Thursday, May 3, 2012
Russo's, Menchie's, & Paying it Forward
Instead of cooking today, hubby decided we were going out. We decided to check out Russo's Coal Fire Italian Kitchen. They brought us garlic bread, and we all agreed it was our least favorite part of the meal. It was a big roll and had the butter garlic cheese sauce on top...too much bread too little sauce. We then had fried mozzarella for appetizer...these were very good. For the main course, little man ordered fettuccine alfredo, hubby ordered lasagna, and I ordered lobster ravioli. Little man gobbled it up, though he was complaining that it had salad on top (fresh parsley), but he still ate it all. Hubby said the lasagna was very good and it even had vegetables in it, which he isn't a fan of, and mine was very delicious. The lobster tasted fresh and it was all cooked perfectly. We didn't have dessert there because little man wanted Menchie's which was also in the same shopping center, so we obliged. Our waiter made a remark, like really you guys are going there?? Our dessert isn't good enough?? Then he was like nah, just kidding I would go there too..I love their cake batter icecream with oreos and gummy bears. The hubby and I looked at eachother and we knew what we were going to do. We went to Menchie's and enjoyed our dessert and picked one up for Gio, our waiter from Russo's...it was time to "pay it forward." When little man saw me bring an icecream to the car, he curiously asked who that was for, so we explained to him that it was for our friend at the restaurant and that its nice to do nice things for people to make them happy. He liked that idea and it was a good lesson for him. We went back to Russo's and I gave him the icecream and told him to ask for Gio. When the hostess saw us again, she curiously wondered what we were up to. I told her that little man had something for Gio, she saw what was in his hands and went to get the waiter, who was in the back in the kitchen. I could see her getting him through the little window in the kitchen door, he walked out with a HUGE smile on his face and was so surprised we had actually bought him one. Little man was happy he made someone happy..and seeing him happy is definitely part of what makes our lives so worthwhile. Whenever you get a chance to "Pay it forward," I recommend you do...it was a teaching experience for little man and I'm sure we made an impression on our waiter, Gio.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Busy Bee Kidz
Yesterday we went to Lollipops, to get little man a haircut. There they gave us a free pass for a new indoor play facility. Due to all the rain here in "sunny" South Florida, we decided to skip the park today and check out Busy Bee Kidz.
They have 4 play areas one for babies, one for the toddlers, an arcade area, and a movie room. They also have two rooms for birthday parties.
The baby room had an exersaucer, a bouncer, and lots of ride on toys. Baby girl enjoyed playing with the toys in the room and I was surprised that most of the toys actually had batteries in them...we have been to other indoor play areas, that didn't have batteries in their toys and it just hasn't made sense to us. In the toddler area, there are tons of toys, dress-up clothes, a small climbing wall, and a small slide and clubhouse. Little man liked this area and he especially enjoyed this toy Step Up Down Roller Coaster, but his favorite area was the arcade area. In the arcade area, the games were free. There was also a bounce house, a wii system, an xbox system, and a carousel (that was $.50 for the ride). There was a monster truck game that he liked a lot. He is all about monster trucks lately. I liked the fact that they had free arcades because I didn't have to spend anymore money, and I was worried that little man would be stuck to this area, but to my surprise he wasn't. The movie area had a big screen and had many mini chairs, rockers, and bean bags for the kids. The place was very cute and clean. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 just for the fact I kind of felt little man and baby girl could do most of what they did there, here at home. The good thing was, I didn't have to clean it up. We will probably go back so that little man can play arcades, it is definitely cheaper than going to chuck-ee cheeses.
Either way, if you decide to check them out, make sure you tell them "The Plana Family" blog referred you.
They have 4 play areas one for babies, one for the toddlers, an arcade area, and a movie room. They also have two rooms for birthday parties.
