Meal Planning

A Family That Eats Together: Guinness and Onion Soup with Irish Cheddar Crouton

January 1, 2013

Guiness and onion soup with Irish cheddar croutonMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

My Irish mother-in-law has been asking me for a great French onion soup for the longest time. I think I have found it. Not only is it easy to make but also it has Guinness in it to suffice her Irish blood. Don't fret about giving your kids this soup because of the Guinness. The alcohol burns off and leaves just a dark depth of flavor to the soup. My son loves this soup. The cheese croutons and sweetness that the onions impart on the broth is really remarkable. Recipe by Michael Chiarello.

A Family That Eats Together: Chicken with a Dill, Tomato and Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

December 17, 2012

ChickenMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

I think this might be our new favorite recipe. Not only is it healthy but also it tastes amazing. We have been eating the left over’s for a few days now and it only gets better. Add it to a salad for lunch and you will impress all your co-workers. The dill and sweet vinegar add a nice acidity to the creaminess that the goat cheese imparts on the vinaigrette. This would also be an amazing sauce for fish. I served this with spaghetti but rice or crunchy bread would also be perfect.

Servings: 4–6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to ¼ inch thick or buy chicken cutlets
  • 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (Trader Joe’s carries it) or use Champaigne vinegar

Holiday Gift Guide: Organic Produce from Bloomfield Farms

December 16, 2012

Bloomfield Farms CSA shareThis holiday season, why not give the gift of fresh organic produce? This Christmas, our friends at Bloomfield Farms, a family-run certified organic farm outside Petaluma, are offering CSA gift certificates for you to give to family, friends, and colleagues. It's the perfect gift for a family that enjoys delicious, healthy, and locally grown food!

Gift certificates are available in amounts of $75, $100, and $150, and the recipients can redeem them at one the convenient drop-off locations in Marin or Sonoma Counties. Learn more about giving a CSA gift from Bloomfield Farms here.

Bloomfield Farms is also offering an "80 for 80" holiday special—80 pounds of certified organic, dry-farmed Yukon Gold potatoes for $80. Yes, this is a large amount of potatoes, but the price is much lower than what you'll pay at a market like Whole Foods for the same thing (Bloomfield Farms supplies Whole Foods in addition to a number of other local grocery stores).

Go in with friends and neighbors and split up a bag! After all, it wouldn't be the holidays without mashed potatoes, would it?

A Family That Eats Together: Chicken Cacciatore

December 10, 2012

Chicken cacciatoreMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

My husband was a vegetarian when I met him eons ago. I remember when we first started dating, I didn’t have a ton of dishes in my repertoire but this dish I knew how to make really well and I made it often just to feed myself. My husband recalls that the smell of this dish cooking was too tempting to pass up and he ended up trying it. Needless to say… I won him over with it and it was the last of his vegetarianism.

Not only is this dish amazing, but also it is quick and easy to make, not to mention healthy! Serve with your favorite pasta.

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken cutlets
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 2 teaspoons sun dried tomato paste
  • 8 fresh basil leaves, torn
  • ½ cup kalmata olives, pitted
     

A Family That Eats Together: Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Goat Cheese, Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

December 3, 2012

Stuffed chicken breastsMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

I love when plain-old chicken breasts are exciting and full of flavor. Even though these are baked, they are juicy and intense with textures and flavor. I like to serve these with a side salad but if you need a carb try brown rice for a healthy and fulfilling meal in no time.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3–4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (sliced down the middle but not cut through completely)
  • 2 1/2 cups frozen spinach defrosted and completely drained of water

A Family That Eats Together: Whole Wheat Penne with Kale Pesto

November 26, 2012

Whole wheat penne with kale pestoMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Here's Nicole's meal plan for this week.

My son has been averse to kale so in my attempt to convince him of how good it is, I introduced it as a pesto. After one bowl, he was asking for seconds. The saltiness of the parmesan cheese with the toasted almonds and caramelized onions makes this leafy green nutty and sweet in this savory pesto.

Servings: 6–8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
  • 5 cups chopped kale
  • 1 medium onion, chopped

Three Delicious Thanksgiving Side Dishes

November 20, 2012

cornbread stuffingMarin Mommies presents a selection of delicious Thanksgiving side dish recipes from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together. Don't miss her recipe for pumpkin chiffon pie with graham cracker crust.

The Best Cornbread Stuffing

For as long as I can remember, my mom made cornbread stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. Her stuffing is sweet from the cornbread and savory from the herbs. This recipe can’t be beat. It is always so popular at our Thanksgiving dinner that I have to double the recipe to feed everyone!

Servings: 12+
Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of day old bread, cubed – the more dry the better, ideally a white bread but can be a plain wheat bread
  • Cornbread, cubed – recipe follows*
  • 6–7 cups warm turkey or chicken stock
  • 6 celery stocks, peeled and chopped

A Family That Eats Together, Thanksgiving Edition: Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

November 19, 2012

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Graham Cracker CrustMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes and family dining ideas that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Check out Nicole's meal plan for this week.

This week, we feature a selection of Nicole's fantastic recipes for Thanksgiving. We'll start with dessert first—a pumpkin chiffon pie with graham cracker crust, and highlight more delicious dishes throughout the week.

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust

  • 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly warm
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

A Family That Eats Together: Breadless Meatballs with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Ricotta Cheese

November 12, 2012

MeatballsMarin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes and family dining ideas that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear. Check out Nicole's meal plan for this week.

In my on going search for carb free meals, which are satisfying, I tried this recipe from David Rocco. I love how light and airy the meatballs become using nonfat ricotta cheese and braising them in homemade tomato sauce. The trick to fabulous meatballs is using the freshest organic grass fed and leanest ground meat you can find. With the addition of the tangy sundried tomatoes you will never know what is missing from these meatballs. My family gobbled them up so fast that their plates were “licked” clean.

Servings: 8–10
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

for the meatballs

  • 1 pound organic grass fed very lean ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup nonfat ricotta cheese
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