We Love Dancing - This Week!

 So... I know everyone was wondering after last time... how did she do at dance class this last week?

It was a little bit of a rocky start leading up to just getting there.

"Time to get ready, it's almost time for dance class!" I said, after talking it up all week.

"OK!" she chirped.

Despite her seemingly agreeable response, the fairly typical battle about getting ready ensues. No, she doesn't want to use the potty first. No, she doesn't want to get her clothes on. Fifteen minutes later, OK, she is pottied and clothes are on, now she needs to lay on top of the dog instead of putting shoes on. Why can't she wants wear her dress-up crown? No! She will only sit in her brother's car seat. OK, OK...

Tiny (Non)Dancer

I just don't get it.  Kids are ever-confusing!

My daughter is 3 1/2.  Her preschool did a school "play" earlier this year, and since dancing on the stage there, it's something she's spoken of enthusiastically for the past several months.

So 2 weeks ago was my daughter's first dance class - we had visited a couple schools, picked one out together, and decided to let her pursue more excuses for "dancing on stage" that she's requested.

Big excitement abound. Beforehand, we went and picked out the dance clothes, she was soooo excited: leotards with skirts, tights, ballet shoes, tap shoes... yay!

Budget Friendly, Realistic Dinners: Chicken Potpie

First, a bit about my approach:

I wish I could dive headlong into the current en vogue thing and become 100% organic or natural or homemade with my family meals, but let's get real: if you spend 40+ hours at work a week and around 10 hours commuting/doing daycare drop off + pickup, you don't have time to do it all. And sadly, the cost of buying 100% organic is a budget-buster for our family.

So, I do the best I can, and do a little of all of it.  My meals incorporate fresh produce/meats and a little pantry packaged good help to turn it into a meal. 

Two important caveats: 1) Most of my meals have to happen kinda quickly or my 18 mo old and 3 year old explode in a firey, dramatic way - these aren't uber speedy meals of 30 minute fame, but I get results with prep/bake time in about an hour and a half, depending.  2) Picky eating being one thing, but the meal has to be actually consumable by a tiny kid with debatable cultlery skills and four teeth. Things like soup are deliberately not in our repetoire yet.  ;-)

Night 1:

Whole small/medium chicken - cut in half, rubbed with spice mixture & grilled
Seasonal Fresh Veggie (Green Beans - sauteed with olive oil, minced garlic & sliced almonds)
Mac & Cheese (Yeah, I do Kraft most days)

Night 2:
Chicken Potpie

Ingredients
Shredded leftover grilled chicken
Frozen mixed vegetables
1 small diced yellow onion
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 can mushroom stems & pieces
~ 3 medium red potatoes, diced & boiled to firm-doneness
1 can cream-condensed soup: chicken or mushroom
1 can chicken broth
2 pie crusts (I use refrigerated)

spices to taste, suggested (use fresh if you have it, otherwise, dried):
Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt
Thyme
Cumin
Parsley
Sage
Paprika
garlic powder

Lightly grease your pie plate.  First blind-bake your bottom crust (that is, pre-bake it without the filling...suggest using pie weights here to prevent weird bubbling effect. Otherwise, large dried beans may be used in a pinch -- don't try this with a soup mixture with dried peas... did that once and WHAT A MISTAKE!)  425 F for about 10-15 min should do it. Just watch that it doesnt over bake.

Remove pie crust, turn oven down to 375 F.

Mix your spices, soup, and broth together in a medium bowl.  Combine veggies and chicken in a large bowl.  Pour the liquid mixture over your veggies & chicken, mix together.  Transfer to your pie plate.  Add the top pie crust, seal, cut some air vents as desired & bake at 375 F for around 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Ideally, let your finished pie sit at least 10 minutes before serving, or the filling will be very runny.

El Fin!

Ye Olde Reliable Quick Bread

OK, first let's get real for a tiny second, then we can return to the fantasy that these things are healthier than they really are: Quick "Breads" are actually cake in disguise. 

But oh are they easy, and oh are they good for the return on your effort.  And, perhaps best of all, we can get away with eating it for breakfast!

Today I'll share one I made yesterday as a way to use our first homegrown zucchini!

Here's the monster plant that gave us a zucchini as big as my forearm!

Zucchini Bread

There are a couple choices you can make on this recipe... read through to the bottom for complete overview.

Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour (cake or all purpose)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated zucchini (firmly packed)
1/3 - 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Prepare a loaf pan with Baker's Joy, or. butter pan and lightly flour.

Mix dry ingredients, baking soda, and spices in small bowl.  In a larger mixing bowl (big bowl and a wooden spoon are sufficient for this one!), combine eggs, oil, and sugar.  Beat together; add zucchini, beat until moistened.  Slowly add dry mixture, stir until well combined, but do not over-mix.  Fold in nuts if using.

Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes.

* For a lighter color bread, substitute 3/4 cup white granulated sugar for the 1 cup brown sugar.  Change the leavener to 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda.

* Optional excellent stir-ins: chocolate chips or raisins, or both!

* For extra fancy, you can add a simple melted chocolate glaze drizzle (melt chocolate chips and 1 TBSP butter) together, or, a simple glaze of powdered sugar (start with 1/2 cup), milk (start with 2 TBSP) and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.  For the vanilla glaze, tweak the ingredient amounts for your desired consistency.

Zucchini Bread - Yum!