Pre-Cooking

Today I decided to pre-cook dinner.  I must admit it was strange standing there alone cooking a casserole just after lunch.  I'm used to scrambling to whip up a meal somewhere between my daughters bath time & bedtime.

I've considered pre-cookinng for a while now.  See, two days a week my kid has sports after school which gets us home just shy of dinner.  I often end up making the easier things in the fridge, which usually has little taste or variation of color.  Doesn't sound too appetizing, huh?
 

I tried pre-cooking one other time this school year and something happened with the milk in the lasagna mix and I didn't dare feed it to the family.  Then I had the pleasure of walking around all day smelling like lasagna and yet had nothing to show for it.  Much more, it was a complete waste of food.
 

This morning on the way to drop my daughter at school I decided I was going treat the family to something different.  Even though I know they'll both complain and I'll end up eating the same meal for the next two meals.  See, I cook to survive not because I enjoy it.  I'm not a talented or creative cook so I tend to stick to what I know or buy a box mix with the instructions and spices included.

Standing at the grocery store this morning I scanned the box mixes and a couple stood out, but I was in the mood for a casserole and had the time to cook so I settled for something new in the assortment.  Chicken Mozzarella  & Tomato Macaroni Casserole... sounds good, looks good,  and possibly my families worst nightmare, ha-ha!  But we agreed when she turned 5 she needed to expand her diet (and this includes us also).
 

The casserole is finished and waiting for us to return home.  All I have to do is heat it up in the oven during bath time and voila we have a yummy dinner!  Getting hungry thinking about it... which wasn't the case while cooking.  I found little pleasure randomly cooking in the middle of the day but I know the results are worth it!

-Turned out that my husband refused to eat it, my daughter panicked when I said it would be her dinner tomorrow, & me, well, I had two huge servings and thoroughly enjoyed it!-

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Recipe Fail

The other day I was looking for a yummy healthy casserole via Pinterest and my search ended up leading me to a Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole that wasn't even on Pinterest!  Oh well, at least it sent me in the right direction.  I've been wanting to add dishes to our general rotation of meals and a casserole seemed perfect.  What's easier than tossing everything in a baking dish and walking away for 30 min.  Apparently I picked the wrong casserole when it comes to easy.  Not that the broccoli quinoa casserole was so difficult, it was just a lot of work before even getting it into the oven.  I had to cook the chicken, quinoa, sauce, and veggies separate then mix it all together.  The amount of dishes to wash at the end was outrageous.  I guess I should have actually read through the recipe before buying the ingredients! 

After all this work, when I pulled it out of the oven it actually looked like the picture I had seen online.  This is usually a good sign.  Unfortunately it didn't taste as good as it looked.  Maybe I messed up on the quinoa, because it completely took over the casserole.  Next time, if there is one, I'll definitely cut back on the amount of quinoa I add.  And to be honest, the website labelled it as healthy but with the amount of butter & cheese mixed into it, I question that.  I of course tried out the new recipe while my husband was away on a business trip, he doesn't like being a guinea pig.  This left my 4 yr old to taste test the new dish with me, and she gave it a big thumbs down and even a few tears.  When I mentioned leftovers, she suggested just eating her vegetables instead, this says enough, ha-ha!

Any suggestions for a tasty, healthy, & easy casserole?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Kids' Breakfast

I'm in need of some suggestions so I thought I would turn to all of you for tips.  Here in The Netherlands the kids eat sandwiches for breakfast & lunch.  I never wanted to subject my daughter to two meals of sandwiches a day, so I stuck to the toddler breakfast oatmeal mixed with fresh fruit.  But now my daughter is no longer a toddler, she's 4 going on 5 yrs old and she is getting tired of oatmeal for breakfast.  The problem is she refuses to eat cereal & milk and we don't have time for bacon & eggs before school.

Lot's of things have popped in mind, pancakes are easy but not nutritious... fruit is yummy but not filling enough... toast is basically a sandwich.  And keep in mind we're Americans living in The Netherlands, a lot of the convenient American breakfast food like Pop-Tarts aren't readily available here (and not exactly healthy either).

I'm curious what do you feed your kids before school?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Loving Spinach

This week I've been loving spinach!  I bought a huge bag (only because they don't really sell small bags) and it's been going into everything!  There are so many things you can do with spinach, especially if you have a knack for cooking.  Me, I'm not the best cook, so I try and keep it simple.
 

