Weekly Yumminess.

Apprehension. 

In our house, apprehension (note: not fear) includes any of the following:

Feesh: any adult in a costume, diaper changes
Hubby: too many meatless meals in a row, being punctual (j/k/k)

One of those 'k's stands for kinda...

Me: being judged about my former sitcom choices

I will now tell you (no judgment, please) that I first learned the definition of the word 'apprehension' from that charming, dynamic duo of Uncle Jesse & Michelle of Full House as a young child (insert pout: 'Uncle Jesse...). Admit it. You've watched it. Even potentially loved liked it. Perhaps you'll just admit that it wasn't so terrible to the point it didn't make you want to throw-up in Care-Bear colors? 

Well. I've always been apprehensive of completely 'from-scratch' cooking.  Homemade tortillas? Turned 'em into lead. Making bread from scratch? Blew that one. Cooking up my own chicken stock? Don't even ask me how I screwed that one up, because it is supposedly one of the easiest things you can do. I don't know what I did wrong, anyhow.

So, when I first ventured across Sunday's recipe, I balked slightly.  Make-from-scratch enchilada sauce (yeah, like not from a can)? I hemmed and hawed over this one, but finally decided in its favor.  With the help of the hubby. And wowzers. 

Do it. 

Sunday: Black Bean & Spinach Enchilada Sauce

Yes, this is a vegetarian recipe. But for the love of all that's holy, try. the. enchiladas. (!) The enchilada sauce is homemade (I cheated and used chicken broth instead of veggie broth, which I had on hand), and the flavor combos (green onions, fresh cilantro, cumin, and chili, onion, and garlic powders) are incredible together. The flavor completely blew me away- which happens to me frequently, but my meat-loving hubby was thoroughly impressed, also.
Monday: Crispy Fishwiches
I am linking you up to a previous post that explains this dish. It's a staple in our house.
Tuesday: Homemade Whole-Wheat Veggie Pizza
Linking you up to a go-to source of mine when I have an ingredient I'm not sure what to do with OR if I am looking for a trustworthy version of a classic recipe. She's very consistent, consistent enough that I bought her cookbook (in hardcover! gasp!). We love using fresh mozzarella and making our own sauce with canned diced tomatoes. Saute up some mushrooms to throw on along with  some fresh basil.
Wednesday: Chicken Milanese w/Tomato, Basil, & Goat Cheese Relish
Spring is such a great time for goat cheese!  Plain goat cheese (chevre) is mild, cool, and fresh, just like a good spring.  I love that it complements food of a crispy, crunchy texture well, especially if the food is warm.  We'll be sauteeing chopped tomatoes in a garlicky oil for a few minutes and then throw in some basil at the end. Throw the oiled-up tow-mater mixture on top of the Chicken Milanese (when cooking this, make sure to pound out the meat evenly) and top with fresh goat cheese.
Thursday: Feesh, Child, and I are on our own. We'll probably just throw together something quick.
Friday: Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia w/Sweet Potato Risotto & Sauteed Spinach
Going from the usual parmesan risotto to a just-as-delicious-and-nutritionally-amped up version with sweet potatoes. Click on the 'Sweet Potato Risotto Link' for tips and link to the original recipe. Also, the tilapia is cooked the same way as the Fishwiches above, just no English muffin or toppings!
Saturday: Wedding

Here's to conquering those apprehensions in the kitchen, one by one. Heck, if my daughter can, on occasion, conquer her apprehensions of giant, costumed adults (after only an hour or so), I surely can conquer mine in the kitchen...

Happy cooking!

A Tasty Return

What is a dependable recipe for major slacking on a blog?

*1 part holiday season

*1 part parenting a sassy, mobile toddler

*3 parts worrying about how you'll keep up 

with said toddler with a newborn...

We received a great welcome-to-2013 present at the end of December: we are going to be parents again in August!  It's been a miserable January-March, so awful to the point where this pregnancy has kicked me out of the kitchen and onto the couch, the bed, the floor...wherever I could get horizontal.  A lot of that time was felt feeling miserable and useless, and incredibly grateful to my husband.

My friends, the wind has finally changed and my baby-bumped-out self is back in the kitchen (with Nutella and a spoon) and LOVING it!  So along comes the return of 'Weekly Yumminess.'

And my self-worth. 

Here's a look at our week's menu. Hope it inspires you to try something fresh, yummy, and full of produce!

Sunday: James' Softball Game- Throw together something quick.
Monday: Egg Salad w/Pickled Celery
If you are an egg salad fan, you have GOT to try this.  This is not your standard-issue egg salad with yellow mustard, mayo, and salt and pepper.  The pickled celery and Greek yogurt make this. I added the following to the recipe:

*2 eggs
*Replaced 1 tbsp of mayo with Greek yogurt, then added another 1.5 tbsp of Greek yogurt to compensate for extra eggs
Tuesday: BLAT Sandwiches
Bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomato. Avocado, will you marry me?

Wednesday: Chicken-Bacon-Avocado Chopped Salad
A few tips:
*If you're not a fan of blue cheese, goat cheese is a very mild, creamy substitute that would work. 
*Watch what you use for the olive oil. If you use one that's too tangy or spicy, it will not work well with the dressing. We used an EVOO we discovered we are not crazy about and it hid a lot of the fresh flavors of the other ingredients. Awesome salad combo, though.
Thursday: Veggie-Avocado Wrap
Don't let the fact that this is a vegan website deter you. If you're a veggie fan, you will probably enjoy it. I'm excited to give this one a shot.There are some other recipes on this site that look GREAT, and it's always a good idea to ramp up the produce intake, right?
Friday: Mom and Dad's Night Out :)
Saturday: Breakfast for Dinner- Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Pancakes 
Breakfast foods have been a craving of mine since this second pregnancy began. This recipe comes from a cookbook I recently checked out from the library entitled Cider Beans, Wild Greens, & Dandelion Jelly: Recipes from Southern Appalachia.  I'm thinking of adding shredded apples to the batter.

I'm kind of repulsed by the recipe of 'Tennessee Bacon' that shows up below the pancake recipe, though, even though I love bacon. If you're inspired and cook it up, let me know how it turns out.