Tag Archives: love to eat

Weekend Meal Planning

Posted on November 23 by Jillian416 • 2 Comments

Howdy! It’s Sunday again and that means we’re meal planning here in the O’Keefe household. However, after shopping today, I’m really beginning to wonder why we torture ourselves on Sundays. It was SO busy!!

Before I get into my meal plan, I wanted to tell you about my weekend – It was GREAT! I’m really not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my side of the family. Thanksgiving day is always spent with Seamus’ parents and usually my mom will have her dinner the Saturday or Sunday afterward, but since I have some busy siblings, we had to adjust. This actually worked out, because now when we get back from CNY next week, we won’t need to travel to my parent’s the next day. Thanks busy siblings! 😛

Anyhoo – I got up early and headed to Panera to do some of my virtual assistant work, I always seem to think better there. After working for about 3 hrs, I came home to the cuddliest of boys. Emmett just wanted to be held, cuddled or nuzzled by me and who am I to say no. So, while daddy got ready to go we hung out on the couch wrapped in each others arms. I just love that little boy!!

Eventually we hit the road, and made it to grandma’s in plenty of time! We were a little worried because of all of the snow that had fallen between where we live and my parents (in case you haven’t heard or seen the images, here’s a good synopsis), but there was no need for worry. We got there quickly and easily!!

Emmett was so excited to see my mom, sister and brother. He’s not positive who everyone is yet (because he doesn’t see everyone all the time), but he sure does love being around people who shower him with attention. That’s pretty much all you need to do in order for him to like you. LOL There were 3 dogs there, which is weird for Emmett because he’s not used to any, but by the end of the night he was lightly petting and playing with the dogs. Yay!! Once we eventually move, I’m sure Seamus and I will want to get a dog, so I’m glad E adjusted easily.

Dinner was delicious, my brother made some amazing mashed potatoes (yes, seriously!) and then for the rest of the evening we just visited, joking and chatting with one another. It’s times like those that I treasure most! I really wish we all got together more frequently, when we do we have such a good time.

Today has been a bit of a whirlwind. I was up early, worked and then made us all a yummy breakfast, I’ve done some laundry, cleaned out the fridge (YUCK!!) and we’ve gone grocery shopping. Emmett is quietly napping now, Seamus is playing his video game and I am blogging away. THIS is what Sundays were meant for.

Our Meal Plan

It will be a pretty easy week because we have Thanksgiving on Thursday and then will be traveling home on Friday, so we’ll just grab something on the way. LOVE easy weeks!

Sunday: Homemade Pizza (carry over)

Monday: Rotisserie Chicken & Potatoes

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (with Seamus famous guacamole)

Wednesday: Fettuccine Alfredo Spaghetti Squash

Thursday: Thanksgiving!!

Friday: On the road

Saturday: Scrounge

Quick and easy!! We don’t host Thanksgiving, maybe one day when we get a house, but for now I am lucky enough to enjoy the cooking of my mom and Seamus’ mom. Yummy in my tummy!!

I’m joining and linking up with Laura from Mommy, Run Fast! and Jill from jillconyers.com.

Your turn!

Do you host Thanksgiving, or do you just bring a dish to pass?

Anything fun on your emal plan this week? Share in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

Looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to get your news? Check-out theSkimm and sign-up for your daily email box delivery of the world’s news, plus if you share your birthday, you get it listed at the bottom of the newsletter on your day. It’s like celebrating with thousands of people!!!!

Filed Under: All About Me, Link-Ups

Flint Lockwood and a Meal Plan

Posted on November 2 by Jillian416 • 1 Comment

Making our meal plan was pretty easy this week, but before I get to that, I want to share Emmett’s costume – he was Flint Lockwood from the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs movies.

