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Tuesday's Tidings for April 9, 2013

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1. We had a huge windstorm Saturday night and into Sunday morning. One of the tops of our neighbor's tree fell into our yard. I can't say I'm excited to have to deal with that.

2. I'm slightly obsessed with Skinny Cow ice cream right now. It totally satisfies my sweet tooth while allowing me to stay within my calorie range. Josh picked up this itty bitty for me a few nights ago and I can't stop thinking about it. The flavor is right up my alley and doesn't taste at all like its low in calories.


3. Can I just say how much I despise teething? It is the worst. Not only am I almost on the verge of tears watching my little guy scream in pain, but I feel helpless.

4. Christian rolled over yesterday! TWICE!!! He struggled for a long time getting the momentum to swing his body but he did it and I was so so proud!!!

5. Anyone want to give me and Josh a few hours to just each other?  I'm so desperate for a few hours alone with Josh? Honestly, Josh and I haven't been alone since back in February when he took me to Swan Lake and I came down with a cold and Christian started teething and fighting a cold off. PLEASE??? I'LL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND?!

6. Can someone please remind me of when all of these post partum hormones go away? One minute I'm the happiest person and then the next, I am super weepy and emotional. And to make make matters worse, my hormones are making my hair grow so fast I can't keep up with the maintenance of my roots poking through. I know I know, such #firstworldproblems I have.

7. These kids! They make me so happy and the love they have for each other blows my mind. They keep thanking me for bringing Christian into our family. Melts my heart to see their love for each other bloom.

8. Did anyone watch the Mad Men premiere? We watched it Monday night and I have to say, I wasn't too impressed.

9. While Josh is working out, he's started watching Prison Break. I can't say that I am too much of a fan. It just doesn't hold my interest, which is funny because I had wanted to see it.

10. Christian has been sleeping in his SleepSuit since Thursday night and every night he has slept through the night. I AM IN LOVE WITH THAT SUIT!

Weekly Menu 4/8-4/14

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Gone are the warm spring days from last week and the cold wind and rain has made a return. I was not pleased to have to dig my coat out of our hallway closet the other day. But if that small glimpse of Spring is whats to come in the coming weeks and months, then bring it on, I can't wait!

Monday
Turkey Meatloaf with baked potatoes and green beans
Tuesday
Croque Madams
Wednesday
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
Thursday
Garlic Spaghetti with Garlic Bread and a salad
Friday
Pizza Night
Saturday
Celebrating my Sister's Birthday
Sunday

Eggplant Parmesan

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This is one of those meals I had planned on making several times in the past. I had bought all the ingredients and then, I don't know, it never got made and that beautiful deep purple fruit (yes, I thought it was a vegetable too) would waste away.

As a kid, I was always very weary of eggplants. To my knowledge, they were the things only vegetarians ate, and I was happily a meat eater. I had met more people in my life who didn't like eggplant than liked it. But as I grew into the foodie I am today, eggplant was one of those things I really wanted to try and I really wanted to like it.

I finally got my chance to try eggplant for the first time last May in San Francisco, when yes, once again, our dear friends Karen & Jared (and now baby Ethan- has joined the family) made us eggplant parm. I was so excited and so nervous at the same time to try it. But I was hooked within the first bite. And so was Josh, and so was Grace, and so was Eden.

So last week, when I saw eggplants were 5 for $5 at the store, I bit the bullet and bought everything I needed to make it. I'm so glad I did because it was just as amazing as I remembered it. I highly recommend this dish, especially if you like Chicken Parmesan. Don't be intimidated by it's deep puple oblong shape. This fruit has got quite a flavor and is a great way to mix up one of your weekly dinners into a meatless one.

Eggplant Parmesan
Sourced from Table for Two
If you love Chicken Parmesan, then you will love this meatless version!

