Project 52 - Week 29

I needed to update some pumpkin patch photos for a story today so I took the girls up to Bob's Corn & Pumpkin Patch. It was exhausting but lots of fun and definitely full of memories. 

Overnight Oats

I'm always on the look out for an easy but protein packed breakfast that can keep me full for hours. A few weeks ago, a Twitter friend introduced me to her version of Overnight Oats and they are amazing! 

The best part is you can make a batch on Sunday for most of the week and feel virtuous as you eat your healthy, protein-packed breakfast! Also, you don't really have a good Lifestyle blog until you share an Overnight Oats recipe! 

OvernightOats from Rebecca Burgess on Vimeo.

I made a short video of the process of making overnight oats because I love the simplicity of it. 

I like to sub the chai seeds for the Super Seed and Ancient Grain Blend Trader Joe's and have found that while whole rolled oats are delicious, the Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Muesli is also delicious. 

Overnight Oats

by Rebecca Mongrain

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1-2 minutes

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Ingredients (1 jar of Oats)

• 1/4 cup oats
• 2 Tablespoons PB2 or Jif Peanut Powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk (almond, cow or rice work well)
• 1 Tablespoon jam

Instructions

Layer ingredients into a nice sized jar and stir before leaving in the fridge overnight. You can make up these up to three days before you eat them.

You can eat these cold or hot. Just pop them in the microwave for a minute or two to consume warm.

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August Book Report

I spent most of August in a panic about getting a blackout on my Seattle Public Library 2016 Summer Book Bingo. I read 8 books and three of them were re-reads which was awesome. I'm now at 47 books read for the year which is utterly amazing to me. 

My first book was The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson which was a bit disappointing. I laughed hysterically at the beginning but Bill is getting old and grumpy and it showed. I did enjoy reading about England though as I do so love that place. 

I re-read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and was quickly brought back to my childhood. I remember wanting my Mom to read me the book before bed and her making me read it to myself. I love this book and it will always make me happy to read. 

Another re-read was Harry Potter by JK Rowling which was amazing! I read it in one night and now I want to re-read the entire series. I have a long to be read book pile right now so it might be awhile but I'm going to read this again. 

I listened to The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood and WOW! This book was amazing. The story was so good. I loved hearing about how a young boy and a 100 year old woman became friends. It was great. 

I read Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan for the Banned Books category and ehhh, it was ok. I just wasn't into the book. It was well written but not really for me. 

I bought The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman last Christmas and never got around to reading it. I was kicking myself for taking so long. This tale of a girl and her magical Mom and Grandma at the end of the lane was fascinating and amazing. 

For the Young Adult category, I read Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk. This book had been hyped to me all summer and it really lived up to the hype. I loved reading about this community and how it came together for the children who lived there. 

I've read The Little Prince by Antonie de Saint Exupery but needed a book that was translated from another language. This one was short and while it is a classic, I always feel like I'm missing something from the story. The girls and I watched the new Netflix movie of it which is great and I'd highly recommend it. 

Week In Review - 9.24.16

This week felt sleepy, like I was in a fog. I started back on my 14 Week Organizational plan by organizing the pantry and most of the kitchen. It's such a big job. I'm planning to finish up the kitchen this week while decluttering the laundry room. Luckily the laundry room is already pretty bare so it shouldn't be a huge project. 

Exercise

This was another week of busted working out. I worked out 3 times. I did boot camp twice and a Inspire Pilates class. I went to the doctor on Thursday who told me that I have bursitis in my hip along with some IT band issues. She prescribed me some PT and I'll get started on that the first week of October. Until then, I'm using my foam roller, icing and doing the exercises she gave me to get back on track to crushing it. I miss working out! My hips were killing me so much on Wednesday night that when my alarm went off, I went, "NOPE!" and went back to bed. 

Food

My monthly meal plan is helping me feel on track and saving us so much money. I am still struggling with getting back to prepping meals but I have time blocked out to do this on Sunday so I'm going to make it happen. I think prepping meals will elevate my breakfasts this week. 

The Girls

The girls have been LOVING our preschool learning and went crazy over Peru this week. Molly went to bed with the MAPS book (I think we're going to have to buy a copy for our house) and spent most of the evening asking me questions about Peru. We also went to the Burke Museum for Bug Fest which had a TON of Butterflies. It was perfect! 

Maggie and I went to the Seattle Center on Tuesday. Tuesday are our days together so I've been planning special activities for just the two of us. Thursday was the girl's school BBQ. Molly was at school from 8:30 a.m. until 7:20 p.m. She literally collapsed into bed. She was exhausted from playing but said she had the very best day.

Other Goings On

On Monday evening, I took myself out for a date to see Ann Patchett at Benaroyal Hall. None of my friends were interested but she is one of my favorite authors so I decided to go alone. It was awesome. I was able to completely focus on everything she talked about. She is hella funny and it was a great evening. I had a delightful time and hurried home to quickly finish Commonwealth, her latest novel. 

