Menu Plan Monday: Middle of January 2019

Welcome Back!

As we head into the middle of the month, we have completed one full week of mindful eating and we are heading strong into next week with a solid meal plan.  No to low sugar, no to low carbs (rice, potatoes and bread) and no to alcohol.

Remember to head on over to Laura's site for more planning ideas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

MONDAY: Chicken Buddah Bowls
TUESDAY: Salmon Zoodles
WEDNESDAY: Curry Lentil Soup
THURSDAY: Steak and Salad

Old Photo Friday: On the Town

WHO: Don Brady (my parental grandfather), Marie Brady (my maternal grandmother), Pat Dahl and Bud Dahl (family friends) and unknown.
WHERE: Eugene or perhaps Oakridge
WHEN: 1944-1946

Cheers and happy Friday!  Looks like this bunch was celebrating.  Perhaps the end of the war?  Or maybe just a night on the town.

Enjoy!
Stacy

P. S. THE GUY IN THE PICTURE IS HERB CHAPMAN--ONE MORE HOG HEAD----POPPIE

Recipe of the Week: Curried Chicken and Vegetable Sheet Pan Roast

I loved everything about this recipe from the prep to the finished product.  One pan or one pot recipes are all the rage and when time is an issue, one-pan recipes can be a life saver.  This recipe is perfect for a crowd or it can provide hearty leftovers.  

Enjoy!
Stacy

Curried Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
2 red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 large red onion, cut into thin wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt; plus some for garnish

2 tablespoons fresh ginger

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Naan bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

In a large bowl toss the squash, Brussels sprouts, potato and onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread the vegetables on 2 large sturdy rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

In the same bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic and curry powder.  Add the chicken and stir to combine.  Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables.

Roast for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans and pour off any accumulating juices. 

Roast for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned and the vegetables are cooked through.

Serve with warm naan bread and a dollop of yogurt.

1/52: Chick's Birthday Weekend

Sandra's birthday weekend was filled with fun, food and friends!

From Friday night at Five Spice in Lake Oswego to Sunday night's Golden Globe Party at home, we had a wonderful time celebrating a special person and her special day.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Welcome 2019!

Welcome to a new year!

I haven't made a decent meal plan in weeks, but I am super excited to get back to planning.  We've had a busy December filled with rich meals, alcohol, way too much sugar and tons of carbs.

Chick and I have "agreed" to go on a little bit of a cleanse and get some weight off, exercise and sleep better.  

Here is our plan for the week ahead and remember to check out Laura's site for more menu planning ideas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

MONDAY:  Curried Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Soup with Salad
TUESDAY:  Grilled Fish with Salad and/or Vegetable (green beans or cauliflower)
WEDNESDAY: Chicken Thighs with Asparagus
THURSDAY: Seattle at 3PM

Old Photo Friday: Happy Birthday, Sandra!

WHO: Sandra K. Suter
WHERE: Silver Lane, Eugene, OR
WHEN: 1975 (She looks to be about 14 or 15)

Happy Birthday to my Aunt Sandra who celebrates her special day tomorrow!

Love,

Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Artichoke, Squash and Chicken Bake

Are you sick of the holidays?
Did the holidays make you sick?
Is it time to re-think you NY resolutions already?

You'd have to be living under a rock to have not heard of the low carb paleo diet.  The diet consist of mostly plant based carb sources with minimal potatoes and sweet potatoes.  The paleolithic diet (also knows as the caveman diet) is a modern fad diet that is promoted as a way of improving your health.  The diet typically consists of vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots and meat and avoids dairy, grains, sugar, legumes and processed oils...not to mention coffee and alcohol.

I'm not a fad diet person, although I see some definite benefits to eating "clean", whole and non-processed foods.  I think the most interesting thing with these dietary trends are the number of websites, blogs and Pinterest sites that come up with some really great recipes.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Artichoke, Squash and Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup savory cashew cream

1 egg

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons coconut or avocado oil

1/2 sweet yellow onion

14 oz can artichoke hearts (in water), drained and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz bag baby spinach

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped

dash red pepper flakes, optional

Directions:

Cut squash in half and lay cut side up on a baking tray.  Bake in a 375 F oven for 30 minutes before turning oven and baking for an additional 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool, then remove squash from shell and set aside.

