And We're Back...

I know this little blog has been sorely neglected as I (Jamie) pursued my Masters in Teaching over the course of the past 18 months.  Good news: I am done!  Officially. :)  I'm teaching at an elementary school in Nashville and I couldn't be more excited.  Also, big news since our last post here, Trevor and I are adopting!  For all the details on that little endeavor, check out our adoption blog.

Now that we're all caught up, I can't promise that this blog will get as much attention from us as it used to, but check back from time to time if you're interested in what we're up to next.

The main reason for this post is because we have had a fantastic food week at our house and can't wait to share what we've been eating.  So let's get to it, shall we?

Tuesday night, we ate Mediterranean Portobello Burgers.  They were, in one word, incredible.  Healthy and delicious too (okay, that was three words but I could seriously go on all day).  This is one recipe that I hope will be in heavy rotation at our house.  I think we'll make them again this week.

Thursday night, we made pizza with pesto, tomatoes, and feta.  Again, fantastic.  Our grill is out of propane and it's not exactly prime grilling season, so we just made it in the oven.  I made the whole wheat dough but we used store-bought pesto.  We served it with spring greens and a homemade red wine vinaigrette (that we made up on the fly).  It was really good.

This morning, I spent some more time in the kitchen. I made my grandma's banana bread and some fresh naan.  Naan is an Indian flatbread.  I improvised a little and just threw everything into the bread machine  dough cycle while my banana bread was baking.  I wasn't sure how it would come out but I was pleasantly surprised.  It came out of the oven soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside.  It paired wonderfully with the spinach feta hummus I made earlier in the week.

I wish you could have joined us as Trevor and I had a little dance party in the kitchen eating the warm naan fresh from the oven with our hummus, drinking iced tea and listening to Rend Collective Experiment on Spotify.  It was a seriously wonderful 5 minutes :)

Alright, so this was a pretty random first post back.  We are glad to be settling into our new routine, so perhaps you'll be hearing more from us soon.  Until then, what have you been eating at your house?  Any recipes you're dying to share?

Menu Monday

Another Monday has arrived, can I get a collective, "WOOT WOOT!"  No?  Okay, one tiny woot then? Whatever.  It's Monday nonetheless and Trevor and I are one week in to our consious effort to eat less meat during the week.  Last week was great!  We tried new things and ate lots of good fruit and veiggies.  I think we're going to like it.  Here's what this week looks like:

Monday: Dinner with our accountability group
Tuesday: Lentil Sloppy Joes and sweet potato fries
Wednesday: Bulgar Wheat with Fried Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers, and Spinach

Thursday: Leftover Lentil Sloppy Joes
Friday: Dinner with the Youth Group
Saturday: Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower
Sunday: Popcorn, Apples, Grapes, and sharp cheddar cheese!

Life and Death

Do Yourself a Favor

...And make this chili.  It was delicious and perfect for a Tuesday night at home.  I don't believe you will be disappointed. 

Alyvia the Christmas MerLady

It's official: We have the CUTEST niece ever.  Sadly, she lives with her parents in Idaho, which is a long way away from here.  BUT here's a video we took in Nampa at Christmas as proof that she is, indeed, THEE CUTEST little Lubiens there ever was!

Nashville+Snow=Insanity

Menu Monday

Pretty simple, but this is what's on the docket for this week.  If you're stumped, I'd encourage you to try the black bean burgers or the black beans and rice.  They are both seasoned with a mixture of spices similar to taco seasoning, so they're YUMMY!

Monday: Chili
Tuesday: Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
Wednesday: Sandwiches
Thursday: Black Beans and Rice, chips and guacamole
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: homemade deep dish pepperoni pizza
Sunday: popcorn, apples, and cheese

There you have it.  What's on at your house this week?