Family Life

2020 Wish List

by // // No Comments
Completely incomplete wishlist for my family. It feels weird to be so selfish. The items listed are in no particular order in terms of wants or needs.

Speaking only for myself, what I’m into right now is cleaning up my house, which involves a lot of repairs and replacements. Plus things like blinds, curtains, bookcases, light fixtures, shelving, etc. I’m also trying to give gardening and landscaping a go. All of this on a budget of $50/month. Despite the number of Dungeons & Dragons items on here, I consider them frivolous and not a high priority (except Curse of Strahd!), unlike home improvement stuff. Items that have been crossed out have already been purchased by me or someone else.

Feel free to go totally off-book here. Beggars can’t be choosers! I have a strong preference for you to shop small and/or shop local. Big businesses will survive COVID-19; small businesses might not.

GIFT CARDS:
Alamo Drafthouse
ACE Hardware
Bed, Bath, & Beyond
D&D Beyond (only available if you have an account, too)
Doordash
ETSY
Gardeners Supply
Home Depot
IKEA
Merrifield Garden Center
Vudu
Wyrmwood Gaming

FOR ME:
I am embarrassed by the number of large ticket items on my list.
Window Shades to keep people from seeing into the living room but still allow light
Curtain Rods the cheap ones I bought are bowing under the pressure
Laptop
Dungeon in a Box for physical subscription for 5e
D & D Stat Trackers
Wild Shapes Deck
Life Straw 3-pack (for emergency preparedness kit)
Garda Dibble (black woman owned business!)

Bidet
I have a bidet similar to this upstairs and I freaking love it! I wish I had one downstairs which is where I work from home during the pandemic. I’m also intrigued by some of Tushy’s other products. $109 from this place, but we have a $60 from Amazon that works great.

Curse of Strahd Revamped
This is widely recognized as one of the best role-playing games created. This is a special edition that I really really want! $99.99

Ollas
This company spells the name wrong! These are natural clay pots that sit under the ground and the water you fill them with seeps into the soil by the roots of your plants. I’m a lazy waterer so this will help!

Initiative Cards
Dry Erase Initiative Cards
For D&D when we’re allowed to meet in person again. $6.99

Jackbox Party Packs
I have a wishlist of several games and this is just one of them. I can stream Jackbox to my tv and we all play using our phones as controllers. They’re so much fun! Trivia Murder House is my favorite subgame.

I want to focus on growing vegetables for several reasons. More flavor, home-grown, organic, stop relying on supply chain…. I want these tall raised beds for durability and to make it easier on my back.
MSRP: $229

I’d like a Cricut so I can start making journaling stickers to sell on Etsy. They are always on sale somewhere! MSRP: $390.41

Galaxy Quest Frome
A Frome is a “…whole movie condensed into stripes of colors that represent a certain part of the movie in chronological order.” Galaxy Quest is my 4th favorite movie. My dream wish is 60″ x 24″ (largest size) Buff’s bundle. $379.99 on sale (reg. $949.95!)

THE OLDER SON


CLOTHES. And then maybe some CLOTHES.
My Brother, My Brother, and Me merchandise
These very specific Pilot pens

Shirts
He says he wants polos but I think polos are dorky looking so I linked to button-downs. He wants “the casual side of business-casual.” But if you have to choose between shirts and pants, choose pants. Size Large, any brand, any price point.

PANTS!!!
He has no long pants to speak of. His last decent pair got ripped so he is in desperate need. He wants khakis but he also could do with some jeans. Waist 34. Any brand, any price point.

These very specific Pilot pens
MeUndies
These are literally the most comfortable underwear ever made. Jacob absolutely loves them. I ordered him a 10-pack of boxer briefs, but he could use more – a subscription would be fun for him!
Lucky Gunner Gift Card
He told me he wants 9mm ammo Full Metal Jacket with some other specification but I cannot remember what it is so I’m posting a gift card and calling it a day. FWIW I’ve never seen him as happy as he is when he’s working with weapons.
“Large Capacity” Water Bottle
Another direct request from him. Doesn’t have to be this one. High capacity for home use was all he said.

MASTERCLASS
Honestly, this looks really really cool and there is a non-zero chance that I will use it too. He is a true Ravenclaw and LOVES learning. $180

THE YOUNGER SON aka THE IMPOSSIBLE CHILD TO BUY FOR BECAUSE HE ONLY PLAYS GAMES WHILE WATCHING YOUTUBERS:


Nintendo Switch Online 12-Month Membership – either Individual or Family, but if he gets family he and his brother can play while at two different houses!

Super Mario 3D All-Stars
I think this is Ben’s top wish. Check with his brother to see if he is getting it for Ben. Physical copy or digital code is fine. $59.88

Physical copy or digital code is fine.

When he’s not grounded, he spends ALL of his time on electronic devices. This is just an example; anything similar to this is fine.
Turing Tumble
This is a logic puzzle that is also computer coding. I’m very intrigued by this for Ben. 100% chance that Jacob and I will play with it when he’s not here. $69.99

GAMES

We’re a gaming family. We like all types of games, but party games are my favorites. You can see a list of games I own on BoardGameGeek. Here are ones I’d like to add to our collection, even though narrowing it down to my top favorites is like choosing a favorite cat.