While squash is baking, poach 2 chicken breasts in 2 cups of water over medium high heat for 15 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and shred/chop and set aside.

Whisk together the broth, cream. egg, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a large bowl.  Add the shredded squash.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium high heat and add the cooking oil.  Saute the onion and artichoke hearts until they begin to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and spinach and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the cooked chicken and gently stir in the squash mix.

Move to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered or until the top is golden brown.

Serve topped with fresh basil, capers and pepper flakes (all optional).

51 & 52: Merry Christmas 2018 and Happy 2019!

It's hard to believe that the holiday season has come and gone.  It seems like just yesterday that I was planning my Halloween costume, defrosting my Thanksgiving turkey and wrapping Christmas presents.  Time flies when you are having fun and Brian and I certainly had a lot of fun in 2018.  

The last 11 days in Seattle were wonderful, but not without a bit of drama.  We had a sewer line break on Christmas Eve which was not a whole lot of fun.  Thankfully, it was repaired and we limped into the New Year with even more gratitude for what life can bring you when you least expect it and how to handle the chaos when it happens (something I am not good at, but trying to improve on.  Thank God for Brian's resilience).

No resolutions for me this year.  Just more lists, which I enjoy making.  More wants and less needs.  More hugs and less tears.  Time to travel to see friends and family or places that we have never been too (or places we have seen millions of times). Time to listen before speaking.  Time each day to ask yourself the question, "what did I do today that made today special".  Remembering gratitude, just like you remember to take the garbage out on Wednesdays.  It shouldn't be something that you have to search for.  Live like you just have today, because we all know how quickly things can change.

Breathe, stretch, pause and reflect.  Move forward (but just move).  Don't give into anger or fear.  Don't take things personally, and make your word impeccable.  It's okay to be wrong, everyday is a chance to learn something new.  Read more books (my goal is 25 this year) and listen to more music. Dance alone. Wear sunscreen!  Face your face with good soap and wear comfortable shoes.  Smile and say hello.  Remember that you have no idea what someone is going through so try and always be kind.  Practice the art of being silent and remember to have patience.

Be yourself and honor your feelings and above all else be happy and love.

Much Love,
Stacy

On Christmas Vacation!

Thank you for taking the time all throughout the year to stop by and read our blog.It gives me tremendous joy to share part of our lives with you.  From recipes and menu planning to old family photos and stories, the weeks are made memorable through the gift of sharing.

I'll be taking some time off from the blog until after the first of the year, but I promise to post a full wrap up of our Christmas week and activities.

Please follow me on Instagram for pictures throughout the holidays.

sdarebrady

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Much Love,

Stacy

Old Photo Friday: Happy Birthday, Pop

WHO: Pop and Stacy
WHERE: Sea Lion Caves, Florence, Oregon
WHEN: 1977

This picture brings me such joy and such sadness.  It was taken shortly after my parents separated when my father was first tackling the challenges of raising a daughter as a single parent in the late 70's.  He did an amazing job and for that I am eternally grateful.

Happy 75th Birthday, Pop!

Much Love, 
Stacy

Christmas Month (Recipe of the Week): Baileys French Toast

Holiday brunch plans?  This decadent french toast recipes sounds too good to be true and just perfect for the holidays.

Do you know that some people in some parts of the world call french toast, eggy bread, gypsy toast or poor knights of Windsor?

The earliest known reference to french toast in in the Apicius, a collection of latin recipes dating to the 4th and 5th centuries.  A 14th century German recipe used the name "poor knights".  In French cooking it's called pain perdu or "lost bread".

Most recipes call for day old bread to be soaked in a mixture of beaten eggs, milk or cream with added sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Alternatively, the bread may be soaked in wine, rosewater or orange juice.

In Portugal, France and Spain it is a traditional Christmas dessert or breakfast.

I think dipping it in Baileys sounds wonderful (save some for your coffee too).

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy!

