What Happened?!?

Hi all, did you miss me???  Where you wondering where I was all weekend?  Were you terribly worried I might have gone on a walk with -J and disappeared into the corn? 


Well before you panic and call someone for help let me reassure you that I'm ok.  :)


This weekend my daughter had, what I'm diagnosing as, a mild case of Croup.  Friday and Saturday night I spent on the couch with her, while she coughed & coughed.  It helped to keep her sitting up and it helped to take her outside in the cool air.  Fortunately she seems to be over it for the most part.  She slept through the night last night which is a blessing since today is Picture Day at school.  A good night's sleep, a good breakfast (Multigrain O's & Kix cereal with raisins & bananas + a hard boiled egg), and a bit of girly "make-up" and she's totally ready for her close-up.  :)  


So while today is all happy-bouncy-cheery, this weekend I was dragging.   Between the coughing, sitting up and my limbs falling asleep under Kai when she did sleep, I just wasn't keeping up.  I thought to take pictures of food AFTER I ate it and getting onto the computer to blog was just not happening. :(


So here's a quick-ish weekend recap....


Friday's Breakfast was some delicious waffles...

I had planned a chocolate-nutbutter topping but we had mango & kiwi and I just couldn't pass up the fresh fruit.  Don't worry though.  I ate PLENTY of almond butter this weekend.  I ate it by the spoon finger full! (I was a snacking fool this weekend!)


After school we went on a picnic with Grammy & Grandpa.  G&G used to babysit Kai 2 days a week so I could get caught up on work.  Now that she's in school they don't get to see her very often so we planned a fun outing at Eagle Creek Park which included this spread... 

Fresh Veggies & Fruit (this was GONE by the time we left - I may have had a hand in all the consumption)
+ tomato, basil & motz. salad + beet & feta salad + broccoli, kale, edamame & cous-cous
& a MacDuff cameo

Running off some energy!

Friday night we went to Q'doba for dinner.  I had the pick 2 with the naked taco salad (black bean & rice) and 2 tacos (black bean & rice).  We could see the menu from where we sat and I think next time I'm getting a naked roasted veggie burrito.  The hub's LOVES their burritos but I can't stand that sticky tortilla wrap. :)

This weekend also included smoothies...

Looks so pretty!

Looks so blah, but tastes AMAZING!

I also stopped by Farmer's Market and bought 2 boxes of over ripened bananas for a total of $6.  I filled 5 (!) cookie sheets with bananas, flash froze them and then bagged them into 11 freezer bags!!  I should be set on frozen banana's for a while.

I'm ready for banana soft serve!!

My FAVORITE meal of the weekend was the home made tomato soup.  This weekend was really all about the tomatoes.  I had it in my head I wanted soup so I bought a box of over ripened at the F.M.  Then I picked a few out of my garden.  Then my mother-in-law gave me a bag full.  Now let me be clear, I am in no way complaining.  I LOVE tomatoes!  I don't understand those weirdos perfectly sane people who don't like tomatoes.  They're so delicious in so many different ways!  

Tomato & Basil Salad - mix chopped tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, some motz. cheese and a little Balsamic Vinegar.  Tasty!

Salsa - chopped onion, hot pepper, tomatoes & cilantro.  Tasty!

Tomato Pizza Cup - cut the top off a tomato and squirt the loose seeds out.  Stuff with some onion, green pepper & fresh chopped basil, drizzle with EVOO then top with white cheese & bake at 400° for about 20 minutes then broil to brown the cheese.  Tasty!

Tomato Soup

1/2 onion

1 t minced garlic

4 C chopped tomato

2 T butter

2 T Spelt Flour (or your favorite flour)

Salt & pepper to taste

On medium heat Saute onion & garlic until clear.

Add tomatoes & bring to boil.  Turn the heat down & let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to smooth it out.

In a separate sauce pan on medium heat melt butter & add flour.  Cook for about 1 minute, stirring then pour into your tomato soup and whisk.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  Tasty!

Next time I'm going to saute some bell peppers into the mix. :)

Saute onions & garlic then add 4 C of tomatoes

Bring to a boil & simmer

Blend until smooth

Served with Nutritional Yeast & Grilled Cheese

Saturday night we also had nachos with freshly made tomato salsa, black bean & corn salsa, and a whole assortment of toppings.  Then we were off for some Fro-Yo.  One of our friends hadn't been yet and we HAD to include him in the fun.   After all that fun I had a Fantasy Football Draft to attend.  I wound up with first pick.  YUCK!  It was way too much pressure.  I took A. Peterson and I'm still not sure if it was a good choice.  Plus I wound up with San Diego's QB who's not the nicest person and I want to like my players.  I may have to trade him... hmmmm  :)

Sunday morning was more of the same.  I ate a LOT of left overs and snack, snack, snacked.  Part of dinner was this salad.  Tasty!  :)

We also worked on cleaning up the yard.  I weeded and look who I found....

Hello Mr. Monarch

Hopefully he/she wasn't too freaked out by the 2 giants (aka me and Kai) watching it crawl around.  I move it to a safer spot in our neighbor's bush which is covered in vines I thought looked like they'd be tasty to a caterpillar.

At some point over the weekend we watched Red Riding Hood.  I was surprised that I liked it as much as I did.  I wasn't sure who the wolf was going to be.   AND I finished 3 books (they were short).  The between the numbers books from Janet Evanovich's Plum novels.  They were a little more sci-fi-y than the actual number books (ok, a LOT more sci-fi-y) but I'm glad I read them.  :)