Menu Monday

This week The Butler Family will be having Chicken Enchilada’s and Spinach Manicotti. Both of these will make enough for leftovers which is great. Hubby will eat the leftovers and I’ll make a simple salad for myself. I’m currently watching what I eat…I don’t think I need a diet really, but I definitely need to cut back on my portion sizes as well as my sweets! I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. If you have some easy healthy meal ideas, let me know!

I’m trying a new enchilada recipe and I am really excited! There’s nothing wrong with my go-to recipe, but I just love trying new recipes.

Chicken Enchilada’s from www.skinnytaste.com

For the sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
• 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
• kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the chicken:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 8.5 oz (2 breast halves) cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

• 8 (6-inch) reduced carb whole wheat flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded low fat Mexican cheese
• Nonstick cooking spray

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic. Add chipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it. Place on baking dish seam side down. Top with sauce and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with low fat sour cream or scallions if you wish. Makes 8 enchiladas.

Spinach Manicotti – This is a great recipe to double and freeze. That’s what I’ll be doing  

• 1 8-oz package manicotti shells
• 1 10-0z frozen chopped spinach
• 1 16-oz ricotta cheese (reduced fat if desired)
• 1 egg white, beaten
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic (or one clove fresh garlic)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Thaw & cook frozen spinach according to instructions. Drain well and squeeze out excess liquid (using paper towels makes this easier!)

In a small bowl, combine mozza, ricotta, egg white, nutmeg (and salt and pepper to taste). Stuff mixture into shells. Place in 9x12 baking dish. Pour your favorite homemade or canned spaghetti sauce on top of manicotti. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 40 minutes or until done.

If you want to freeze this, do everything normal except the sauce on top of the shells. Once the noodles have thawed and are ready for the oven THEN put your sauce on. You probably already knew that, but just wanted to make sure!

Nom nom nom!

Personalized Name Train GIVEAWAY!

One of the best things about Zoolu! is the ability to shop for top name-brand items AND personalized items all at the same time! Zoolu!’s growing line of personalized gifts continue to be a huge hit with our customers. From personalized blankets, t-shirts, jewelry, photo blocks, school supplies by Frecklebox, stamps by Noteworthy to these adorable hand-painted personalized name trains – at Zoolu! you are sure to find the perfect gift for that perfect someone!

Our designer for these name trains is VERY talented and does a great job creating exactly what you had hoped for! She is also able to match your child’s room decor – creating a piece truly unique for your child. Here is an example of one she recently completed for a Zoolu! customer… The customer provided the picture of the nursery and our designer took it from there! How cute is that?!?!

The sky is the limit – and we guarantee you will be VERY impressed!

GIVEAWAY:

WIN! A five-car personalized name train with your child’s initials (train includes engine, 3 initials and caboose) – you name the design/style and she will get to work! If you choose, you may have your entire child’s name created (for only $7 more per train car).

HOW TO ENTER: Simply leave a comment below saying what look you would have our designer create for you and you will be entered to win this adorable hand-painted name train!

GIVEAWAY ENDS: Monday, March 21st

“Would You Rather…” Wednesday Deserted Island or Alpine Skiing

Welcome to Zoolu!’s “Would You Rather…” Wednesday! Pack your bags…it’s time for a vacation! Today Zoolu! wants to know…Would you rather escape to a deserted island or hit the Alps for a day of skiing?

I have a preemie…when can I expect her to catch up to her peers developmentally?

In general, pediatricians, and other child health experts give preemies until the age of two to catch up with their full-term peers, in terms of their growth and development. However, just like there is huge variation among full-term babies in terms of their growth and development, the same is true for babies born prematurely. In general, the more premature the child is, the longer it will take them to catch-up to their full-term counterparts, and premature infants are at higher risk for developmental delays.