Stacy

Baileys French Toast

Ingredients:

Whipped Cream

1/2 oz Baileys original Irish Cream

4 oz whipping cream

2 teaspoons confectioners sugar

French toast

2.5 oz Baileys original Irish cream

2.5 ounces whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

2 eggs

2 slices of thick bakery-style bread

1 teaspoon butter

fresh raspberries, chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Whisk together the 1/2 oz Irish cream, 4 oz whipping cream and 2 teaspoons confectioners sugar.  Chill and put aside for topping finished french toast.

Combine in a shallow plate, 2.5 oz. Irish cream, 2.5 oz whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and two eggs.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dip the bread into the cream/egg mixture and fry the piece of bread until golden brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side).

Top with pre-made whipped topping and if desired, fruit and or chocolate chips.

50/52: Enchant(ed)

After a terrible storm hits the North Pole, Santa wakes up to find all of his reindeer are lost inside Enchant, a hidden pocket of invisible magic.  Inside the world's largest Christmas light maze, Enchant invites you to explore and help Santa find his nice missing reindeer in time to save Christmas.

We found them all, thus saving Christmas.  Thanks!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Pulled Pork Sliders

Old Photo Friday: Crowe Family Christmas 1980

WHO: Lowell Crowe, Evan Crowe and Nick Manley
WHERE: E. 27th Street in Eugene, OR
WHEN: Christmas Eve, 1980 (best guess)

Bittersweet memories.  Lowell and Evan have both been gone for many years as is the family matriarch, Wilma who passed away at the age of 100 a few months ago.  Little Nick is married with two daughters of his own.

No Christmas Eve was complete without a visit to Evan and Wilma's (my father's second family).  I get goose bumps when I think of the year that our good friend Sten, dressed up like Santa Claus and in the middle of the Christmas Eve celebrations...threw open the front door, let out a loud, "ho ho ho", handed Nick a Christmas presents and disappeared.

You see.... in the end, all we are left with are the memories of love, joy, family and friendships.  These are closest to our hearts at Christmas Time.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Christmas Month (Recipe of the Week): Crock Pot French Onion Soup

Do you have a Christmas Eve meal tradition?  When I was a kid, Christmas Eve was all about the Clam Chowder.  A big steaming bowl of chowdah was a mainstay in our home on Christmas Eve.  I've met other Pacific North Westerners who also enjoy a bowl of soup on Christmas Eve.

Let's face it.  Soup is easy to make and is great for a crowd so if you have an open door policy on Christmas Eve and don't want to spend your entire evening in the kitchen, soup is a great item to have ready to go.

One of my favorite winter soups is French Onion.  It's actually quite easy to make although a bit time consuming.  What if you found a recipe that you can make in the crock pot?  It's also easily adaptable for drop in guests.

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Crock Pot French Onion Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

6 springs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

6 cups beef stock (veggie stock can also be used)

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 French baguette, sliced

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions

Place onions into a 6 quart crock pot.  Stir in butter, brown sugar and salt and pepper.  Top with thyme and bay leaf.  Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or until onions are caramelized and browned (stir every hour to 90 minutes, as needed to prevent burning).

Stir in beef stock and wine and season again with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours.  Remove thyme stems and bay leaf.

When ready to serve; preheat oven to broil.

Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and place in oven and broil until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.  Set bread aside.

Divide soup into oven proof bowls.  Place on baking sheet and top with baguette slices to cover the surface of the soup; sprinkle with cheeses.  

Place in oven and broil until golden brown and the cheeses have melted (about 3 minutes).

49/52: All things Merry and Bright in Seattle

Friday Night date night at Katie Downs in Tacoma. Cheers to the weekend and a yummy Hawaiian Burger!

Festive decorations fill our home, which make me very Merry!

Saturday evening in Seattle spent with friends spreading holiday cheer.  I always love seeing the space needle all lit up.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Middle of the Month of December 2018

Welcome back, Monday!

Time this month is flying by and I am trying to enjoy each day the month of December brings.  The last thing you want to worry about is cooking, grocery shopping, last minute meal plans and spending too much time in the kitchen (unless of course it's by choice).

