My cousin is getting married this summer and my mom and her sisters threw a shower for my cousin's fiance!!
The weather was beautiful and the little girls had tons of fun!
I made cake pops for the little girls and cake "balls" for the big girls. (I'm so happy with the cake pop maker that I got last Christmas...if you can't tell!)
It's hard to believe that after that beautiful day, it actually started pouring rain the next morning. We went for lunch and it was cold and windy and then we came out and it was raining and so windy my umbrella got turned inside out. So, you know that means we had soup for dinner, right? Hahahaha (...me and my soups!)
Here's what I have planned for dinners this week:
Monday
Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes (1)
Bean Salad (2)
Toasted Pita Triangles
Tuesday
Veggie Fried Rice
Fruit
Seaweed Salad (3)
Wednesday
Cuban Beans (4)
Brown Rice
Steamed Broccoli
Bread
Thursday
Garden Burgers
Leftover Bonanza
Friday
Tomato Soup
Grilled Cheeze Dippers
Romaine Lettuce Salads with Tomato and Cucumber
Saturday
Dinner out
Sunday
Pasta Dinner with Salad
Notes:
1. Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400F. Cook Quinoa according to package directions (for 4 servings). Mix in 1/4 tsp each: mint, basil, italian parsley. Cut tops off of tomatoes, core out center (seeds and pulp), leaving a "shell". Dice tomato tops that were previously cut off and add into quinoa mix. Season with salt and pepper and stuff quinoa mix into tomatoes. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes (don't let the tomatoes collapse, but you want them to be soft).
2. Bean Salad: My bean salad is like soup....it changes all the time based on what I have on hand. This is forgiving - you can add in, take out, substitute - it all comes out good...Mix two types of beans (1/4 - 1/2 cup each depending on what your family likes - I usually use garbanzo beans and kidney beans and just mix in equal amounts). Season with 1/2 clove of minced garlic, a little bit on minced red onion, salt and pepper, and some italian seasoning. Pour over a couple of teaspoons of light olive oil, 1 - 2 tsp. of red wine vinegar, and stir to mix. Serve as is or over lettuce greens
3. Seaweed Salad: My seaweed salad comes out of package (I buy it at a health food store, but they also sell it at Costco, Sprouts, and at Whole Foods). It goes great with Asian dishes and it comes in the package ready to serve - you don't even have to heat it up - and it's so good for you!
4. Cuban Beans: In a stock pot, over medium heat, add 1-2 Tbsp of light olive oil and let heat up. Add 1/2 of a diced onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 red bell pepper julienned, and let cook for a minute or two, stirring. Add in 1 tsp each of cumin and dried basil, 1/2 tsp of coriander, and let cook for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring, so that the seasonings are spread out over the onion mix. Add in 1/8 cup of white wine vinegar and stir for 1 minute. Add in 2 diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup of vegetable broth, and 2 cans of drained beans (either a mix of two kinds or all one kind). Bring to a slight boil, cover reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. You want the beans to be soft, but not falling apart. Serve over brown rice.
{{Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes and Cuban Beans recipe adapted from the 400 Calorie Fix Cookbook}}
What was the most fun thing that you did this weekend?
More later!! (: