I know...another food post. This one is healthier than where I got the recipe though!

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Original recipe from The Sisters Cafe

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Summer Squash and Green Olives

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 lemon
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3/4 pound summer squash, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup pitted green olives
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions
Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thick.

In a small bowl, mix together cumin, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, allspice, salt, and cayenne. Finely grate zest from lemon into spice mixture. Squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from lemon and add to spice mixture. Put lemon aside to use later. Add 3 teaspoons of the oil to spice mixture and stir to combine. Spread mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning, until blackened on the outside and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add onion slices and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, 3 minutes. Add squash, olives, and 2 tablespoons water. Season lightly with additional salt and pepper; stir well. Cover and cook until squash is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Squeeze a little more lemon juice over chicken and vegetables, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.

Cooking Tip: Use cutlets in place of chicken breasts if you want to avoid the pounding step. Turkey cutlets can also be used.

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Supercharged.

Nutritional Information
264 calories
8 g fat (1 g sat)
6 g carbohydrate
41 g protein
2 g fiber
314 mg sodium

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 1/2lb cauliflower, cut into large florets (about 8 cups)

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 (14oz) cans of chicken broth

2 tbsp chives

Boil cauliflower and garlic in chicken broth. If chicken broth doesn't cover add water until it does. Cook 12 minutes or until tender. Put drained cauliflower and garlic in food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and chives.

This also came from The South Beach book but I short handed it and forgot to write nutrition info

Unpacking and washing clothes for the rest of the weekend which of course includes Fathers Day on Sunday and tomorrow is the big 3-0 birthday. I'll be back with a better post and pictures after the weekend!

I scrapped! Digital and traditional but I haven't totally finished those yet so I'll be back later this weekend with the paper ones.

Here is my digital... Sketch is from the Got Sketch? blog and products are from PeppermintCreative

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

(1lb loaf)

3/4 cup Water 80°F
4 tsp Oil
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 1/4 cup Bread Flour ( I use half bread and half whole wheat)
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast or 1 tsp Instant/Bread Machine yeast

Layer the ingredients in that order into your bread machine and put on the dough cycle. When it's finished I roll it out in a rectangle the length of my pan and sprinkle it with as much cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins as you would like. Roll it up and pinch seams together, put seam side down in oil sprayed bread pan. Cover and let rise for 30-60 minutes. Put in a 350° oven for 30 minutes. Check after 20 and make sure it's not browning to much, if it is cover with foil for last 10 minutes. 

Pretty simple!

Now onto some books I've read lately.

What I'm reading now...

I have no excuse for not posting sooner. Well not any good ones. ;)
I haven't been spending much time on my computer.

We went through some sickies the past few weeks, the most recent being colds with both kids. Devlins speech appointments have been moved back because of this so he still hasn't had his first one. Tomorrow will be the day even though he still has a snotty nose. Something major would have to happen for me to change it again!

We've had a few issues with Devlin and the dogs recently. Chance snapped at him twice within a week, the second time enough to bleed. Yesterday we took him to his new home in Arkansas to live with my friend Saria. I'm glad my friend wanted him and we'll be able to keep tabs on how he's doing. So far both dogs are doing fine with the new situation. Caramel doesn't even seem to notice him being gone!

I've been making tons of bread lately. Experiminting with different recipes and making the dough in my machine and baking it in the oven. I'm loving the results. I'll post my raisin bread recipe soon, I know I owe it to you Lisa! (I did forget) ;)

I've been reading a lot. I'll come back later this week and post some of those.

Menu Plan this week...
We ate out Friday (just because) and Sunday (after our road trip). Saturday we ate at my parents.
So for the rest of the week I have this planned.
Roasting chickens tonight for lunches this week as well as this sandwich for tonights dinner.
We will have a pizza night and breakfast also.
As well as Matt grilling steaks or cheese stuffed burgers on grocery shopping night since I usually get back so late.
So pretty simple this week.

It's been one heck of a day with a few time outs and one smack on the booty so my loving husband just got home and suggested I get some frustration out at the Y, so I'm heading to the gym for an hour or so to take my own "time out" I'll be back later with a recipe and book post!

 

 

Has it really been a week since I last posted?!?

We met Devlin's speech pathologist and scheduled our next 4 visits. We decided on a 1st 6 month goal of him learning how to tell us what he wants to eat/drink. She gave us homework to repeat the names of foods that we are giving him so he can associate the names with the food. His first official therapy session is May 19th.

I'm finally reading new books.

So far loving this one...

I picked up these 2 out of my "to read" notebook (I keep in my book bag) while strolling around the library.  Most likely reviews in magazines, I don't think any of these were recommendations from friends.

We started a Sun Sugar Tomato plant in a container in the backyard today. I'm hoping to add a few lettuce plants in the late summer and next year a few more different veggies to the mix.

Making this a short post since we're meeting my parents for dinner and then heading out to BA Rooster Days Festival 

I've been in a funk the past few weeks, maybe even a month. I haven't been exercising or wanting to get out much. Talking to a friend I decided I needed to make myself exercise and maybe it will get my spirits up too. So I just finished my 18 min walk at home video, 3 days in a row so far. It's a start since I haven't been doing anything the past few weeks and I can definitely feel it. I guess I should just be happy my weight stayed the same during my "break" lol So far I am feeling better. I have a scrapbook crop tomorrow night, thanks Lisa for inviting me. I desperately need to get out of the house away from the kids. It's rare I get away from both for anything longer than a trip to the grocery store or getting my hair done. ;)

Devlin is doing well. He passed his hearing screening but they are going to check him again in a few weeks because he has a bit of ear wax that we might have issues with. We will meet his Speech Pathologist on Tuesday and start his therapy. I'm excited to see how much she can help him!

We went to the park on Tuesday... (I accidentally double sharpened my resized pics, ignore that)

and I even finished a page with Gina's new kit Spring Bloomers

I've been slacking on my reading a bit. I just finished Lethal Legacy the night before last and started on Bare Bones yesterday (1/3rd of the way through so far). Right now I'm looking into getting a container garden book. They are all checked out at the library so I'm thinking about hitting the bookstore on my way to get groceries tonight. Matt and I have really been discussing this since we don't have a lot of space in our court yard between our condo and garage but are wanting to grow a few vegetables this year. Will keep you posted on what we come up with on that one and if you know of a good site or book to research this more...please share! Hope everyone has a nice weekend!