A few weeks ago, Seamus was at Kohl’s shopping and came across a t-shirt that had the tuxedo print on it. He obviously bought it, because what’s cuter than a 2 year old wearing a tuxedo shirt. HEHE At this point we still were unsure what Emmett would be for Halloween, he had mentioned being Daniel Tiger from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, but it has a head piece and Emmett isn’t fond of putting things on his head. So, we kept thinking…

One Saturday morning when Emmett decided to sleep in, Seamus and I were just laying in bed brainstorming ideas and he had the brilliant idea for Emmett to be Flint Lockwood. With his tuxedo shirt, and a pair of jeans, all we would need is a lab coat! Did you know you can get them in child-size lab coat and at an affordable cost?? This is the lab coat (affiliate link) we purchased for Emmett and it fit him perfectly.

This worked out perfectly, because to Emmett it felt as though he was just wearing regular clothes not a costume so there was no fighting to get dressed. Plus, he loved that his labcoat had pockets and he could hide his many necessities (ie: his hot wheels, binkie, Percy from Thomas and Friends). It was really the cutest thing!!

We made it about 6 houses down the street before we decided to call it a night. I wasn’t expecting to get far, it was chilly and drizzling, but I thought we’d at least make it down the street, oh well. At the first house, while we were waiting for Emmett to grab his candy, the family dog ran out to sniff Emmett. Very sweet dog, Emmett was not in danger, but because Emmett doesn’t have a lot of experiences with dogs, he was freaked out. So, every house going forward we had to coax him to come up, that they didn’t have a dog, that it would be okay – it got to the point where he was just crying. Poor guy! I kept asking if he wanted to go home and he’d tell me no, I asked again and he said yes. So home we went. I’m glad we got out and got to experience everything – next year will be even MORE fun. 🙂

Now our Meal Plan

Breakfast: 2 Scrambled Eggs & bacon

Lunch: Salad with ham and chicken, blue cheese crumbles, sunflower seeds and honey mustard dressing

Sunday: Pot Roast

Monday: Breakfast for Dinner

Tuesday: Tacos and Guacamole

Wednesday: Homemade Steak Subs

Thursday: Scrounge day

Friday: Rotisserie Chicken & Baked Potatoes

Saturday: Balsamic Pork & Asparagus (Seamus found this recipe, I need to get it from him so I can share it)

It’s a pretty easy week, but one that will be super yummy!! Have you seen my post with tips to make your meal planning easier? You should check it out, these are my TRIED and true tips – they really work.

Join me and link-up with Laura from Mommy, run fast! and Jill from jillconyers.com.

Your turn!

What were you or your children for Halloween? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Looking for a quick, easy and FREE way to get your news? Check-out theSkimm and sign-up for your daily email box delivery of the world’s news, plus if you share your birthday, you get it listed at the bottom of the newsletter on your day. It’s like celebrating with thousands of people!!!!

Filed Under: Family, Food & Recipes

Sunday Meal Plan – Week #23

Posted on July 20 by Jillian416 • 12 Comments

What an awesome Sunday we had!!

We’ve had an exciting several days! My sister and her family are in town visiting and since I had off at the same time we’ve spent a lot of time together, allowing our children to play and have a good time.

Friday we went to Midway Park in Beamus Point, NY. I’m really glad we did too, it’s a really small park, perfect for 2 year olds and with very few people there. The kiddos were pretty much allowed to run from ride to ride with us following behind. They had such a good time and used up a TON of energy. I’m not much of a ride person, I prefer to people watch so I wasn’t sure what to expect with Emmett. He LOVES rides! Ones that spin, especially! Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for taking Emmett on several rides that I wouldn’t do (me and spinning just do not mix).

Then on Saturday we celebrated my mom’s retirement and Emmett’s birthday. My siblings and I got together and hired a photographer to come to my mom’s house to take family photos of all of us. We hired J. Lee Photography and she was awesome to work with! She arrived promptly and never rushed us. She was open to us taking as many different poses as we wanted and was eternally patient!! If you’re looking for someone in the Dunkirk/Fredonia/Buffalo area who is affordable, I highly recommend her. As soon as we get our prints, I’ll be sharing with you.