 

-There's the spinach smoothie, which no matter what I seem to combine it turns out tasty.  I basically grab whatever fruit or veggies are lying around, toss them in the blender and voila, a healthy smoothie.

-There's the fresh salad, also quite simple.  I combine lettuce, spinach, shredded cheese, and again whatever veggies are in the house (usually mushrooms & tomatoes), and ta-da, a healthy meal (or side).

-There's also the omelet, yum-yum!  I toss some onion and garlic in a pan, add a couple more veggies including the spinach and I have a hearty breakfast.  Usually I just don't have the time for this most mornings.

 

Unfortunately no one else in the house shares my love of spinach, so I have a huge bag to get through alone.  I doubt I'll be able to finish it off, but I'm trying.  -Just had a quick thought, I CAN get my husband to eat it tonight if I put the spinach on the fresh pizza we're going to make, ha!-

Any of you love spinach?  Have any ideas for quick spinach use?

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Vacation - Restaurants (#1)

Hey I'm finally getting around to the first post about our two week vacation in Florida!  Seeing that I am still short on time - the realtor is showing our apartment again today - it's going to be quick but useful.

During our vacation we did our best to moderate how often we ate out at restaurants, besides it being unhealthy & costly, we wanted to enjoy eating on the lanai & grilling at the house we rented.  Being that we live overseas there are definitely restaurants you miss, sure we have access to great European restaurants but sometimes the ones you grew up with just call your name.  For me, while visiting The States I have to squeeze in a meal eat at either Outback and/or Red Lobster.  We luckily enough hit up both!  (No, they aren't Michelin Star restaurants but they're yummy and bring back nice memories.)

For the adults, we had an array of choices, but my daughter was limited.  She's doesn't eat mac & cheese, hamburgers, steak, or shrimp... but luckily she does eat her share of fish sticks, chicken nuggets, & hot dogs which were on most American kids menus.  But after a while we felt bad ordering her those things, and then we started noticing grilled chicken on a lot of menus.  Turns out she is a big fan of grilled chicken at restaurants - now I felt a little less bad that she was eating too many fries during the 2 week vacation.

My 4 yr old enjoyed the grilled chicken at Red Lobster & loved the ice cream at the end.  But it was the grilled chicken at Outback that made her oooh & aaah!  She liked the chicken so much she even told the server, ha-ha!  Now the milkshake she ordered at Outback didn't go over so well, but the chicken completely made up for it.  So if you're stumped what to order you kids the next time you happen to be at an Outback or Red Lobster, go for the grilled chicken, it's highly recommended!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Cougar Roar

Yep, it's true, I'm a cougar, my husband is younger than I am!  And that awesome hubby of mine, turned 32yrs old today!!!  Congrats, babe!  It's been great growing up together (he was just 19 when we met)!

I have to admit his birthday did sneak up on me though.  Like I mentioned in my last post he's been travelling a lot, and I've been holding the fort down, and before I knew it his birthday was already here!  He's the type who doesn't like to make a big deal about his birthday but somehow the festivities carry on for around a week. 

Yesterday I wasn't feeling great (and to top it off our street was closed off due to a gas leak) so I wasn't as motivated as I would have liked to get things prepared for his b-day but my daughter really helped!  We blew up balloons, decorated the living room, and filled out b-day cards.  But after about 6 balloons I had to give up, my cold and congestion just couldn't do anymore.  And since we couldn't be at home all afternoon there was no time for the cake, bummer.  My thoughtful husband did help blow up tons of balloons last night after our daughter went to bed, he was even going to let me take the credit but I just couldn't. 

The b-day excitement started early this morning, between our daughter and family there wasn't a chance my hubby could sleep in!  Unfortunately he has to work today, but right now there's a cake in the oven and I have his favorite dinner planned, so there will be plenty to enjoy tonight.

So, let the festivities begin!!!

Happy Birthday, Ry!

And just for fun, here's a Throwback Thursday, me & the hubby way back in 2002!