Servings: 3-5

Prep Time: 75 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time:  1 hour and 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, sliced into ¾ " thick slices
2 TB kosher salt
1 ½ cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
3 eggs
½ cup milk
4 TB vegetable oil,  for lightly pan-frying
3 cups marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. Salt both sides of the eggplant slices and let them drain in a colander for 45min-to 1 hour.
  2. When your eggplant has finished draining, brush off excess salt. 
  3. In two shallow bowls, add breadcrumbs to one and whisk eggs and milk into the other. Dip both sides of the eggplant slices into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a large baking sheet, repeat with the remaining eggplant slices. 
  4. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. 
  5. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 TB of veggie oil to the pan. When hot, place two slices into the pan and cook on both sides until golden brown. Remove and place on a plate with a paper towel to soak up any remaining grease. Repeat with with 1 TB of oil for every two eggplant slices. 
  6. In a large casserole dish, add about 1 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices. The using about ¼ cup of sauce, dot the slices with the sauce and then cover in a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat until you run out of eggplant slices and cover with more cheese. 
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly on top. 

Caprese Pizza

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caprese pizza

As anyone who reads Catz even occasionally knows, pizza is a staple in the Rief household. Yes, it's right up there with bread and milk. Making a very nearly weekly appearance on our menu and a holding forth a constant presence in our freezer (the dough, that is), pizza is one of our all-time favorites. Why? It's variety, of course! Taco pizza, cheese pizza, Hawaiian pizza, peach pizza, white pizza, pesto pizza - is there anything you can't do with pizza? I think not. One of our most frequently made pizzas, however, is the caprese. It's simple, beautiful, and ridiculously tasty. Haven't tried it? Here's your chance.
The ingredients for a caprese pizza are simply lovely. Bright red tomatoes, lively green basil, and pure white mozzarella - it doesn't get much more Italian than a meal that's basically an Italian flag on your kitchen counter! A couple of notes about the ingredients - first, nothing can be substituted for fresh basil here. Dried basil absolutely won't cut it - don't even try. Second, you can use almost any type of tomato (there are a couple of different types in our photographs here), but romas are best. Lastly, the mozzarella needs to be of the block variety, meaning no shredded. The little round "rolls" of fresh mozzarella that many supermarkets carry are perfect. We buy ours in big two pound blocks from Costco because we use it so much, but anything that isn't shredded should work. If you can't cut it into slabs, you won't be able to get the coverage and browning that you need for this sauceless pizza.

One last note before we get into the recipe - let's talk balsamic vinegar. Whether or not you choose to top this pie with a balsamic reduction is up to you. It will be delicious and light without it, or more indulgent and bold with its inclusion. I struggle, even after many meals with it included, to always get my balsamic reduction to turn out right. If you have the same struggle, don't sweat it - if it doesn't turn out, eat the pizza without it. It will still be fantastic!

caprese pizza ingredients
The Italian flag in your kitchen
caprese pizza dough
Yes, I physically measure my dough to exactly 12 inches!
caprese pizza dough
Olive oil really does make everything better...
Christian really wanted in on the basil
par baking pizza dough
For a simple sauceless pizza like the caprese, par-baking is a must
caprese pizza
Topped with fresh basil, waiting for this pizza to cool before eating it is almost impossible

Try this out, and I'm quite certain that it will be a staple in your household in short order as well. Oh, and for those of you with small children, did I mention there's no sauce? Leave the balsamic reduction off, and you have the least messy pizza ever served to a child! Score one for less cleanup!

caprese pizza recipe

Caprese Pizza
This simple Italian classic will become a weekly guest on your menu in short order!

Servings: about 4

Prep Time (not including dough prep): 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: about 25 minutes

Ingredients
Catz pizza dough
1-2 large tomatoes or 2-3 medium romas
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
10-15 slices of mozzarella cheese
extra virgin olive oil
(optional) 1 cup of balsamic vinegar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pizza stone sprinkled with corn meal in oven during preheating.
  2. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface into a roughly circular shape about 12 inches in diameter. Brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil. Transfer to hot pizza stone, and return to oven to par bake for about 7 minutes, or until crust is lightly golden brown. 
  3. Remove crust from oven and top with alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella, overlapping slightly. Return to oven for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until mozzarella is browned and bubbling. 
  4. Remove pizza from oven, transfer to pizza peel, and top with chiffonade basil leaves. Let cool for 2-3 minutes and serve. If possible, cut with a rocking pizza cutter to avoid disturbing ingredients.
Optional: Reduce 1 cup of balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until about half remains. Drizzle over completed caprese pizza for a more indulgent and bold flavor. 

