no guilt OR veggie chop n' prep

I haven't always been a meal planner.  I used to just buy what I thought were "basics" and then make our meals on a whim at 5pm.  I would experiment with new flavors and foods.  Sometimes I would run to the grocery store mid-dinner preparations for an ingredient we didn't have on hand.  Sometimes I hadn't really planned on the baking time- so we would sit down to a late dinner at 8pm and toast the spontaneity of the chef and tender, delicous food.

Then we had our first daughter. 
After the first few weeks of survival mode, I realized my off the cuff cooking wasn't cutting it anymore.  The meal plan was born.  After a little trial and error- I found a way of planning that fit our family and my style.  I changed my habits and haven't looked back!  I still try new foods, flavors and recipes- but now I always have the ingredients ready to go and baking time always figures in to our 6pm dinner time. 

My veggie tray. This one has a lid and keeps well in my fridge.  You can see I'm slicing up some onion for a stir fry mix I'm bagging for later in the week.  Actually, I made two of those stir fry mix bags and put one in the freezer for later this month!

One thing that saves me every week it washing, chopping and prepping all of my fruit and vegetables on one day.  I get 85% of my produce in a co-op basket.  Mondays I plan my meals around what I got in my Saturday basket.  If needed, I supplement at the store or Costco- usually on Mondays.  I chop all my veggies so they are ready to go for the week.  I always chop up a veggie tray to keep in the fridge.  Then at lunch time or dinner time I can bring out a ready to go tray and have no guilt about what we are eating.  This is also great for snacktime.  And my girls will eat pretty much any vegetable as long as there is dip! 

BEST RANCH DIP
a favorite from allrecipes.com

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream (can use buttermilk instead)
1/2 tsp dried chives (I've used fresh herbs, too.  Just use a little more.)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients well.  Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

cold comfort OR cauliflower potato soup

Baby, it's cold outside.
I love the winter with it's crisp white snow, cold air and lots of blankets inside.  Winter, after all, is the month of hot bread out of the oven, all day dinners in the crockpot and lots and lots of soup!  I love this Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup from one of my favorite food blogs, Butter, with a side of Bread.  I adjusted this yummy recipe just a bit by adding some potatoes to the soup.  In this soup, I find that the immersion blender is a lifesaver.  I love my immersion blender!  I didn't tell my family there was cauliflower in the soup.  They had no idea!  It really tastes just like a delicious chowder.

WISCONSIN CAULIFLOWER SOUP
adapted from Butter, With A Side of Bread

2 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk**
1 1/2 cups water**
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 large russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

**Can substitute 1 can {12 oz} evaporated milk and 2 cups water for the 2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups water.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and water.  Add cauliflower and potatoes, heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. {Don't let this step deter you from making the soup! Blending it is really easy and so worth the extra 3 minutes. The most annoying part are the added dishes!} If you have an immersion blender, use it- it literally takes less than a minute to blend. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Serve soup with remaining cheese as a garnish.