 

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Night of Firsts

Well, my husband has been on 4 trips this year already (America, Germany, Spain, & Hungary), and me, I haven't had a night on the town in ages.  That was until this past weekend!  My husband was in Budapest, my daughter at her aunt's, and I was home with the dog.  I had no intentions of sitting home alone so my mother-in-law (we're kindred spirits) and I decided to hit the town!

The 1st "first" :
I finally had the nerve and the event to wear my new skull shirt!  (Well, new, um, it was actually a Christmas present.)

 

The 2nd "first" :
Tried out a new Italian restaurant I've been eyeing down, Mi Dica.  Great atmosphere, good service, boring food, oh well!

The 3rd "first" :
Restaurants besides McDonald's are stepping into the 21st century... instead of a printed menu, the entire menu was on a mini iPad (possibly tablet, not sure, it was dark)!

The 4th "first" :
Finally dared play Black Jack at the casino.  It's much faster than roulette which I tend to play, but I think I can get into it!  (BTW, I love the casino!)

The 5th "first" :
After a night on the town, thought I'd kick back with a glass of merlot... that was until I launched the bottle off the counter while trying to open it... never had to clean up a mess like that before!

All in all, it was a good night, but I am definitely glad to have the family back home!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica 

Argh!

What a day, I guess do to distractions and rushing I managed to make two unusual messes today... I just love wasting my own time!

The first was the dog food mess in our storage room.  When I finally opened our delivery of dog food, I was in a hurry expecting our niece for the night so I wanted to get it out of the way asap.  Assuming (yeah, we all know what that does) that the thick sturdy 33lb (15kg) bag of dog food could handle anything, I tossed it into the corner of the storage room.  What happened... the side burst open of course and food started pouring everywhere.  Always fun to clean up when you're expecting someone at the front door in the next 5 minutes.  As you can see in the pic, I taped up the side of the bag, then ended up scooping up the food with a dust pan and pouring it into the old bag.  Argh!

Then there was the marble cake I promised the kids.  It was doomed from the start.  I had never made one before and to be honest I probably should have read the instructions completely before starting.  As I mixed the batter we all ended up covered in white chunks, including the kitchen.  Even then I could tell something wasn't right with the mix.  Then as I went further, all the while having to stop and deal with the kids I noticed I had completely messed up a step, and to be honest it didn't really mention needing milk but I'm positive box cake batter needs milk (or at least water).  I was just about to put it in the oven when I realized it was time to cook dinner.  This meant the cake would have to bake while we ate, and cross our fingers it would be done before the kids went to bed.  At one point when I checked on it, I saw the batter had spewed out of the cake form and all over the baking paper.  It was a mess but I thought still salvageable.  After dinner we realized there was no way it would be ready in time.  After finally taking it out, I pricked it to see if it was done or not... it deflated, never a good sign.  I tried to get it out of the cake form to cool it, but it just crumbled everywhere.  By this point the kids were in bed, and I had to break the bad news this morning, there would be no cake.  I had to take a pic to prove it to them, looks delicious huh?  Argh!

Any of you have off days?  I mean, c'mon, I messed up a box cake mix!
Oh yeah, sorry for the blurry pics but ever since the last iPhone update I have barely been able to take focused pics, love the new update, argh!

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Wordless Wednesday #83

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Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Wordless Wednesday #77

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Our curious camera compilation can also be found here... (added some new photos on the 15th)

Bye! Dag! Adios! Namaste!

:) Danica

Fresh Veggies #2

I'm not so thrilled with the weather changing, but I am definitely happy that the autumn vegetables are back!  The first thing that crossed my mind when the chill hit the air was the road side veggie stand in Riethoven (Walik)!  Last year we stumbled upon a beautiful assortment of pumpkins and squashes, and I was eager to head back.  We took the risk of going a few weeks earlier than last year, but luckily the stand was up and running.  She didn't have as big of a selection yet, so I think we'll be taking the 1hr round trip again later in the month.  Besides the stunning, colorful display being perfect for a hobby photographer, the vegetables are actually delicious.  I don't cook the pumpkins though, as of yet we gave them to family and also displayed one in the living room (maybe we'll get around to carving it).  But I do cook the large squashes.  This year I picked up a butternut squash and a spaghetti squash to bake, and they were both soooo delicious!
 

I can't help but show you pictures from our stop at the self-service veggie stand (but I'm saving my favorite shot for a Wordless Wednesday)!
 

