Simple Family Friday

         This time last week was my first Simple Family Friday- I shared how we keep our diet as well as our grocery shopping simple- or we at least try anyways. Food does not need to be complicated but often becomes so- we try and eat whole food from scratch. I had several requests to share my meal planning here- everyone can always use a fresh perspective on what's for dinner! So today I present our meal plan for the week of September 15- September 21.

Sunday September 15

Roasted Chicken- we always get a big one so we have leftovers

New potatoes

Roasted Carrots

Sliced Cucumber

Monday September 16

leftover chicken in wraps- fajita style

sliced veggies- throw in any leftover carrots

salsa

yogurt for dipping

Tuesday September 17

Quinoa penne with meat sauce

garden salad for adults

sliced cucumber & peppers for kids

Wednesday September 18

Pork Kabobs- marinated pork cubes

cubed veggies-mushrooms, zucchini and peppers

sliced cucumbers for the kids

Thursday September 19

Lentil Soup

homemade biscuits 

garden salad for adults

Friday September 20

pizza night!

homemade pizza- recipe here

toppings- ham, pineapple, peppers, zucchini,black olives

mozzarella, feta

Saturday September 21

Sausages- from the Farmer's Market

red cabbage, apple and bacon hash

sliced cucumber and pepper for the kids

       For our other meals- breakfast and lunch we again keep things pretty simple- most days we all have giant smoothies for breakfast- they are fast and easy and the kids like to help make them. Lunches are leftovers for us all in some form- just packaged into lunch form- occasionally I will send a sandwich. If you wish to share any great simple meal ideas please do so in the comments! Like y'all I am always looking for new meal ideas- easy food that came be served in a pinch.

      Friends it is Friday again- by the time you are reading this I will be over at Opus Framing and Art Supplies shooting a "How To" video on block printing- I can't wait to share it with you all! If you are a local and are looking for something to do this weekend you can find me in Cloverdale at the Agriplex for the Fall Into Craft market- come on out and say Hi- I would love to see you in real life! Happy Friday Friends!

Mommmm What's For Dinner?

      It seems that food is at the for front of all my friend's minds these days- many of my real life conversations have revolved around easy meal ideas, meal planning and just getting some food into our kid's bellies. With school and extra curricular activities now in full swing our family time is limited- as a Mom my goal is to provide healthy, hearty meals that my children will actually eat! To that end I thought I would share one of our favourite family dinners- the Littles love making this because it is super fun and I love how easy it is!

Fresh Salad Rolls

     

 The majority of this recipe is in the prep- so all the fine chopping of veggies- chose what your family loves- we like raw carrots, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers and of course avocado. Choose a protein- we like prawns but left over chicken is really good as well. Have everything set up for easy assembly- I usually count at least two portions per person. Soak the vermicelli noodles according to the directions on the package and have them ready near the plate of chopped veggies.

       To assemble the salad rolls you will needs a shallow dish of warm water- work with one roll at a time- soak the rice paper round in the water for a few seconds until it becomes soft and translucent- place it on a dish and start building your wrap. Start with lettuce- a pieces of leafy lettuce helps hold the salad ingredients inside the wrap so place this in first- top with some cooked vermicelli noodles and a selection of 2 or 3 toppings.

         To roll- roll wrap away from you- over the toppings- until you have rolled it as tightly as possible- to the half way point of the round. Place halves of prams or shredded chicken along the fold line. Fold in both ends or round wrap and then continue rolling across the protein until all the wrap is used up.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

3 garlic cloves minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp dried chillies

1/2 cup chicken or veg broth

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup peanut butter

Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan - heat until bubbly- cool and use for dipping- sooo yummy!

Shopping List

• Rice Paper Rounds
• 1 package of Rice Stick (rice vermicelli)
• carrots
• leafy lettuce
• bell pepper
• cucumber
• a ripe avocado
• cooked prawns or cooked shredded chicken

Optional ingredients

• Green onion
• snow peas
• chopped peanuts

Dipping Sauce

• garlic
• tomato paste
• dried chillies
• chicken or veg broth
• sugar
• hoisin sauce
• peanut butter