Stone Age
Back in the before times, when I’d go to board game meetups, this one is my absolute favorite. $49.99

Takenoko
A cute little game about helping a gardener grow enough bamboo to feed pandas! $44.99

Menu Plan Monday – Week of Feb. 16th

by // // No Comments

Menu Plan Monday

The theme of not making last week’s recipes continues! My big challenge is that I go to the gym in the evenings. There’s not really much time between getting home and whenever the class starts, and it’s so late when I get home I’m too tired to cook.  I need to find the pre-prep sweet spot so I can continue eating healthy.

MONDAY: Ground Beef Gyros – This is not a blood type diet recipe, at least not for blood type A. But I have ground beef in the freezer I need to use up.

TUESDAY: Lime Fish Tacos – A good warrior genotype recipe if you find a compliant bread/wrap to use

WEDNESDAY: Curried Couscous with Broccoli and Feta – Another warrior genotype recipe. I need a strong protein to go with this.

THURSDAY: Farfalle with Spinach and Mushrooms – Pasta is my favoritest food in the whole world.

FRIDAY: Whichever of the above recipes I didn’t get around to making on the planned day.

BONUS RECIPES: Cranberry Cinnamon Roll-Ups, Tasty Pineapple Lime Drink

 

mealplanmonday_v2

This post is linked up with Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie!

Brocoletti with Tofu, Garlic and Raisins

by // // No Comments

Brocoletti with Tofu, Garlic, and Raisins

Part of my menu plan was Broccoli Rabe, Garlic and Golden Raisins as found in the Cooking Light magazine back when I had a subscription.

It’s only six ingredients and pulls together in less than 30 minutes. Yay!

However, when I went to Wegmans, I couldn’t find broccoli rabe. I even asked the produce guy who looked at me like I had two heads. I showed him the picture on my MealBoard app and he still didn’t know what I was talking about. And thanks to that same picture, I figured that brocoletti is basically the same thing as broccoli rabe, and it even came in an incredibly convenient 1-lb. bag!

Another 6 ingredient recipe!

Another 6 ingredient recipe!

Confession: That canister of raisins? It’s actually holding regular raisins, golden raisins, craisins, and other tangy dried fruits that I buy in smaller packages. I like variety.

Chopping the brocoletti into 2″ pieces left a jillion little green broccoli tips all over my cutting board and counter. I felt like a serial killer.

I think I'll need a bigger pot.

I think I’ll need a bigger pot.

I also learned I really need a splatter screen.

Tofu doesn't brown as nicely as meat.

Tofu doesn’t brown as nicely as meat.

Everything came together so rapidly I didn’t have time for more pictures. If you had told me before that the combination of sauteed garlic, broccoli, and raisins in one bite is like a giant flavorful symphony in your mouth, I would have doubted your sanity. So delicious! But even with tofu, I had to eat several servings to feel full so this makes a better side dish than a main dish for me.

 

Brocoletti with Tofu, Garlic and Raisins

Total Time: 20 minutes

Number of servings: 4

Per Serving
133 calories

Fat
7 g

Carbs
13 g

Protein
9 g

4

Brocoletti with Tofu, Garlic and Raisins

Ingredients

  • 1 pound broccoli rabe
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup tofu, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup raisins, golden
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. 1. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Cut broccoli rabe into 2-inch pieces. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 2 minutes; drain.
  2. 2. White water is coming to a boil, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add tofu and cook until heated through. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add broccoli rabe and raisins to pan; cook 2 minutes. Stir in salt.

 

Menu Plan Monday – Week of Feb. 9th

by // // 1 Comment

Menu Plan Monday

My second Menu Plan Monday and already there’s a pattern! The pattern of meals from the previous week not being made and being pushed onto this week’s menu! Huzzah!

MONDAY: White Bean and Escarole Soup

TUESDAY: Lime Fish Tacos

WEDNESDAY: Turkey Tofu Meatballs with Curried Couscous with Broccoli and Feta

THURSDAY: Ground Beef Gyros

FRIDAY: Farfalle with Spinach and Mushrooms

BONUS RECIPES: Cranberry Cinnamon Roll-Ups, Tasty Pineapple Lime Drink

mealplanmonday_v2

 

This post is linked up with Menu Plan Monday at OrgJunkie!

Turkey with Ginger and Green Onion Salt Dip

by // // 1 Comment

Turkey with Green Onion Salt Dip

According to my menu plan for this week, Monday’s meal was Turkey with Ginger and Green Onion Salt Dip. I adapted it from Cooking Light’s Chicken with Ginger and Green Onion Salt Dip recipe so it works with my Warrior Genotype* SWAMI diet.

Fortunately, there aren’t that many changes to make. What makes this recipe good for a warrior is:

  • Onions are a Superfood
  • Ginger is a beneficial (a Superfood according to my SWAMI)
  • Brown Rice is a Superfood

There are only six ingredients: cooked turkey, oil, salt, green onions, ginger, and rice. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is peeling the ginger and cooking the turkey.

