Category Archives: Nico in the Kitchen

Aug 4

July’s Tasty Treats

July was a tasty month filled with lots of cooking and baking. I lost count of just how many pies and cookies were baked. It was a lot of fun though, and I even tried out a new recipe too.

I made so many Cherry Pies. Some for friends, some for us, and all of them were delicious.

I also made a lot of Dinner Rolls. The kids can finish off a batch with dinner.

James and Dylan requested a Pumpkin Pie. Good practice for Thanksgiving baking.

I like my Dinner Rolls for dessert with extra Grape Jelly.

I made so many cookies… So, so, so many cookies.

I also made a batch of Triple Chocolate ones to mix things up.

July we celebrated, and hosted a Baby Shower for my amazing Sister (in-law) Jill. I made lots of goodies.

Seriously, more Chocolate Chip Cookies… Please, dear family, request a different cookie…

I don’t know what it is about this baking dish, but it bakes Dinner Rolls perfectly. They are always light and fluffy.

Lastly, I wanted to make dessert, but I didn’t want to leave the house for supplies. I found a recipe on pinterest for Dump Cake, and used what I had in the pantry. I made a Red Velvet Cherry Dump Cake, and it was delicious. The tiny kiddos liked it too.

Breakfast of Champions! Holy moly, I love it when my hubby picks up Sunday breakfast.

Aug 3

August’s Monthly Menu

Well wouldn’t you know it, I’m already behind this month. School is just around the corner, and I’m ready for a bit of peace and quiet. There is a ton to be done this month, and I hope I can remember to get to it all. First thing, here’s my monthly dinner menu for August, even though it is a couple days late.

  • 8/1/2015: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Tater Tots
  • 8/2/2015: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/3/2015: Grilled Chicken, Roasted Chickpeas, and Steak Fries
  • 8/4/2015: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls (leftovers)
  • 8/5/2015: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/6/2015: Panko Chicken Tenders, Spaghetti, Mashed Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/7/2015: BBQ Burgers, Hot Dogs, Potato Chips & Dip
  • 8/8/2015: Steak Fajitas, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/9/2015: Panko Chicken Tenders and Tater Tots
  • 8/10/2015: Chicken Soft Tacos, Tortilla Chip, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/11/2015: Popcorn Chicken and Tater Tots
  • 8/12/2015: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/13/2015: Snack Dinner: Lil Smokies, Veggie Sticks and Hummus, Chips & Dip
  • 8/14/2015: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/15/2015: Steaks, Grilled Veggies, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/16/2015: Pot Roast, Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/17/2015: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/18/2015: Homemade Pizza, Spaghetti, Black Olives, and Breadstick Dinner Rolls
  • 8/19/2015: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/20/2015: Popcorn Chicken and Tater Tots
  • 8/21/2015: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/22/2015: Brunch Buffet: Toast, Bacon, Bagels, and Fresh Fruit
  • 8/23/2015: Panko Chicken Tenders, Spaghetti, Mashed Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/24/2015: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, and Homemade Salsa
  • 8/25/2015: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Tater Tots
  • 8/26/2015: Salmon Bites, Salad, and Breadstick Dinner Rolls
  • 8/27/2015: Grilled Chicken, Roasted Veggies, Mashed Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/28/2015: Pizza Rolls, Spaghetti, Black Olives, and Breadsticks
  • 8/29/2015: Chili 2 ways (veggie and meaty), Cornbread, and Tortilla Chips
  • 8/30/2015: Chicken Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, and Dinner Rolls
  • 8/31/2015: Snack Dinner: Lil Smokies, Veggies & Hummus, Chips & Dip

I’m still sticking with my veggies, and I’m making one or two meals a day vegan. It is a pretty good start, and I’ve been trying out lots of new recipes too. I’ve even gotten the family to come around on a few veggie meals, and I’ve found two meatless meals that everyone will eat.

Better make a shopping list, and check it twice.

 

 

 

Jul 14

Six Month Veggie Check-In: Time for a check-up

At the beginning of the year, I decided to return to a lacto-ovo vegetarian lifestyle. I thought I would give it a try for a month, and then three. I’m now on month six, and I’m feeling pretty darn good about my decision.

The meals have been delicious. I’ve been happy about cooking, and learning new recipes too. The savings have also been great, and very helpful with two growing boys who are eating everything in the house right now.

There are lots of other little things that are pretty cool too. My skin, hair, and teeth look healthier. I have lost a little more weight. My energy levels are improving. My stomach/gut feels a million times better, and I haven’t had any heartburn for six months!

So month four and five were a breeze. I tried new veggies, froze lots of soups, and I have fully accepted almond milk and I put Flax and Chia seeds on everything that I can.

It was that time of the year again, and I was long overdue for a check-up with my Doctor. I scheduled an appointment, and went in to share the good news with her. I was happy to report that my migraines had lessened immensely. I still get the occasional compound headache, and a’hem, hormonal one, but the every week stress ones were gone. My blood pressure was perfect, oh yeah, that’s a first.

She asked what I had been doing, and I told her that I had gone back to being a vegetarian. She had a few questions, and was really surprised that the plant based diet was helping my migraines. She was also proud of me for ditching fried foods, but was a little concerned that I was still so tired. She called for a cbc, and thyroid test just to be sure.

Everything came back normal!!! In fact my calcium levels, and protein levels were great. My cholesterol levels were great too, and thyroid levels were completely normal. The tiredness is probably just due to stress, so she wasn’t worried at all. She said, keep doing what you are doing, and I’ll see you in a year.

I was really happy with the results. It was nice to see some proof that my change in diet is really benefiting my health.

So now, where do we go from here?

I’m interested in becoming a vegan. I’ve been doing lots of research, and experimenting with vegan meals. I try to make one or two of my meals vegan daily, and I think that is a pretty good start.

I’m sticking with my veggies 🙂 and I hope to continue improving my health.

 

 

Jul 7

June’s Veggie Meals

I stuck with my veggies through the month of June. I made a few new dishes, and I’m still working on becoming a vegan. I have lots of photos to share with you.

We’ve harvested a few berries and snowpea pods from our front porch garden. I’ll have to remember to plant extra snowpeas next year, Agnes loved them.

I’ve been trying out many different mixes of roasted veggies. This time I used cauliflower, broccoli, corn, onions, green beans, and chickpeas. This batch was absolutely delicious.

Snack time!

I’ve also been making homemade Rice-a-Roni for the family, I decided to make a veggie version for myself. It is Rice & lentils, corn, peas, and sauteed onion. It was really delicious, and there were plenty of leftovers.

I gave Whole Wheat Pasta a try. I added in a bunch of grape tomatoes, and I really liked this dish too.

These are going into the oven,

and then on top of Whole Wheat pasta.

More leftover veggie rice-a-roni. This time I added in some Edamame, yum.

I also had Lentil Pasta on hand that my mom had purchased. I roasted some Tomatoes and Broccoli, used the last little bit of whole wheat pasta, and made a yummy dish. The red lentil pasta was really good.

Lastly I made a giant batch of homemade veggie soup. This particular batch contains Kale, Sauerkraut, Barley, and just about every single veggies that was hanging out in the kitchen. It was amazingly delicious, and I still have some frozen in the freezer. This was also my first time trying Kale, and I really liked it. I’ve been sneaking it into other dishes too.

So it is July, and yep, I’m still sticking with my veggies. I think I’m going to try to stick with it for the year. I’ve made it six months so far, and I’ll have a six month check-in up soon. Happy Tuesday!