Wordless Wednesday #72

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The Cake

Yesterday was our daughter's 4th birthday, and this big celebration called for a special cake.  The past couple years we've skipped cake, the large party at a pancake house in the middle of farmland was more than enough.  But this past year I exposed my daughter to the Cake Boss.  (For those of you unfamiliar, it is a tv show about a bakery that makes elaborate cakes.)  Well, this obviously inspired my daughter and there was no getting around a cake for her party.  It took us a while to decide on one, we searched ideas online and hoped we could actually find a bakery here that would make one.  In The States these colorful fondant cakes are quite common, here, they're harder to find and way more expensive.  An American friend of mine had a fun dinosaur cake made for her sons birthday, but when I asked the price I couldn't help but cringe.  I went in search of something cheaper, but inevitably ended up at the bakery she originally found.  Boy am I glad I did!  And as a huge thank you to Irene for such a special cake I am writing this post, hoping to drum up some business for her in and around Eindhoven.  All I did was send 2 pics we found of cake ideas and a copy of the gift bags and voila, she made exactly the cake we imagined.  Our daughter was over the moon, and it was a big race between the kids to eat all of the little animals she created.  And top it off, the vanilla cake with chocolate crème between the layers was delicious. 
So, if any of you have any events coming up and you need a cake, be sure to visit Irene at Irene's Suikercreaties!

 

Makes Me Laugh #3

On occasion I see something that makes me laugh out loud or even question what I'm seeing to the point I think, I just have to share this with someone! 

This past summer we took a day trip over to Antwerp to visit the zoo (there will definitely be a post about this).  On the drive through town we passed this restaurant (please excuse the poor pic we were driving through traffic).

At a glance I thought, wow, cool looking Asian restaurant maybe we should have tried it out instead of the steakhouse.  Then I looked closer at the sign.  Burger's?  Not really sure who came up with their advertising campaign or logo, but everything about that font and even name says Asian restaurant to me.  Am I crazy or at a glance would have thought it was a burger restaurant?

 

(It's apparently quite a large chain, Tonton Chami)

Ribs Factory

In the past I've posted about my search for a good steak here in Eindhoven.  This search has turned up a couple restaurant options, Rodeo and Sméagol.  But each one has their downfalls, depending on how you look at it.  Rodeo is small, hot, and expensive, but the food is great.  Smeagol doesn't serve alcohol, but the steaks are tasty and affordable.  Then we discovered Ribs Factory.  At first I stayed away from it because it seemed too cliché to eat there as an American, but one thing lead to another and there we sat at the bar.  See at Ribs Factory you can only reserve a table for 6 or more people, otherwise you have to eat outside or at the bar.  Luckily we've never minded eating at the bar (it's actually a more relaxed experience) and we get seated faster.  Ribs Factory seems to bring it all together, good prices, good atmosphere, and a damn good steak.  There are actually three to choose from, the Scottish, the Argentinian, or the American steak... each one is delicious.  Since our first taste of their steak & ribs we've been hooked.  I often hear myself telling my husband we're not going to create a side budget just to eat there weekly.  I honestly think he'd go once a week, and if you knew him you'd understand this is a huge compliment.  Another thing the Ribs Factory offers is a discount if you eat outside of the peak hours.  So from 4-5PM & 10-11PM.  This means you have to place your order within that time period... I of course tried one night when paying around 10:30PM, but she said we had place our order before 10PM so the discount did not apply.  Smeagol is equally as good and right next door, so if Ribs Factory is packed there is always a back-up plan!

Wordless Wednesday #62

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Modern McDonald's

When I first moved to The Netherlands I was definitely given the impression the Dutch avoid McDonald's like the plague.  It's considered way too unhealthy for their lifestyles.  But I must say in the past few years I've noticed the McDonald's here getting busier and busier.  I'm not embarrassed to say I pop into McD's occasionally.  Me & my tot love the milkshakes and it's a nice treat a few times a month.  And sometimes we also order food; big deal, we eat healthy otherwise.  (And to be honest McD's here taste different than in The States, I don't eat it when I'm there.)  The last couple of times I have been to McDonald's in Eindhoven or Best they have been packed.  Long lines and high prices, where is the convenience exactly?  At least one McDonald's in the area has done something to help bypass the usual line, they've installed "Easy Order" machines.  No explaining again and again what you want to eat or fiddling with cash, because you place the order yourself via the machine and use your ATM card (pin pass) to pay.  Then you even stand in a separate line to pick up your food.  Considering the majority of the crowd still went to the standard line there were actually fewer orders before ours and we received our food quite quickly.  It still costs an arm and a leg for a greasy pile of food but at least the speedy service has returned.  Now if they would just do something about the ridiculous inflation of the menu prices!