Since the photo shoot was late, Emmett and I stayed the night in Dunkirk. Emmett was excited to wake up and know he got to see his grandma again and play with his cousin. He really had such a blast with her! Once we got back home Emmett and daddy did some cuddling, we had some lunch and then it was nap time for Emmett and I. You never sleep quite as well at someone else’s house, as you do at your own. After he woke up we grabbed some iced coffee, went to the playground, picked up pizza for dinner and then spent the evening playing together. This is what Sundays were made for!

This will be another exciting week for Emmett! It’s his birthday week! Tuesday I’ll be taking him to the Chautauqua county fair with his cousin, then Wednesday we’ll be going to the zoo and out for Linner (lunch + dinner). I am loving this time with him!!!

So onto our Sunday meal plan for the week:

Monday: Marinated Chicken and Zucchini

Tuesday: Dinner at the fair (yum!!)

Wednesday: Linner out for Emmett’s birthday

Thursday: (back to work) Hot Dogs and Oven Fries

Friday: Teriyaki Pork Loin & Cauliflower

Saturday: Fish Tacos & Fresh Veggies

It’ll be a pretty easy week cooking wise, but we need to get back in the habit of shopping and cooking after a week off. I love vacation, but MAN it does a number on the waistline! 🙂

I’m linking up with Laura from Mommy, Run Fast! and Jill from jillconyers.com. Join us!

Your turn!

What was the best part of your weekend?

Anything fun on your menu this week?

Filed Under: All About Me, Family

Delicious Zucchini Pasta

Posted on July 16 by Jillian416 • 30 Comments

Hey everyone! I thought I’d do something a little different today and let a good friend of mine take the reigns and share a delicious (and gluten-free) recipe with you today!

Alright Adrianne – take it away!

Hi all! Adrianne here. I’m super excited to be sharing this recipe with the Baby Doodah community! It’s a perfect light meal for these hot summer days, and you will exponentially increase your chances of getting non-veggie eaters to eat their veggies (this is obviously backed by science). (This post first appeared on my blog adie-cakes, but it was just to good to keep to my own little corner of the blogosphere!)

In my (seemingly) never-ending quest to be the poster child for health and wellness (or, more realistically, offset those crazy days), I’m always on the lookout for interesting healthy meals.

Enter: vegetables masquerading as pasta.

Zucchini-Pasta-BabyDoodah

Now I know some lend themselves better to the task (like spaghetti squash, an obvious choice as the name would suggest), but I like to make things difficult. Zucchini? Without a mandolin? Why not?

Zucchni-Pasta-BabyDoodah1

While cutting zucchini into thin strips may be an annoyingly tedious and time consuming process, it was absolutely, totally worth it. As someone who loves her carby carbs, believe me when I tell you that you won’t even miss the pasta.

Now, don’t go in expecting the zucchini to taste like pasta, because that would be delusional. But, it makes for a pretty decent substitute, as a veggie with a relatively low flavor profile.

I used my zucchini pasta as a sub in my previously-posted pasta with sautéed leeks and mint (link to come later if you don’t feel like searching, but I can’t figure out how to get a link in when posting from the good ol’ iPad), which made for a very Springy green dinner.

So. Gather thee thy patience and a good sharp knife, and a few zucchini (duh), and make some pasta without the guilt!

Zucchni Pasta-BabyDoodah3

Zucchini “pasta” (1-2 zucchini per person, depending on size (of the zucchini, not the person))

Cut off the ends of your zucchini. Slice it lengthwise to about 1cm thick (aka thin – you’d be crazy to think I used a ruler). Slice each piece into matchsticks. Bring a pot of shallow water to a simmer, and simmer the zucchini for about 4-5 minutes. The zucchini should be cooked, but not soft and mushy like it can get (think al dente). Strain out water and toss zucchini with whatever sauce you’re using. I threw it into the pan with my leeks and sautéed for a couple minutes, for reference.

Enjoy!

I’m linking this yummy recipe up with Peas and Crayons and What I Ate Wednesday and Weekend Wind Down.

Filed Under: Food & Recipes