The baby room had an exersaucer, a bouncer, and lots of ride on toys. Baby girl enjoyed playing with the toys in the room and I was surprised that most of the toys actually had batteries in them...we have been to other indoor play areas, that didn't have batteries in their toys and it just hasn't made sense to us. In the toddler area, there are tons of toys, dress-up clothes, a small climbing wall, and a small slide and clubhouse. Little man liked this area and he especially enjoyed this toy Step Up Down Roller Coaster, but his favorite area was the arcade area. In the arcade area, the games were free. There was also a bounce house, a wii system, an xbox system, and a carousel (that was $.50 for the ride). There was a monster truck game that he liked a lot. He is all about monster trucks lately. I liked the fact that they had free arcades because I didn't have to spend anymore money, and I was worried that little man would be stuck to this area, but to my surprise he wasn't. The movie area had a big screen and had many mini chairs, rockers, and bean bags for the kids. The place was very cute and clean. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 just for the fact I kind of felt little man and baby girl could do most of what they did there, here at home. The good thing was, I didn't have to clean it up. We will probably go back so that little man can play arcades, it is definitely cheaper than going to chuck-ee cheeses.
Either way, if you decide to check them out, make sure you tell them "The Plana Family" blog referred you.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Plus everything else...
So Sunday's family picnic was canceled due to a lot of rain here in "sunny" south Florida. We are trying to reschedule it.
Anyways I always have friends asking me if I get bored staying at home all day... And the answer is No. I love to spend time with my children and between housework, homeschooling, and having fun, who has time to be bored?
A typical week in this house consists of Mondays=Laundry and Ironing day plus everything else, so when little man gets tv privilege or computer time, I iron. Tuesdays= Library Day plus everything else. The Library by us has story time on Tuesdays, so I get a 30 minute break as he goes into class. Not really a break though, I take the time to pick up books to read throughout the week with him and baby girl. Wednesdays= Park time plus everything else. At 10:30, we meet up with some moms and friends from church at a local park and spend most the day there then I come home and teach and cook and clean Thursdays=Errand day plus everything else and sometimes we add a chick-fil-a lunch. On this day, we do groceries and pick up anything else we need. Fridays= playdate day plus everything else. This day we have a friend or two come over and play. So as you can see the plus everything else is constant, but the way I see it is if I had a 9-5, housework would get done after then, so yes I'm lucky somedays I get to do it during the day, but my priority is educating little man and baby girl and sometimes the plus everything else can wait.
Anyways I always have friends asking me if I get bored staying at home all day... And the answer is No. I love to spend time with my children and between housework, homeschooling, and having fun, who has time to be bored?
A typical week in this house consists of Mondays=Laundry and Ironing day plus everything else, so when little man gets tv privilege or computer time, I iron. Tuesdays= Library Day plus everything else. The Library by us has story time on Tuesdays, so I get a 30 minute break as he goes into class. Not really a break though, I take the time to pick up books to read throughout the week with him and baby girl. Wednesdays= Park time plus everything else. At 10:30, we meet up with some moms and friends from church at a local park and spend most the day there then I come home and teach and cook and clean Thursdays=Errand day plus everything else and sometimes we add a chick-fil-a lunch. On this day, we do groceries and pick up anything else we need. Fridays= playdate day plus everything else. This day we have a friend or two come over and play. So as you can see the plus everything else is constant, but the way I see it is if I had a 9-5, housework would get done after then, so yes I'm lucky somedays I get to do it during the day, but my priority is educating little man and baby girl and sometimes the plus everything else can wait.
The Letter K
This week I'm focusing on the letter K with little man.
So far these are the activities I will do with him. I will add more along the way if I come up with more.
Reading:
We have the My "K" Book by Jane Belk Moncure. My mom used these books with me and now I'm using them with little man. A-Z Books
Writing:
We will practice writing the letter K. I used this site Letter K to get some tracer pages. I also used some from books I have bought at the dollar store.
Crafts:
We also will make the letter K out of popsicle sticks.
Making a TP Koala Bear Koala Bear
Painting the letter K
Have the letter K on a construction paper and have them put chapstick on and kiss the paper to represent K is for Kisses.
Making a paper kite. Cut a construction paper in the shape of a kite. Have the child decorate it with tiny tissue paper balls and add ribbon to the bottom to resemble a kite.
