Tomorrow is the first of December. The holiday craze is now upon us. On my drive home last night from Vermont, many cars had Christmas trees attached to their roofs. During my morning run I saw many homes decorated with lights and wreaths. The stores have been ready for weeks with holiday decorations, wrapping paper, candy and calendars. I am not yet in Christmas mode. Still savoring Thanksgiving, but I know soon I will be decorating, shopping, baking, and planning busily just like most of you. Each year I tell myself to scale down and try and live more "simply". This year I really mean business! The kids made their lists. We tried something new this year. Their lists read: "something I want, something I need, something to share, and something to read." I will do my best to stick to their lists and not add all the unnecessary "fluff " and fillers. I would love to incorporate the idea of living simply into many areas of my life. I want to purge the house of things that have not been used in years--clothes, equipment, old furniture, and boxed food items that have too much shelf life. It's a big project, but I think I'm up for it!
Before heading to the market this morning, I reminded myself of simplicity. So this week's meals are basic. Clean and simple meals with real ingredients. We're staring off December on the right foot!
Monday: Caesar Salad with wild salmon rather then chicken. Granddaddy's homemade dressing and croutons will be made.
Tuesday: Roasted chicken with butternut squash, brussel sprouts and parsnips.
Wednesday: Beef stir fry with broccoli, carrots, onions, and brown rice noodles.
Thursday: Shrimp risotto with mushrooms, garlic and scallions.
Friday: Turkey black bean chili with red peppers, carrots and zucchini.
Saturday: Design your own pizza with lots of toppings like grilled chicken, pesto, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, arugula, etc! Fun to be creative.
Sunday: Linguine with clam sauce.
For the dinners that do not have many veggies in it, I always cut up some vegetables and fruits and have them in a bowl on the center of the table. Some of my kids' favorites are red peppers, snap peas, cauliflower, cucumbers, pink grapefruit wedges and red pear. In my experience with my children, the more exposed they were to fruits and veggies, the more they chose them at the table.
Would love to hear what works for your family. Please keep the sharing coming! Happy December all. Enjoy the holiday season and keep in mind "simple"!
Donna
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