So few ingredients, so much flavor!

So few ingredients, so much flavor!

I grilled the turkey on my mini George Foreman grill. Aren’t these things the best?

on the grill

I had to grill in batches. Turkey is so lean there was literally no juice in the drip pan when I was done! Seriously, I was able to put the drip pan back in the drawer without needing to rinse it!

Once I was done browning the turkey, I had to run out to aqua aerobics, but I didn’t want to put the turkey back in the refrigerator while it was still hot, so I covered it with another plate to keep the cat from having a second dinner.

Grill marks automatically make the food taste better

Grill marks automatically make the food taste better

Cats are assholes

Cats are assholes

After the gym, I chopped the green onions and ginger while the rice was cooking. (I used white rice instead of brown because I need to get it out of my pantry.)

Smells sooo good!

Smells sooo good!

Mix it all together and now it’s time for eatin’!

I should have chopped the turkey instead of dicing it so I could easily dip it into the bowl.

I should have chopped the turkey instead of dicing it so I could easily dip it into the bowl.

But let's be honest, I just poured it over the top of my food.

But let’s be honest, I just poured it over the top of my food.

Guys, you will not believe how AMAZING this tastes! It is the perfect combination of flavors. I won’t eat it very often because of the sodium content, but for that one time a month I really crave salt (you ladies know what I mean) this beats a bag of chips any day!

Turkey with Ginger and Green Onion Salt Dip

Rating: 41

30 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Number of servings: 4

Per Serving
426 calories

Fat
20 g

Carbs
24 g

Protein
35 g

4

Turkey with Ginger and Green Onion Salt Dip

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup minced green onions
  • 2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3 cups shredded cooked turkey breast
  • 2 cups hot cooked brown rice

Instructions

  1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Arrange turkey over rice; serve with dip.

* Links with an asterisk are affiliate links. No asterisk, not an affiliate!

Menu Plan Monday – Week of 2/2 – 2/8

by // // 1 Comment

I love menu planning! I love going through my recipe list and finding new things to try each week. Now I am trying to learn how to eat within my Warrior genotype diet, which is an offshoot of the blood type diet as presented by Dr. Peter D’Adamo. Warriors generally have Type A blood. It’s similar to a mostly vegetarian macrobiotic diet. Giving up certain foods is torture (beef! bacon! tomatoes! potatoes! [most] CHEESE!) Even though I’m not 100% compliant yet I can already notice a difference in my joints and some bloating which I didn’t even know I had!

My menu plans are always more of a guideline than a hard-and-fast plan, so some things might not get made until days later than I post here. Weekends are usually a free-for-all. The dinners I make are also my lunches for the next day or two (or three or four).

Turkey with Green Onion Salt Dip

 

MONDAY: Turkey with Ginger and Green Onion Salt Dip – the recipe calls for chicken but that’s an avoid for a warrior.

 

 

TUESDAY: White Bean and Escarole Soup

WEDNESDAY: Eating out before going to Drag Queen Bingo!

THURSDAY: Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Golden Raisins (I’ll add tofu to make it a main dish)

FRIDAY: Lime Fish Tacos – I’ll be using red snapper and substituting ghee for the butter. Wegmans carries brown rice tortillas and I’ll use kefir instead of sour cream.

 

mealplanmonday_v2

This post is linked up with I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday, Check it out for additional ideas and inspiration for planning weekly meals

Chicken & Noodles – My Son’s Favorite Meal

by // // No Comments

Mmmmmmm

Mmmmmmm

It’s hard to come up with meals my son will eat without saying “I’m done” about three bites in. He usually picks out only the stuff he wants to eat and ignores the rest.

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand

Use whatever vegetables you have on hand

The above picture shows pre-packaged cooked chicken. I only used that because I have a coupon. I usually cook up one or two chicken breasts on my George Foreman grill. Store-bought rotisserie chicken would also be a good choice.

I admit, this picture doesn't make it look very appetizing, does it?

I admit, this picture doesn’t make it look very appetizing, does it?

 

This is one of the rare meals of which he’ll eat every bite … and ask for seconds! I love it because it’s super-easy to make and is easy to adjust to accommodate any extra vegetables you may have on hand.

The Bear stirs

Of course, it always encourages him to eat more if I let him help in the kitchen!

 

One of our favorite recipes!

Chicken & Noodles

Total Time: 20 minutes

Number of servings: 4

Per Serving
462 calories

Fat
16 g

Carbs
43 g

Protein
35 g

4

Chicken & Noodles

Ingredients

  • 2-1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup frozen green beans
  • 1 cup frozen sliced carrots
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4-1/2 cups wide egg noodles, cooked

Instructions

  1. In a large saute pan, combine soup, milk, and frozen vegetables. Add cooked chicken and noodles. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked. I prefer to stir in the cheese near the end of the cooking time, although you can add it earlier.
  2. Sprinkle some more Parmesan on top and that's it! You're done! See why this is such a hit? Enjoy!

Notes

Feel free to add or delete fresh or frozen vegetables to suit your family's tastes. I think next time I'm going to try adding sun-dried tomatoes!

Please let me know what your family thinks.