Tuesday's Tidings for April 2, 2013

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1. We finally got a family picture on Easter. The last one we had done was in January, so it was a little bit outdated at this point.  Thanks to my wonderful Sis-in-Love for taking it for us.

2. I think I mentioned a few weeks back that I was switching up my coffee. Less sugar and less creamer. It was killing me. I tried convincing myself that it wasn't as bad as it tasted, but it really was. But, low and behold, Josh brought Almond Milk into my life and it has changed me! I use that with about a tablespoon of sugar and its great. There is still a coffee flavor but sweetened just enough so that I'm not going crazy and it's cutting down on my calories. Yahoo!

3. This morning on Instagram, Cookbook Queen posted yet another adorable picture of Lucy. (Seriously, if none of you read Kristan's blog, you should! It is hilarious!) But what made me stop and keep reading the comments on the picture wasn't just how cute Lucy was, but that Lucy let Kristan have 12 hours of sleep! SAY WHAT?! Lucy slept in the Baby Merlin Magic SleepSuit. It kind of looks like an oversized astronaut suit, but I was intrigued. I texted Josh what Cookbook Queen had posted and told him to look into it. Because though Christian is a great little guy and I absolutely do love the time he and I spend when I feed him, let's face it. I'm tired. And this is supposed to help with that. Josh called me about an hour later and said he bought one and we should be getting it Thursday. I'm so excited to try it out. Hopefully, we will have a success story too.


4. Have you ever noticed how my Weekly Menu's run from Monday-Sunday? To me, Monday is the beginning of the week. Not Sunday. Sunday is the day of rest, which should always fall at the end of the week, so that we are recharged for Monday which is at the beginning of the week. Makes sense to me!

5. I've never had a popover before. But I got an email from Completely Delicious with this Raspberry Popover and now I have to make it. I absolutely love raspberries and I'm absolutely in love with this picture. So now, I'm going to make it my mission to find a popover pan at a Goodwill or maybe on Amazon, because this needs to happen now!

6. Josh and I watched Zero Dark Thirty over the weekend. I have to say, it was really good. Very Intense. I just love that Bin Laden was caught by a girl!

7. Okay girls, I need some help. I don't wear foundation on my face at all. I haven't worn it in like 5 years. All I wear is just a little bit of bronzer to give my face a bit of color. The reason I stopped using foundation was because after the end of the day, the foundation would rub off in weird areas giving me a very uneven looking face. I found I had better luck with bronzer. Even though my skin seems a lot healthier without all of that stuff on my face, I'm curious about trying it again. So what I want to know is what foundation brands work for you. Keep in mind I'm cheap and I will not buy my makeup from a department store, unless it's Victoria's Secret, because that's where I buy one of my eyeshadows from. So tell me, what works for you?

8. Since Spring is here and Summer is on it's way, it's time to break out my Maxi Dresses, which I love and live in during this time of year. I don't have a black one though and I really really want one. Have any of you seen any cute ones while you've been out shopping?

9. Speaking of shopping, I haven't really shopped in so long. The extent of my shopping for the past 3 months has been escaping to Goodwill, my home away from home. Seriously, Josh let me go to our local Goodwill last week and I was there for 2 ½ hours. I found a brand new shirt from Target with the tags still on, a pencil khaki skirt from The Loft, a brown tank from The Loft, and this peach colored t-shirt from The Loft ( that all looked completely brand new). Oh, and I nabbed a pair of shoes for Christian for $1.99. The skirt and brown tank were purple tagged which meant that they were 50% off that week and so I ended up paying less than $20 for all of it. Honestly, I have more fun shopping at Goodwill then I do at the mall, lol! However it is really upsetting when you find something you love and it doesn't fit. I found a Neiman Marcus dress for Target at Goodwill (w/tags) and all they had were sizes 8 and 10 and sadly they were huge on me. The dress was gorgeous! :(

10. I tried the new Hazelnut Macchiato from Starbucks the other day. It was okay. I wasn't impressed. Caramel is still the way to go.