Activities:
We will also play hide-n-go seek with the letter K. I will hide it somewhere in the house and let little man look for it. I will clap faster or slower depending on how close they are to the letter.
Also going outside and flying a kite if the weather permits.
Songs that we will sing:
K Songs
Koala Bear
Koala bear, koala bear, Turn around, (Turn around)
Koala bear, koala bear, Touch the ground (Touch the ground)
Koala bear, koala bear, Dance on your toes, (Dance on tip toes)
Koala bear, koala bear, Touch your nose (Touch your nose)
Koala bear, koala bear, Give a little clap, (clap)
Koala bear, koala bear, Take a nap (Put head on hands like sleeping)
Kangaroos
Ten baby kangaroos standing in a row
When they see their mama, they bow just so (bow)
They kick to the left (hop to the left)
They kick to the right (hop to the right)
Then they close their eyes & sleep all night. (Put head on hands and pretend to sleep)
Continue with Nine Baby Kangaroos, Eight Baby Kangaroos, etc
Math:
Count chocolate kisses.
I also made a Kangaroo worksheet for counting purposes. (Will figure out how to upload it when the hubby comes home)
So far these are the activities I will do with him. I will add more along the way if I come up with more.
Reading:
We have the My "K" Book by Jane Belk Moncure. My mom used these books with me and now I'm using them with little man. A-Z Books
Writing:
We will practice writing the letter K. I used this site Letter K to get some tracer pages. I also used some from books I have bought at the dollar store.
Crafts:
We also will make the letter K out of popsicle sticks.
Making a TP Koala Bear Koala Bear
Painting the letter K
Have the letter K on a construction paper and have them put chapstick on and kiss the paper to represent K is for Kisses.
Making a paper kite. Cut a construction paper in the shape of a kite. Have the child decorate it with tiny tissue paper balls and add ribbon to the bottom to resemble a kite.
Activities:
We will also play hide-n-go seek with the letter K. I will hide it somewhere in the house and let little man look for it. I will clap faster or slower depending on how close they are to the letter.
Also going outside and flying a kite if the weather permits.
Songs that we will sing:
K Songs
Koala Bear
Koala bear, koala bear, Turn around, (Turn around)
Koala bear, koala bear, Touch the ground (Touch the ground)
Koala bear, koala bear, Dance on your toes, (Dance on tip toes)
Koala bear, koala bear, Touch your nose (Touch your nose)
Koala bear, koala bear, Give a little clap, (clap)
Koala bear, koala bear, Take a nap (Put head on hands like sleeping)
Kangaroos
Ten baby kangaroos standing in a row
When they see their mama, they bow just so (bow)
They kick to the left (hop to the left)
They kick to the right (hop to the right)
Then they close their eyes & sleep all night. (Put head on hands and pretend to sleep)
Continue with Nine Baby Kangaroos, Eight Baby Kangaroos, etc
Math:
Count chocolate kisses.
I also made a Kangaroo worksheet for counting purposes. (Will figure out how to upload it when the hubby comes home)
Monday, April 30, 2012
What's for dinner 4/29-5/5
Sunday: Meatball Subs
1 package frozen meatballs
1 Jar Ragu Traditional Sauce
1 bag (2 cup) Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
1 bag Hoagie Rolls (comes with 6 inside)
Place meatballs with sauce in pot and set on high for about 5 min. When it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes. Place meatballs on rolls and sprinkle with cheese. You can then either place in microwave for 25 secs to melt cheese or put all rolls in oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Cost appr: $14 for 6 people and there were leftover meatballs
Monday: Taco Lasagna
1lb Ground Beef
1 package taco seasoning
2 teaspoons water
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
3 burrito size tortilla rolls
1 can refried beans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For Meat: Cook ground beef until fully browned. Drain and add teaspoons of water and the taco seasoning.
For Beans: In another pot cook refried beans.
Make the lasagna: Use a round cake pan coat with cooking spray. Place one tortilla. Then spread refried beans on top. Add another tortilla and place meat on top. Add another tortilla and put shredded cheese on top. Cook for 20 minutes and then Enjoy!!!