Advice regarding the development of ALL children:

I always emphasize with parents that it is important to look at the “whole picture” in terms of assessing their child’s development. Just like adults, children have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and children may be mildly delayed in one area, such as motor development, but have more advanced language skills. In looking at language, it is important to recognize your child’s ability to understand language, as well as their speech. If you do have concerns about your child’s development, never be afraid to discuss these concerns with your child’s pediatrician or health care provider. If a developmental delay exists, studies indicate that the sooner services (such as physical or speech therapy) can be initiated, the better the outcome. If you feel that your concerns are not being taken seriously by your health care provider, many states offer Early Intervention programs that offer free developmental evaluations, and therapy if your child is considered delayed in a specific area. All states are required to offer early identification and intervention of developmental disabilities in the preschool years (ages 3-5) and typically those services are coordinated through the county school district.

Menu Monday….

First of all, who’s ready for a giveaway? Over here at Zoolu!, we’re getting antsy to do a giveaway so I think you’ll be seeing one soon!

Today’s menu is going to scream BORRRRRING. Dear husband is going out of town for the week so I’ll be living on the below meals and cereal. I LOVE cereal for dinner! When it’s just you and your little one(s), what do you like to cook?

Monday ~ Tortellini Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1 pkg. 9 oz. frozen tortellini
½ cup mayo
¼ cup milk
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
Romain lettuce
Seasoned croutons
Tomatoes (optional)

Directions:
*Cook tortellini according to package.
*In a small bowl combine mayo, milk,cheese, lemon juice, and garlic.
*Drain tortellini.
*Place tortellini on top of salad.
*Drizzle with dressing.
*Top with croutons and tomatoes.

As Rachel Ray would say, YUMMO!!

Fat Tuesday – Traditional Breakfast for Dinner

Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate chips
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and stir until combined. Batter should be a little bit lumpy. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles on the surface, drop heaping spoonfuls of batter onto the skillet, making 3-inch pancakes. Place a few chocolate chips (about 6) onto each pancake. Cook for about 2 minutes, until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for an additional minute. Serve immediately, with whipped cream, powdered sugar or maple syrup.
Makes about 15 pancakes.
Serves 3-4.

Since I’ll be eating all 15 pancakes by myself, you probably won’t be hearing from me for a while.  

Wednesday – Sunday

Cereal and salads….

Here’s to a great week ahead of us!

I Spy Chai….Tea

I LOVE CHAI TEA. I could probably just leave it at that, but I won’t because I think everyone needs to know how delicious David Rio’s Chai Teas are! I’m really not a huge tea drinker, but Chai is different to me. I love how milky and spicy it is. I’ve tried two of these teas…

Vanilla Chai ~ This was my first taste of David Rio’s Chai. Yummy in my tummy! I was trying to stay away from the local Starbucks while I was pregnant and this saved me! Talk about saving money! I make mine with milk most of the time. All I do is microwave my milk and/or water, put a couple heaping scoops of the mix into my milk, stir, and enjoy! I drank so much of this though that I started to worry about all the sugar I was happily enjoying. That’s where my next taste of David Rio comes in…..

I do not like drinking my calories. Never have. I’d rather eat a big chunk of chocolate! I was sooooo excited when I found out that David Rio has SUGAR FREE Vanilla Chai!!! It’s not calorie free, but I’ll take sugar free. It’s also decaffeinated so some of you may not like that, but I say give it a shot! It’s so comforting. I love it in the middle of the day when the little one is napping. It’s also super yummy if you throw some ice over it. You can leave it on the rocks or blend it up for something different. I’m starting to think that I was a mini Barista in a past life!

Wouldn’t this be a fun little hostess gift? I think some chai paired with a cute tote bag for the grocery store would be an adorable gift. You could also do chai paired with these spice rubs! I can’t say enough good things about these spice rubs! Mmmmm good. With Spring just around the corner, I’m sure there will be tons of BBQ’s to attend!

Happy shopping!

“Would You Rather…” Wednesday Full-time Maid or a Butler

Wahoo! It’s Zoolu!’s “Would You Rather…” Wednesday! How many times have you thought to yourself…if I only could multiply myself, I could actually get everything done in a day!?!? For today, Zoolu! wants to know…Would you rather have a full-time maid or a butler?