My week was actually pretty quiet. Scott was away on a business trip for a few nights. I finished a puzzle we had picked up from IKEA and now need a new one. I love doing puzzles even if no one else in my family enjoys them as much. It's a nice, quiet way to exercise the brain. I spent a lot of time reading Eligible for the Seattle Refined Book Club. We're filming the book club discussion on Wednesday so I'm frantically finishing the book so I sound smart when we talk about it. Wish me luck! 

Project 52 - Week 28

Maggie and I have Tuesdays together while her sister is in school. I've been trying to make them extra fun so this week we went to the Seattle Center and played at the cool playground before having a snack at the International Fountain. Maggie thought it was amazing! 

Chores, Distraction and Periodic Table Battleship are This Week's Links From Around The Web

Age Appropriate Chores I can happily say that the girls do most of these things. OK so they do them with angst and unhappiness but they still do them.

Driving ourselves to Distraction

Stop Taking Pride In Not Knowing How To Do Basic Shit This is just sad. Google things. Search YouTube. Learn how to be an adult. It's not cute.

17 Funny And Thoughtful Books For Children Under 5 My kids are vivacious readers so I love these kinds of lists.

Mom Creates Periodic Table Battleship Game To Teach Her Kids Chemistry This is so cool!

Week In Review - 9.17.16

The weather this week was glorious and perfect! It was in the low 70s all week with the sun shining. This morning, however, is a different story. The rain and wind are quite fierce and I'm half not looking forward to Molly's soccer game. I am excited to watch her play though. 

Exercise

This past weekend I attended the Trek Dirt Series in Whistler where I learned all about riding a mountain bike. I'm doing a story on it which I'll share when it publishes in Seattle Refined. As someone who hasn't biked in over 5 years, mountain bike camp was a shock to my system. There was also a slight accident where I fell off a low wooden bridge and was rammed in the rear by my bike. I only completed one day of the camp as I was way too sore and injured to do day two. I decided to be kind to my body this week and only did my 3 days of boot camp. My rear is still sore but I'm healing up and looking forward to being back at full throttle next week. 

Food

My Fall goal is to published a healthy and delicious recipe one a week. This week I shared One Sheet Chicken Roasted Vegetable Fall Dinner which is full of root vegetable goodness and crispy chicken. This Foster Farms chicken recipe is so good. Remember to check out The New Comfort Food and find some other great recipes on Foster Farm's site. Foster Farms is also offering a $1.00 off coupon to ReeBeckiSupergirl Readers! 

I'm still getting our organics box on a weekly basis and this week, we got the most delicious grapes! They suggested using them for grape jelly but honestly they won't last that long in this house. My kids are fruit bats and I've been (luckily) successful at getting them to eat fruit first. Getting kids to eat healthy food can be such a challenge! 

The Girls

The girls have been busy, busy little bees this week. On Monday, they started ballet. Day one was quite chaotic but I'm hoping it will even out. On Tuesday, Molly started swim with her preschool class. They take the bus to the local pool and have lessons there. Molly was a little nervous about the logistics but told me afterward that it was no big deal. Wednesdays are devoted to soccer practice. We walk the two blocks to the elementary school and you'd think we were walking two miles based on the whining from the girls. Ugh! Friday they have gymnastics and Maggie keeps telling me that she is perfect at it. I love her self confidence! 

I started a little homeschooling with the kids too. I found this awesome and free curriculum over at Simply Learning. We struggle in the afternoons with things to do other than watching tv. As the rainy season starts up, I wanted something to do with the girls but I didn't want to have to come up with the plans on my own. When I found Simply Learning, I knew this would be the solution to our problem. We started the Hungry Little Caterpillar Preschool Unit this week and it has been a HUGE success! We are raising caterpillars to become butterflies and the girls have been obsessed. OK, I have been obsessed too. All of the activities have been so much fun and I love that the girls are learning. I haven't had to force them to do any of these projects at all. In fact, they come home from school and ask to do caterpillar school. We have one more week and then we'll be starting the Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? Preschool Unit. I plan to write more about this later next week as I have deviated from the plan a bit and am making it work for us! 

Other Goings On

I joined the Seattle Refined Book Club because I like supporting my employer AND I love reading. I am really enjoying Eligible so far. I also got my BOTM book today so my books to be read pile is growing fast! 

I've been working hard on a Test Knit Sweater which I missed the deadline on. I decided that I wanted the body to be longer though so I spent a lot of time this week, ripping out my work. This week I plan to get the length where I want it and get those sleeves done! I highly recommend this pattern though. It is an easy and beautiful knit.  

Stories Published

Seattle Refined - 5 U-Pick orchards to visit this Apple Season - It's Apple Season! 

