dinner with Sophia straddled on my back. I hope this will lead to interest in the kitchen, however it could backfire and she could loathe it. Please let her love it, I could use a helper.
So while I do have a chance to chat about food, here are some of my carry-over ideas:

Chicken
First meal: Roasted chicken with Pappy's seasoning, stuffed with onions and carrots
Carry-over ideas:

• Chicken enchiladas with leftover shredded chicken
• Risotto with peas and shredded chicken
• Penne alfredo with sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms and shredded chicken
• Manicotti stuffed with ricotta and shredded chicken
• Chicken pot pie

Beef Chuck Roast
First meal: Pot roast with carrots and celery
Carry-over ideas:

• Carne asada soft tacos, leftover shredded beef reconstituted with some taco seasonings
• Rigatonni or Polenta with shredded beef in rich beef ragu (puree leftover pot roast vegetables and gravy, add tomato sauce and cook down)
• Shepherds pie, also using leftover mashed potatoes if you served that with the pot roast

Pork Tenderloin
First meal: Oven roasted pork tenderloin
Carry-over ideas:

• Chile verde
• White bean pork chili
• Pulled pork sandwiches (it's a lot leaner than a pork butt or shoulder, so you'll need to basically chip the meat and add the BBQ sauce and simmer for a bit)

12 on the 12th and Easter

Sophia's first Easter! The Easter Bunny gave her a basket full of small tub toys, bubbles, a book, and stuffed animal. She loved playing with all her stuff and had fun with blowing bubbles in bed.

It was a beautiful day out and the cousins all had a great time playing together. Sophia got this huge purple bunny from her Noni and she loved it!

My sis in-law is also doing the 12 on the 12th project so it was a little bit like the paparazzi here.

For dinner we had ham, roasted root vegetables, broccoli salad, fruit salad, green salad, and spinach quiche. For dessert we had apple pie and chocolate cake with sour cream frosting and chocolate dipped cherries on top. It was pot luck style this year which really helped out.

Dione hid the eggs this year, and did a fabulous job taking it over...so good in fact that I think she should get to do it every year! She even had some for Sophia to find scattered across the lawn, and Sophia was pretty occupied finding her eggs.

Happy Easter!

Happy Birthday, Sophia

Hard to believe that one year ago we were at the hospital marveling at this little person we made. Actually, I think I was marveling and Rick was trying to figure out how he was going to sleep on a 2x2 cushion, while also figuring out how to get Fox News to come on louder through the teensy speaker playing out of the remote control. As much as I kid, he really came through that night and the whole stay at the hospital.

Sophia rarely slept in her bassinet at the hospital, much to the dismay of the nurses. How could I sleep soundly and accidentally smother this new baby? I was on a high to finally have the most precious gift I've been waiting for so long. I was not going to let her leave my side for as long as I could stand.

This year has been a blur. I can imagine it only goes by faster. As much as I want to slow it down, I am enjoying all of Sophia's stages and growth into the little person with that little personality that's only going to blossom more as the days go by. So, happy birthday dear Sophia. I love the little one you've become and look forward to seeing the little girl you are growing into.

3 days old

6 months old
1 year old

Sophia's 1st Birthday Party

My baby is almost 1 year old