Weekly Menu 4/1-4/7

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I hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebration! We sure did. The weather was beautiful and warm and it was just a great day.

My menu is coming to you a day late. I apologize for that. We've been so busy, there hasn't been any time to grocery shop or  do anything else this past weekend. But I'm getting up now. :)


BTW- Did anyone get fooled yesterday?

Monday
We picked up Chinese Food
Tuesday
Shepherd's Pie with a side salad
Wednesday
Eggplant Parmesan with broccoli and rolls
Thursday
(Awana Night)
Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with green beans 
Friday
Pork and Tomato Skillet Saute with a baked potato
Saturday
Sunday
Breakfast Night- I'm thinking Crepes 

Tuesday's Tidings for March 26, 2013

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1. You guys have seen this right? Every time I come across this online I bust out laughing because it is so true.

2. Last night, Josh made this Skinny Reese's Cup Milkshake and it was amazing! Only 200 calories per serving and totally satisfies any chocolate/peanut butter craving you might have. I think this might be a new go-to dessert in this house.
3. Yesterday afternoon, the girls and I did an Easter craft. I saw this on Pinterest and thought how perfect it would be for the girls to do. It was really easy and a lot of fun. I had everything traced out for them so all they had to was cut and paste. Obviously, I helped Eden because she's tiny. LOL!
4. I finally got to paint my nails and toes last week. It had been too long. Of course the nail polish on my nails is starting to chip and it leaves me wondering how long I'm going to endure that before I have time to repaint them. Please tell me other moms with young kids have this problem, too.
5. Only 12 days till the premiere of Mad Men season 6! I cannot wait!
6. So, I'm totally in Spring Cleaning mode. Yesterday, I went outside and cleaned our little white picket fence that goes around our front door area ( it was diiirrty) and I've been cleaning and trying to rearrange a few things in the house. Here is the problem I have. I'm tired of my throw pillows, blankets, curtains, and look of my living room. I love the furniture setup, but it's the decorating aspect I'm having trouble with. I feel like it's all a little dark and I haven't updated any of this in years and I'm just bored and tired of it. But I'm not really sure what I want to do about it. Or where I would go with a designing scheme without changing everything, which I can't do because money doesn't grow on trees. I'm thinking I need to start with something small and take it from there. I need to go to TJ Maxx!
7. Christian hates tummy time. I can get him to lay there for maybe 10 minutes...if I'm lucky and then he is mad, like furious, and yelling at me. 
8. We watched The Hobbit last week. I actually liked it. But now I think I need to watch it again, because I was confused and we watched it in two sittings. 
9. Christian's teething seems to be better...or at least it hasn't been as bad the last day and a half. I'm knocking on wood that the whole teething thing is on Spring Break as well, but seeing as though, those toothers haven't broke through yet, I'm not holding my breath. 
10. We ate some fresh steelhead last night (which is part of the trout family) and we just did a simple pan sear of it. Let me tell you, just a little bit of salt and pepper with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, made it drool worthy! I was impressed by how good it was with simple (and cheap) ingredients. 

Weekly Menu 3/25-3/31

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Is it blowing everyone else's mind that this is Easter week? I really feel that Easter should always be in April. Not only is this Easter week, but this is also our spring break week! I'm happy to have a little break from school. Grace, however, asked if it would be okay if she still worked on her history book because she enjoys it so much! Of course we said, "yes." Who are we to discourage learning, but it took both Josh and I by surprise.

I hope you guys all stay tuned for Wednesday-Friday's posts. We got some Easter recipes coming your way and you will not want to miss them. If any of you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen a few sneak peeks of what's in store.


Also, our menu is a little wonky this week. We haven't really done a full grocery shopping trip (which bugs me to no end because now I'm missing things I need) but we did get a few filler items. Well, I bought a few filler items and then Josh decided to buy everything but what was on my list. In his defense...I never gave him the list, but aren't men supposed to be able to read minds and stuff? Okay, so keep in mind, Josh did most of the shopping and that is why we are having so much fish this week. But honestly, I'm not complaining because I love fish!