Cost appr: $12
Tuesday: Crock Pot Ribs
Country Style Ribs (Bought at Winn Dixie BOGO)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Barbecue Sauce
Season Steak with Seasoning. Place in crockpot with barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Serve with Barbecue Baked Beans.
Cost appr: $13
Wednesday: Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp Scampi from http://www.ireallylikefood.com/734610603/recipe-shrimp-scampi/?ref=xn
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled & deveined
salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth
pinch cayenne pepper
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the sugar.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. Cook until the shrimp are curled and pink on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cover with foil.
Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, parsley, wine and cayenne. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return the shrimp with any accumulated juice to the skillet. Toss until the shrimp are well coated with the sauce.
Cost Aprox: $16
Thursday: Party Chicken from Publix Apron's Recipes
http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/MainDish/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=3169&mealGroupId=1005
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
Large zip-top bag
1 1/2 lb chicken fillets
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cut butter into small pieces and place in medium bowl to soften.
Place flour in large zip-top bag. Season chicken with pepper; add to bag (wash hands). Seal bag; shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag; shake off excess flour. Arrange chicken in baking dish.
Combine soup and mayonnaise; spread evenly over chicken. Stir panko and cheese into softened butter, mixing until crumbly. Top chicken with cheese mixture; cover dish with foil. Bake 10 minutes.
Remove foil. Bake 10–15 more minutes or until top is golden and chicken is 165°F. Serve.
Will Serve with Mashed Potatoes
Cost Approx: $15
Friday: Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine
Alfredo Sauce
Fill a pot with water and bring to boil. Once boiling, place fettuccine in and cook for 8-10 mintues, stirring occasionally. Drain and add sauce. Serve and Enjoy!
Cost Approx: $4
I'll try to take pictures along the way so that you can see!
1 package frozen meatballs
1 Jar Ragu Traditional Sauce
1 bag (2 cup) Mozzarella Shredded Cheese
1 bag Hoagie Rolls (comes with 6 inside)
Place meatballs with sauce in pot and set on high for about 5 min. When it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes. Place meatballs on rolls and sprinkle with cheese. You can then either place in microwave for 25 secs to melt cheese or put all rolls in oven at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Cost appr: $14 for 6 people and there were leftover meatballs
Monday: Taco Lasagna
1lb Ground Beef
1 package taco seasoning
2 teaspoons water
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
3 burrito size tortilla rolls
1 can refried beans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For Meat: Cook ground beef until fully browned. Drain and add teaspoons of water and the taco seasoning.
For Beans: In another pot cook refried beans.
Make the lasagna: Use a round cake pan coat with cooking spray. Place one tortilla. Then spread refried beans on top. Add another tortilla and place meat on top. Add another tortilla and put shredded cheese on top. Cook for 20 minutes and then Enjoy!!!
Cost appr: $12
Tuesday: Crock Pot Ribs
Country Style Ribs (Bought at Winn Dixie BOGO)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Barbecue Sauce
Season Steak with Seasoning. Place in crockpot with barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Serve with Barbecue Baked Beans.
Cost appr: $13
Wednesday: Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp Scampi from http://www.ireallylikefood.com/734610603/recipe-shrimp-scampi/?ref=xn
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds extra-large shrimp, peeled & deveined
salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth
pinch cayenne pepper
Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels, then season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the sugar.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add half the shrimp to the pan in a single layer. Cook until the shrimp are curled and pink on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl and cover with foil.
Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and melt over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, parsley, wine and cayenne. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Return the shrimp with any accumulated juice to the skillet. Toss until the shrimp are well coated with the sauce.
Cost Aprox: $16
Thursday: Party Chicken from Publix Apron's Recipes
http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/MainDish/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=3169&mealGroupId=1005
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
Large zip-top bag
1 1/2 lb chicken fillets
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cut butter into small pieces and place in medium bowl to soften.
Place flour in large zip-top bag. Season chicken with pepper; add to bag (wash hands). Seal bag; shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag; shake off excess flour. Arrange chicken in baking dish.
