Japanese Diet update:

I have taken a few things from the Japanese lifestyle and adapted them to fit our lifestyle. We are eating fish once a week. I know that isn’t nearly as much as the Japanese eat, but I do believe eating it once a week will be very beneficial to our health. I hope to add more in the future, but for now, we are consistently eating it once a week. We are also eating brown rice quite a bit instead of other carbs. We probably have brown rice with our dinner 3 times a week.

The unsweetened green tea didn’t go over so well with any of us. The Japanese Power Breakfast wasn’t so great either. Okay, it was pretty bad. It was very bland. The miso soup was bland, also. Yuck! Maybe I just didn’t cook it right. I haven’t made the Scrambled Eggs and Beef yet.

Bento lunches are still a hit! I am not making Bento lunchboxes every day, but when I do make them, the kids love it! For some reason cheese and turkey tastes so much better when it is cut into little acorns and leaves. J

Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on that. I am excited about the changes we have made!

Meal Reviews:

This week is our first week to follow the Saving Dinner menus and recipes. So far, so good! Monday night I made Apple Chicken, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes, and baked butternut squash. It was a big hit with everyone, including the kids! In fact, 3 of my kids not only got seconds, but thirds as well. My dad, father-in-law, and mother-in-law loved it, too. It was my mother-in-law’s birthday so we had cake, balloons, streamers, cards, and gifts after dinner. What a great night!

Tuesday night our family went to the state fair, so we had corn dogs and funnel cakes for dinner!

Last night I made Picante Beef, brown rice, baked sweet potatoes, and salad. I bought a different cut of roast than she suggested. Actually, I just used what I had in the freezer, which was a chuck roast. The author of the book recommended a sirloin roast, I believe. Mine turned out okay, but it would have been better with a leaner roast. Also, next time I will cook it all day in the crock pot. Roast just turns out better if cooked in the crock pot, IMO. It is more tender that way.

So far, both meals I have tried from Saving Dinner are keepers! Tonight we are having Beany Burritos. I will let you know how those turn out.

Beauty in the Common Things: the smells of Autumn

Listen In: silence

Supper Plans: see above

Today I Plan To: house maintenance

View From the Kitchen Window: sunshine and shadows

Yesterday I took ds7#2 to the dr. (ear infection). On the way home, he said, “Mommy, why don’t you go to work?”

Me: “I stay home to take care of you and your brothers and sisters and Daddy.”

Him: “But, some moms go to work.”

Me: “Right. Some moms work outside of the home and some moms stay home and work there. ”

Him: “So, what do you do?

Me: “ I take care of you guys, I take care of our home, I cook for you, and I take care of Daddy.”

Him: “So, you do laundry all day?”

I think I just confused him. I was trying to teach him that staying home is very important and that moms who stay home work very hard taking care of their families. And I guess he’s right in a way, I do work on laundry alot! It kind of hurt my feelings that he thought all I do is laundry all day, but then I remembered that he is a 7-year old little boy! Enough said.