Seattle's Child - Short Hikes for Short Legs - Stay Active with your kids this Fall!

Project 52 - Week 27

We headed up to Whistler last weekend and all the kids wanted to do was play at the playground. Maggie loved spinning Molly on the merry go round.

Rainy Day Activities, Independent Adults and Book Clubs Are This Week's Links From Around the Web

Rainy Day Activities instead of Watching TV  I so need these as we enter the rainy season!

How Do We Raise Independent Adults? I think about this every single day.

Tim Gunn: Designers refuse to make clothes to fit American women. It’s a disgrace. Tim Gunn, you are my everything!

Llama, Llama Read a book I was devastated to hear of author Anna Dewdney's death. Most of Molly's favorite books are Llama, Llama books.

Join the Seattle Refined Book Club! I am SOOOOO excited about this! 

One Sheet Chicken Roasted Vegetable Fall Dinner

Fall is definitely in the air as we continue to find our new routine. The girls started ballet class tonight and it was a whirlwind of energy at the studio. Molly's class is a comfortable size while Maggie's is insanely full. After walking back from class (which always takes forever even though it is 6 blocks), I put together a One Sheet Chicken Roasted Vegetable Fall Dinner that I have to share with you. I have been refocusing on the family meal and this one brought us right back to The New Comfort Food using Foster Farms Simply Raised chicken thighs and delicious roasted veggies. I may have especially liked that this dish used one pan to cook. My definition of The New Comfort Food - A modern interpretation of a classic comfort food dish, implying “comfort,” but with a modern, healthy twist. It’s about balance rather than indulgence.

I also love that I can serve my family Foster Farms Simply Raised fresh chicken which is locally grown in California and the Pacific Northwest with no antibiotics ever. It’s fresh, all natural chicken that is American Humane Certified and fed a 100% vegetarian diet, without any added hormones or steroids. Foster Farms has been family-owned since its founding 1939, Foster Farms has been committed to producing only the highest-quality poultry for you and your family.

It’s also local, partnering with local family farms in the Pacific Northwest (depending on consumer location) so you can be rest assured the chicken you’re buying is delivered fresh within 48 hours or less.

I'm excited to get back to making healthy comfort food for my family and sharing it with all of you. This Foster Farms chicken recipe is so good and I'm positive I'll see many of you making it later this week. Remember to check out The New Comfort Food and find some other great recipes on Foster Farm's site. Foster Farms is also offering a $1.00 off coupon to ReeBeckiSupergirl Readers! 

One Sheet Chicken Roasted Vegetable Fall Dinner

by Rebecca Mongrain

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes




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Ingredients (4-5 servings)

4  (6 - 7 oz) bone-in, skin on Foster Farms Simply Raised chicken thighs
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp each minced fresh thyme, sage and rosemary, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 lb new potatoes, cut into halves
1 lb Brussels sprouts, sliced into halves
2 apples, cored and sliced into half moons about 3/4-inch thick
2 parsnips
6 carrots, cut into half-moon shapes
5 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces




Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine  2 Tbsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and herbs into a gallon size resealable bag, add chicken, season with salt and pepper before sealing the bag and massaging the oil mixture over the chicken. Set aside to rest.

Prepare vegetables. Then place sweet potato, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, apples, parsnips and carrots large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the vegetables and evenly coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place chicken into the vegetable mixture and pour the liquid from the bag onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle bacon evenly over mixture.

Roast in preheated oven until chicken and veggies are golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with more herbs and serve immediately.


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Montly Goal Check-In (August)

August flew by in the blink of an eye! It was hot and fun and over before I knew it! 

1.  Workout 4 times a week - I was a workout machine in August and worked out 5-6 times a week. I'm finding that I am grouchy if I don't enough movement in my week! I'm going to count this goal as done. 

2. Complete Whole30 in January 

3. Keep purging the house with the Bowl Full of Lemons 14 Week Plan - Now that both kids are in school, I've started this over. The car is first! 

4. Complete Four (4) Day in the Life Challenges and participate in at least ten 10 on 10's - I took a class on Documentary Photography this month and did two DiTL challenges - a mobile one with my iPhone and one with my D750. They were both great! I also did a 10 on 10 in August too. 

5. Complete TKGA Master Knitting Level I - I barely worked on this goal but I have grand plans. 

6. Grow a kick-ass Garden! 

7. Read for 15 minutes a day- I'll be publishing my August book report later this week but I finished the SPL Summer Book Bingo with a blackout board! Literally I was reading up until the last minute. I'm up to over 45 books this year and I have a huge stack of books I want to read. 

8. Volunteer with two organizations and include the girls.

9. Catch up on my yearly photo books of the girls - yeah, I really need to get going on this goal. 

10. Get back to Blogging on a more regular basis and focus more on my writing