Spring Dinner Rotation 2017

Spring is here. Can you believe it?

For me it signals….oh my gosh, I gotta get stuff done. Before I know it, it will be summer and my kids will be home. That means more play and less work.

Thursdays have kind of morphed into cook with chicken days. That’s because with non-stop activities on that day, it seemed easy to choose chicken as the main dish and run with it. Fridays are still fish but once Easter is here we can eat meat again. We are Catholic and don’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent.

I’ve had a couple recent discoveries in the kitchen. First, making taco sauce is super easy. The only recipe I use it for are chicken enchiladas. Recently while cooking enchiladas, I realized I was out and found this recipe. I skipped the onions due to time but who knew it was this easy (basically tomato sauce, vinegar and some spices). It’s nice to take another item off the shopping list.

I’m also officially into one-pot skillet meals. I’ve tried the Chicken and Rice, Thai Salmon Curry, Chicken Parmesan Pasta Skillet and Mexican Quinoa. I like that I only have to make one item to go along with it like a salad or fruit (And my kids are getting better with mixed dishes). Sometimes before a weeknight game, I make something in the skillet and then throw it in the slow cooker on warm until we get home.

Do you have a favorite one-pot skillet meals?

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

I’ve always been a pretty good sleeper. After kids this changed somewhat because sleep changes after kids. Even as my kids have gotten older, I still felt like I was missing just a smidgen of sleep. I’d get about 7-7.5 hours on weeknights. I try to get in bed by 9am but it would always be more like 9:30 with wake up at 5. Every once and a while I’d have a restless night sleep. Not bad, but could it be better?

My kids go to bed at 8pm and after that I spend some time with my husband or watch TV. One night I decided to head into bed not too long after the kids went down (around 8:30). And the results were amazing. After a bit of reading I’d be asleep right before 9am and wake at 5 — true 8 hours. And this felt wonderful!

After about a week of this consistent sleep I noticed some interesting differences. I’m not usually tired during the day unless I miss significant sleep, but I’m always bone tired at night. Instead, I felt awake and alert the whole day and evening, except right before bed. I didn’t have any restless nights of sleep either. It seemed like right when my head hit the pillow, the next thing I knew the alarm would go off. If I woke in the middle of the night I didn’t remember it (except running to the bathroom). In other words: I slept very soundly.

Then the time change happened and I haven’t gotten back to this glorious sleep. But now that I know what I’m missing I’m working to get it back.

Anyone experience glorious sleep?

Speaking of sleep, my next podcast guest to be released soon is Kim West (AKA The Sleep Lady) and we’ll be talking about sleep through the lifecycle. Be sure to tune in.

What’s on the Writing Horizon

I’m in the process of researching for my next big book with the working title The Healthy Mindset. I want to identify the ways of thinking that enhance health and well-being. I feel like there’s  lots of focus on habit building but I truly believe mindset is the key that unlocks the door to healthy habits. In other words: it can be hard to get the habits going if you have a mindset that is holding you back.

I’m also working on my first children’s book. I’m always joking around with my kids by telling them stories. There’s the story about The Dish Fairy (the daughter who helps her mom with the dishes and wants to stop until she realizes how happy it makes her) and Larry the Lookie Lew (he used to lose stuff but now has a system for finding and storing his things). There’s the lessons about how taste buds grow up, listening to your tummy and learning to take care of your body. I realize after talking to parents that maybe it’s time to talk to children.

What do you think? Any type of children’s book you’d like to see?

One Last Push

Below are some posts and podcasts related to How to Raise a Mindful Eater (except one about picky eating). Although I’m always open to getting the word out about my books, I’m officially moving on from active promotion. On to my next book adventure!

Sleep Lady: 5 Myths About Picky Eating that Just Won’t Die (And the Truths Parents Need to Know)

5 Myths About Picky Eating That Just Won’t Die, and the Truths Parents Need to Know

The Lunch Tray: The Best Way to Educate Kids About Nutrition

Guest Blogger Maryann Jacobsen on “The Best Way to Educate Kids About Nutrition”

Raising Nutrition: How to Raise a Mindful Eater Review

How to Raise A Mindful Eater: Review Post!

Mom’s Kitchen Handbook: 7 Strategies to Curb Your Child’s Sweet Obsession

7 Strategies to Curb Your Kid’s Sweet Obsession

Fatherly (Interview): How to Raise a Kid with a Good Relationship with Food

How To Raise A Kid With A Good Relationship To Food

The Nourished Child Podcast: How to Raise a Mindful Eater

TNC 026: How to Raise a Mindful Eater

Heal Your Hunger Podcast: Is Your Child a Mindful Eater?

Ep031: Is Your Child a Mindful Eater

Well, that’s it for now. Have a great week!