Monday
Steelhead with asparagus and mashed potatoes
Tuesday
Chicken Chimichangas
Wednesday
Fish Tacos
Thursday
Steelhead again (Josh bought a whole fish) LOL!
Friday
Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, green beans, and macaroni and cheese
Saturday
Homemade Pizza and a side Salad
Sunday
Easter Dinner
(Not sure what our plans are yet)

Garlic Butter Croutons

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I absolutely cannot stand croutons that you buy in the store. All I taste is salt. I don't mind salt and as long as it's a subtle and emphasizes the flavor, not detracts. I think a lot of people think that making your own croutons is hard to do. But really, it is super easy. You can basically use any kind of bread you want (as long as it isn't moldy) and use whatever seasonings you like. Usually I just make my fall-back croutons when I'm running low, but my mom brought a new recipe to my attention and I just had t make it for myself.

Instead of using whatever leftover bread slices I had lying around, I took my mom's suggestion and bought some rustic bread. Yes, it is actually called rustic bread. We have a local bakery here in Portland called the Portland French Bakery and they make all kinds of really delicious loaves of bread. So, taking my mom's suggestion, I used the rustic bread and the results were incredible; really thick, crunchy, and flavorful croutons.

If your grocery store doesn't carry this awesome product, then any crusty loaf of bread will work.

Garlic Butter Croutons
Sourced: Winter Cottage Magazine
The perfect addition to your salads and bowls of soup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Total Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients
½ cup butter, unsalted
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 ½ cups bread cubes, use crusty bread

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat,  melt butter. When butter has melted, add in garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. 
  2. Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper. 
  3. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes and butter mixture, tossing to combine. 
  4. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until brown and crisp.
  5. Store in a ziplock back or airtight container. 

Cheese Blintzes

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The first time I'd ever had a Cheese Blintz, was last May in San Francisco. We were staying with our friends Jared and Karen for a few days before we were to set out on the road again to visit Josh's grandparents. At the time, I was only about seven weeks pregnant and the early pregnancy symptoms were starting to set in. I was so relieved to have finally made it to our friend's house, because it had been such a long and hot drive down to San Francisco that day. Why hot, you ask? Well, we discovered the air conditioning in our car refused to work, making me one hot and cranky momma. All I wanted to do was just sleep - which I was able to do, once we got there and got settled for the night.


The next morning, I woke up to Josh bringing me a delicious latte and having me take a shower so I would be rejuvenated for a day of walking around San Francisco exploring. When I came up the stairs of our dear friend's house, I was greeted with this delicious aroma I couldn't place. Karen had made us a delicious breakfast of Cheese Blintzes.

I devoured every morsel on my plate and had seconds! It was so good and I remember raving and thanking Karen so much for making such an amazing breakfast and begging for the recipe. This breakfast is one thing I remember about that visit in San Fran. The other was the amazing generosity and hospitality that our friends poured out to us while we there. That was probably one of my favorite trips, because we had so much fun with them and Karen kept filling our bellies with incredible food. Don't even get me started on the beer can chicken she grilled for us the night we returned from Los Angeles!

This is a fabulous breakfast to make for a crowd. It's delicious, filling, and actually very easy to make; it just has to bake for awhile - which is just enough time to make a berry sauce or a fruit salad to go on the side.

Cheese Blintzes
The perfect breakfast to make for guests or a brunch on a weekend morning.
Serves: 9
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour - 1 hour and 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Ingredients
Batter:
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup apple sauce
½ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 ¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
1 lb cottage cheese
4 TB butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
dash of salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
  1. Grease an 8x8 baking dish. (Use a 9x13 baking dish if you double the recipe)
  2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
  3. Combine all batter ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.
  4. In a medium sized bowl, combine all the filling ingredients and mix well. 
  5. Pour enough batter into your baking dish to cover the bottom. Use less than ½ of the batter. 
  6. Top with all of filling
  7. Top the filling with the rest of the batter
  8. Bake at least for an hour, but up to an hour and half, so that the mixture isn't runny. 
  9. Serve with a fruit salad, fruit sauce or jam. 

*Note-Adjust the baking times if you double the recipe.