This month, find recipes that are quick and easy.  Prep ahead on Sunday.  Cut up fruit and veggies for quick snacks.  Hard boil eggs for an easy breakfast.  Make one pot meals so that prep and clean up are easy.  Hearty casseroles are wonderful this time of year and provide abundant left overs.

All these tips will save you time for baking cookies, sipping on hot buttered rums, wrapping presents and after work Christmas shopping.

Remember to head on over to Laura's site for more planning ideas

Enjoy!
Stacy

SUNDAY: Chicken Tortilla Soup and Salad
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (Go Hawks): Deluxe Potato Skins and Leftover Salad
TUESDAY: Turkey Curry over Jasmine Rice
WEDNESDAY: OUT!  Going into the city to see the lights, Gingerbread Village and the Christmas Tree

Old Photo Friday: Merry Christmas, 1980

WHO: Stacy Dare Brady
WHEN: December 1980 (I look to be about 11)
WHERE: E Street in Springfield, OR

Clearly I am not happy.  If you recall this Christmas classic, then you know why.

I also think that this was the year my Dad bought me a training bra for Christmas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Christmas Month (Recipe of the Week):Crock Pot Rosemary Carrot Parsnip Mash

I've been making my Thanksgiving mashed potatoes in the crock pot for several years and it is a tremendous time saver.  This side dish is healthy, paleo and gluten free.  It's seriously no stress and no mess and (potentially) vegan friendly.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Crock Pot Rosemary Carrot Parsnip Mash

Ingredients

3-4 parsnips

3 large carrots

1 tablespoon olive oil

203 fresh springs of rosemary

1 cup almond milk (if you don't care about vegan, then feel free to use regular milk)

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

1/4 cup coconut cream (or real cream)

2 tablespoons ghee, vegan butter or regular butter

optional - Parmesan cheese

Directions

Wash and peel the vegetables.  Steam carrots and parsnips until completely cooked.  Chop into smaller pieces then add to crock pot with milk, oil, rosemary springs, garlic, salt and pepper.

Cover and place on high.  After about an hour of cooking, skim the browning milk on the sides of the crock pot and mash the vegetables.  Continue cooking for another 90 minutes while continuing to monitor the browning milk on the sides of the crock pot.

After 2 1/2 hours, place crock pot on low and remove the rosemary springs.  Leave the leaves that have fallen off.

Add butter and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

To make more creamy, add the coconut cream or regular cream and mash to desired consistency.

Place on warm until ready to serve.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

48/52: It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

The holidays are in full swing.

Celebrations and decorations!

I went to Brew Lights at the Oregon Zoo last Wednesday and had a blast!  Beautiful lights and a dry evening made sipping wine/ciders and brews in the zoo a memorable evening.  A must do Christmas activity for anyone who loves lights!  The highlight of the evening was my 8 minutes zoo train ride.  The last time I was on the zoo train I was three year's old.

Brian and I started off welcoming December officially, last Friday night at 13 coins.  We had a lot to be thankful for as we reached a milestone in our business that deserved a cheers and a nice glass of sparkling wine.

Saturday we picked out our Christmas tree, but I struggled with a neck and back issue which kept me immobile and in some pain most of the rest of the weekend.

We managed to find the most perfect Fraiser Fir at Home Depot and decorate most of the house on Saturday evening.  

Luckily, I flew home from Seattle on Sunday afternoon which cut my normal travel time in half.  I treated myself to a 10 minute chair massage which made my neck/back feel 100 times better.

We flew over a sun capped Mt. St. Helens on route to Portland, which was stunning.

Our weather turns clear and cold this week.  More holiday happens on the way!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Welcome December, 2018

Welcome to the last month of the year!

This week is tricky as I am cooking for one for the first few days until Chick returns from Mexico.

Cooking for one can be challenging and I also like to prepare some of my favorites when she is away. 

Here is our plan so far and remember to check out Laura's site for more planning ideas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

SUNDAY:  Spicy Italian Sausage Fettuccine
MONDAY: Leftover Yellow Curry Zoodles with Jumbo Shrimp
TUESDAY:  Cheeseburger Salad
WEDNESDAY: Grilled Chicken and Salad
THURSDAY:  Turkey Curry