Picnic in the Park

A definite perk of being a stay-at-home mom, spontaneous picnics!  The weather has warmed up, it's in the 70's (20's) and everyone is out in their t-shirts & shorts.  My tot has been asking for a while to go on a picnic and since Friday's are our free day, I thought - why not.  When it's nice weather we tend to eat out on our terrace anyway, so packing up lunch and taking it around the corner to the park was no effort at all.  

Lunch boxes full of sandwiches & pizza - check!

Clear blue skies & warm weather - check!

Shoes kicked off and tot running free - check!

Left over bread for the ducks - check!

We were only missing two things (well beings), my husband & the dog.  I guess I'll just have to plan a picnic in the weekend, too!

Wordless Wednesday #51

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ChiChi's Tex-Mex

You all know I often plug companies or products I like, but it's not often I write a post to steer people away from a company - unless you're despicable RyanAir.  But unfortunately, I'm here with another warning.  Now it only applies to The Netherlands, so for the rest of you it might not be very interesting.  Over the Easter weekend our immediate family here (9 of us) decided to get together for a fun evening of bowling and dinner.  Now there are options here in Eindhoven but thanks to advertising we heard of a new company in Nederweert that offered bowling and a tex-mex restaurant.  For American's living overseas, you jump at these opportunities.  We're often on the hunt for somewhere that reminds us of the conveniences of The States.  When we arrived at Chi-Chi's it seemed perfect, spacious restaurant decorated with a fun western theme, modern bowling lanes and computers, even nice new bowling shoes.  We had a great time bowling, it was also the first time our toddler has ever gone bowling so it made it even more special.  After a few good laughs and an hour of bowling we headed over to the restaurant portion of Chi-Chi's.  Again still excited, ready for fajitas, ribs, quesadillas, jalapenos poppers, all of the fun tex-mex food.  The service wasn't bad, so we had no reason to complain.  Then the starters arrived, they were just o.k., I think we all blew it off, still hyped up on bowling and the arrival of our main meals.  When the main course arrived I noticed right away that my fajita meat on the skillet didn't look charred, it probably could have used another ten minutes on the grill but I blew it off.  As I continued eating I immediately noticed the lack of flavor, but I didn't want to complain, I was just happy we were out to eat together.  Three family members order burgers, now here in The Netherlands there are two types of burgers, Dutch burgers and ones that resemble American burgers.  I stopped ordering burgers at restaurants here because I personally don't like the Dutch burger.  At first their burgers appeared to be American-style but they all quickly agreed they were Dutch-style patties.  Then my brother-in-law made the announcement he didn't think his burger was cooked all of the way.  You should have seen their faces, I think every one's stomachs flipped and the ones with burgers stopped eating shortly after that... all agreeing there was something off.  Then more people started speaking up, one salad only had about 4 shrimp on it, the ribs tasted like microwaveable ones from the grocery store, and luckily for the kids it's not hard to cook fish sticks & chicken nuggets.  After we all partially ate our food and hoped we didn't get sick, the bill arrived.  It was just short of 300 euros for the 9 of us to bowl and eat, I nearly fell out of my chair.  If the food had been delicious I still would have been a little put off by the cost considering 3 of the 9 are kids.  Plus Chi-Chi's never mentioned the costs of the lanes were more expensive on a holiday instead of a normal Sunday (they could have said something when I made the reservation).  Needless to say we could have bowled and eaten for cheaper in Eindhoven and saved the 30 minute drive there.  Now I intend on spreading the word about the food at Chi-Chi's, so I started today with an American friend at toddler swimming class.  As soon as I said Chi-Chi's it was obvious she had been there before.  We both agreed the food was horrible, I wish I had thought to ask around before making the reservation, live and learn.  So here I am warning you, Chi-Chi's in Nederweert was great for bowling, but I will personally never eat there again!