The husband is diabetic, and I’m pre, so we generally try to eat as low carb for the main dinner meal as we can. Girls get enough carbs at school.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chops, cut into bite size pieces (this is easy when barely thawed from the freezer)
• 1 bag frozen chopped spinach
• 1 box Dreamfields pasta
• Seasonings to taste.

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the box. While that’s cooking, put the spinach in a big enough bowl, and nuke on high for 12 and a half minutes total, giving a stir every 5. At the same time, saute the pork in a big enough skillet to hold everything. Sometimes I add olive oil, sometimes not.
2. Add the spinach to the pork, turn the heat down or off.
3. Drain the pasta, and add to skillet.
4. Add seasonings. I usually do salt n pepper, ranch and parmesan in various combinations. Sometimes I add a can of cream of mushroom or celery soup. This gets devoured by all family members.

I turned around about 50 yards from the gatehouse. It had started misting, and since it’s supposed to rain all day, and I still had to walk the mile-plus back, I decided not to push it. Walked for about 60 minutes, and 2 and a little bit miles.

Soundtrack: Going up – the Proclaimers again. Girls watched Shrek last night, so I wanted to listen to those songs. When that ran out, I listened to Queen hits I had accumulated as MP3s before I started using iTunes.

Both children are in school today (One was home Monday, the other was home Tuesday)! I was getting very cranky without my alone time.

Now, off to town. I bought the wrong darn printer ink, so I have to go switch that.

Adapted from Cooking with the Skins (NFL Redskins cookbook, 1987, Brenda and Dan Riley)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick butter
• 2 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs (2 for regular altitude)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or all purpose white, which we were out of)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs.
3. Add flour and baking powder, and mix well.
4. Add sour cream, baking soda, and bananas
5. Add water if batter is too stiff to stir.
6. Bake for 1 hour in greased loaf pan.

This is good warm or cold. With cool whip on top.

When the girls go back to school in three weeks, and I begin to write seriously on a daily basis, this should come in handy.

Vocab Test (estimated).

Good thing I read a lot. I mean voraciously.

I was flipping through an old Taste of Home magazine, and came across a recipe for Pepperoni Macaroni. Not my style, plus I didn’t want to heat the oven, so I tweaked it.

Ingredients

• Pepperoni
• Pasta
• Green Beans (I used 1 can for 4 people)
• Corn (I used 1 can for 4 people)
• Shredded Cheese (I used about 1 and a half cups colby jack – the end of the package, and some mozzarella for added gooeyness)

Instructions

1. Make the pasta according to package directions.
2. While that’s cooking, chop the pepperoni however fine you want it. I quartered mine, then chopped a but more.
3. Drain the pasta, add the other ingredients, then nuke for about three minutes, stirring as needed.

Girls took the option of adding parmesan cheese, to both their first and second helpings. I didn’t think it needed it. Steve added salt n pepper, but says it didn’t really need it. It was just a habit, since I don’t usually cook with those.

We’ve tried to have chicken every other night, to increase healthy eating. I LOVE red meat, but it’s supposed to be bad for you. So, I couldn’t find the energy to make any of the recipes I have for chicken, and I had some thighs that were thawed and had to be used up. “What’s for dinner?” the girls and husband asked (three separate questions, from three separate people. “Chicken Something.” was my answer, each time. When I finally got into the kitchen, here’s what I threw together. This is Chicken Something.

Main Ingredients

• Cut up chicken Thighs
• Macaroni (or other pasta)
• Frozen mixed veggies
• Shredded Cheese

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions, but include the frozen mixed veggies (either dump them in when you put the water on for tender veggies, or for more crispier ones, put them in with the pasta).

2. While the pasta/veggies are doing their thing, cook the chicken over medium heat in a coupla tablespoons oil, until juices run clear (the smaller the pieces, the quicker they cook).

3. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish, cover with cheese, and nuke until cheese is melted. (Optional – stir before serving to mix up cheese everywhere).

My family scarfed this up, including some leftovers the next day (I used a LOT of pasta that time). Vary the amounts of ingredients, or use cut up chicken breasts. Changing the cheese, as needed. We had colby jack that time.