Combine soup and mayonnaise; spread evenly over chicken. Stir panko and cheese into softened butter, mixing until crumbly. Top chicken with cheese mixture; cover dish with foil. Bake 10 minutes.
Remove foil. Bake 10–15 more minutes or until top is golden and chicken is 165°F. Serve.
Will Serve with Mashed Potatoes
Cost Approx: $15
Friday: Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine
Alfredo Sauce
Fill a pot with water and bring to boil. Once boiling, place fettuccine in and cook for 8-10 mintues, stirring occasionally. Drain and add sauce. Serve and Enjoy!
Cost Approx: $4
I'll try to take pictures along the way so that you can see!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Who we are...
Hi world! My name is Nadya. I am married to a wonderful man and we have two beautiful children. Our son, "N," is almost 4 and our daughter, "D," is 5 months old. We are a Christian family and try our best to do His will. I am a stay at home mom/wife and my hubby is a graphic designer...(you can check him out at dpdesigns.net)...had to put a little pun in there for him. Before being a mom, I was a teacher for the deaf, so I love to teach and I also love to cook. I call myself a homeschooler for the fact that we have "school" time at home...we try to stay away from a lot of tv. I will be posting recipes and homeschool ideas and anything else this crazy life hands us.
So we'll start off with today's dinner recipes:
Hubby wanted to grill so we had ribeyes bought them at BJ's for a decent price. I've become a BJ's fan recently!
He used the following made-up recipe:
3 Large Ribeye steaks
Montreal Seasoning to taste
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Mix ingredients and brush onto steaks. Grill on each side to taste. We like them medium well so we grilled them for 30 minutes.
These steaks were OH, SO GOOD!! Our son loved them!
We had this with garlic bread and baked beans (Tried Busch's Vegetarian beans and they were just as good as original with no fat..cha-ching!!!) We made up for it though with dessert.
Crayon Cupcakes (Thanks to Publix's Apron's recipes):
Next up:
Family Picnic with 100+ people
Homeschooling for next week
Next week's menu
So we'll start off with today's dinner recipes:
Hubby wanted to grill so we had ribeyes bought them at BJ's for a decent price. I've become a BJ's fan recently!
He used the following made-up recipe:
3 Large Ribeye steaks
Montreal Seasoning to taste
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Mix ingredients and brush onto steaks. Grill on each side to taste. We like them medium well so we grilled them for 30 minutes.
These steaks were OH, SO GOOD!! Our son loved them!
We had this with garlic bread and baked beans (Tried Busch's Vegetarian beans and they were just as good as original with no fat..cha-ching!!!) We made up for it though with dessert.
Crayon Cupcakes (Thanks to Publix's Apron's recipes):
Ingredients
cooking spray
2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 (17.4-oz) box cinnamon swirl quick bread mix
cooking spray
2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 (17.4-oz) box cinnamon swirl quick bread mix
NOTE: MY BOX WAS 15.2 oz AND IT CAME OUT GREAT STILL
1/2 cup plain candy-coated chocolate pieces
Prep
N and the hubby loved these. I knew N would cause he loves anything sweet, but the hubby isn't a fan of cinnamon and he still loved these, so this is def a keeper!
1/2 cup plain candy-coated chocolate pieces
Prep
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Coat eight cups of large-size muffin pan (or mini loaf pans) with cooking spray. NOTE: I USED A CUPCAKE PAN
- Whisk together in large bowl: eggs, water, and oil. Stir in both bread and spice mixes (from bread mix) until blended.
- Divide batter equally among pan(s). Place one tablespoon of chocolate pieces on each muffin and stir to distribute through batter (some pieces should remain on top). Bake 20–25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Place pan(s) on a wire rack to cool. Just before serving, drizzle with icing if desired. Serve.
N and the hubby loved these. I knew N would cause he loves anything sweet, but the hubby isn't a fan of cinnamon and he still loved these, so this is def a keeper!
Next up:
Family Picnic with 100+ people
Homeschooling for next week
Next week's menu
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