Shaunessy in Charge

So today I really needed to go get some produce for me to eat.  Otherwise it would be back to the old processed food in my pantry that the rest of the guys can't seem to live without.  I am cringing that I promised Lancer I would make him "Hamburger Helper" tonight for dinner.

Here are a few photos of what we bought that I did not realize I purchased until we got home.  The cashier was helping Shaun unload his little cart while I was unloading mine.  So really it was my fault for not paying attention.

His major score was this:

Chocolate covered bananas.  I had no clue they even existed.  He must have put this box in his cart while I was looking for my LaLoo's.  Whole Foods is no longer carrying them (at least not my store, so I got to figure out how I am going to get my LaLoo's fix!!!)

Rose Lemonade by Fentimans.  The packaging is actually what caught my eye because it looked antique/vintage in a sort of weird way.  This was my want to try it purchase.   I always try something new every time I go to Whole Foods.  This intrigued me.  

The Xochitl chips in the background were a Shaun pick me up.  He recognized the packaging and picked them up on his own when we went down the snack aisle.  I wasn't planning to purchase any but since he did choose my favorite, how could I say no? LOL  Also pictured are a big bag of red grapes (the boys favorite) as well as an avocado, big bag of oranges and a fresh pineapple for juicing and smoothies this week.  Have I posted about my Pineapple Cilantro smoothie yet?  I will have to check.  Not pictured are the bag of onions, bok choi, cilantro, and various cucumbers plus many other veggies.

This is also my big spontaneous purchase of the month.  I have been watching Forks over Knives and out of all the interviews conducted, Kris Carr really resonated with me.  Today when I seen her book on the bookshelf at Whole Foods I knew I had to have it.  It's been on my wish list to check out at my local library which is what I normally do because I don't have alot of money to spend on books and I want to know if they are "worth" my money purchasing.  The reading begins tonight when the boys are in bed.


As I am uploading photos from my Ipod, I have noticed that Shaun took over my ipod today as well.
Here are a few photos from his point of view!

Yes my dining room table is currently under fire.  It's a mess.  His block toy with the shapes is on the table but I have yet to see where he and Leia have hidden the pieces.  You can also see that batman still adorns our table after so many years (it was Lancer's first placemat he chose) and Shaun's taking a liking to it.  You can also see my Time Life Music Big Band cd in that stack tower as well.

To keep Shaun occupied while I prepped my produce, I quickly put grapes on the table.  These were the last of the previous batch we purchased last week.  They did not last long.

The proof that "someone" was using Mommy's Ipod. Well actually there are about 100+ photos similar to this one!

This must be the photo when I caught him playing with my Ipod.

And more physical proof he was using it....he found the record button. LOL

Now back to trying to clean my kitchen and also my dining room table.

Sincerely,
Crystal T.

Meatless Monday - Hot n Sour Soup

How about that?  TWO posts on Meatless Monday!  

Dinner tonight for me. 

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks.  If you don't have it, you should look into adding it into your library.  It's on page 58.


Here is the final result.

For the record, I left out the scallions and the peas because I simply did not have them.

Next time I want to try it with fresh Shitake Mushroom over the dried.  I think its just a personal texture thing with fresh versus dried.  Overall still good.  Lancer said it smelled good when he got home from school but was not brave to try it.  I want to try it with other vegetables next time, just don't know which ones yet.
Maybe a bit of shredded carrot, white onion and tofu next time. Maybe a mixture of mushrooms as well.  I am not a big Seitan fan but wanted to try it out.

I love her book and if you like it as well, check out Robin's website by clicking HERE.

Sincerely,
Crystal T.

Meatless Monday - Pasta & Pesto

I found this photo from an old sd card that I took with my camera.  I can't remember if I posted this or not, so sorry if its a duplication.

One night for dinner I decided I wanted pasta.  So while I was making traditional spaghetti for the boys I decided to make myself a meatless version of pasta.  I was in the mood for a pesto.  I had a lot of the normal things that goes into a pesto...basil, olive oil, pine nuts but wanted something more than just that.  I added about a cup of spinach to the mix with extra two cloves of garlic (yes I love garlic!).  I had some marinated kale from earlier in the day that was still soaking in the lemon juice.  I put the extra lemon juice into the pesto sauce and blended it into my Vitamix.  I kept the kale out for added texture to the dish.

After the pasta was cooked, I mixed in the pesto and stirred it up until well coated.  Then added the Kale and also some Whole Foods 365 line of their Vegetarian Shredded Parmesan Cheese.  Topped with Fresh cracked black pepper and dinner was served with a side of hot crusty garlic bread.

I love it when a plan comes together.  I have made this several times as pasta is a staple with the boys and kale is one of mine!

Sincerely,
Crystal