Writing a Dinner Menu for Guests: The Menu, their selection options, tips, advice and ideas.

I love to cook. But I don't always have time. I have found tho that staying on top of these at home chef skills help me keep my edge both in my business and as a mom.

Here is a recent selection I put together for a meeting of friends at my home. After getting any food allergies and cultural preferences down, I pulled from my repertoire of everyday yummy meals I can easily kick up to fancy.

My friend who knew both guests helped me make some selections.

I always offer a meat and a fish. Sides are usually vegetarian to appease anyone eating light or vegetarian. I don't tend to serve basic salads (lettuce and veggies) unless its our summer block party and I'm feeding 50+ people. 

My little secret: everyone thinks I worked all day and magically whipped together a multi course meal in 2 hours. That's Not the case. 

"Black beans are rinsed and simmered in onions, garlic and peppers, or my homemade frozen cubes of sofrito."

My soups can be made ahead, up to 2 days (and taste better if the flavors meld over at least a day).

Meats can marinate a day ahead, and be popped in the over with little handling. Or a slow cooker will do the trick with pulled pork or braised beef dishes.

I love fresh ingredients- but I am a mom, who works. So i have learned how to freshen canned goods. Black beans are rinsed and simmered in onions, garlic and peppers, or my homemade frozen cubes of sofrito. Beets get sliced and a squeeze of lime. Mandarins don't need extra love because they absorb the flavors they are presented with. This also goes for pre-sliced servings or shredded carrots versus my doing the sou chef work. Nearly everything can be bought convenient style. Butternut squash, comes frozen and cubed - easy peezy goodness.

In this same tone, raw ingredients are served fresh, always. Fresh bread- greek style is excellent for table service. With that our local market has Amish and Polish butter where the flavor comes thru in every schmear. Soften butter at room temp for 15 mins before serving. A fancy plate and butter knife helps make it appealing.

"Fresh bread- greek style is excellent for table service. With that our local market has Amish and Polish butter where the flavor comes thru in every schmear. "

Desserts like flan are a make ahead must, needing time to cool. And bought ice cream is easily topped with frozen fruits and sugar, heated in a sauce pan for an easy compote!

Starters of course can be slices before guests arrive. I save time by opening all my cheese packages in advance and store in an air tight container. That saves 15-20 minutes easily when guest arrival is approaching. The same goes for rinsing grapes when they arrive at home. Get it done and forget it. (Also dried fruits can replace fresh, so I always have a bag in the pantry just in case.) these time savers let you have those extra moments for pouring wine and resting as you wait for guests.

So now: Open container, slice cheeses, arrange pre-washed fruit. Replace in container and display. Open crackers, pour into basket. Done. Wine please.

Dinner for the Great Meeting: 

Hows arrival around 4:30? 

These are my specialties. Happy Selecting. 

Dinner Served Family Style

Starters:

- Cheeses, grapes, and baguette slices and those target crackers ;-)

Table Starter:

- Red Beets and Spinach salad with mandarins and a balsamic reduction.

Pick a Soup: (served with Greek Bread and Polish Butter)

- cup of soup: corn chowder w or w out shrimp 

- OR Butternut squash

- or seafood soup (sopa de mariscos).

Babcias Pierogi will be served w sour cream.

Pick 1 an additional entree...:

French-ish

- Shrimp Creole: shrimp saute in red tomatoe sauce with veggies and creole -not spicy- seasoning. Served over white Jasmine Rice. Siraha sauce or tabasco on the side.

Mexican Style -

- Fajitas with lotsa of veggies mixed peppers, onions. And served with a variety plate of seared steak, chicken and shrimp.

Toppings on table: sour cream, cheese (fresco or cojito), cilantro, etc.

Or Soft shell Tilapia Tacos.

Same toppings as above.

Guatemala:

Tostadas Guate style - a make your own fun light meal.

Make your own tostada; Layer onto a Crispy tortillas:

1. 1 spoon of this Veggie base: red beets, carrots, green beans, diced and cooked.

2. toppings at the table: ground beef, onions (raw), mexican cojito or fresco cheese, boiles egg slices, lime weges, sour cream.

3. Sauces: dallop of tabasco, horseradish, (even wasabi - not true to the original dish).

3. Enjoy over a plate! 

Homemade Salsa, with our Garden Red Japanese and Yellow Tomatoes.
This day I served it up with scrambled eggs. Fresh. Easy! 

Pick your 1 starch and 1 veggie:

- Baked rosemary garlic red potatoes (or fingerlings if I can find them!)

- green beans sauteed & lightly breaded,

- tri-color carrots in sweet glaze

- black beans and rice (Puerto Rican Style, made with a homemade sofrito base).

*if you pick tostada I recommend rice, and black beans will be served on the side. Tostada really is an all in one kind of meal.

Desserts

- Drink: Eisewine (Icewine) and Djadeks (grandpas) wine

Small servings of a variety of: 

- Homemade Flan

- Homemade Crepes with Nutella or Butter and Sugar

- or custard ice cream served with a compote fruit reduction, berry mix. Or mango.

- expresso, or americano, served with pan warmed milk (light froth) for  coffees or blooming flower green tea.

         ### 

Can't wait to see what you pick!!

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud.

Vogelei Park, Splashpad and Safety Town, Weekly Cousins Playdates andSummer Bucket List, Exploring Area Parks

Vogelei Park came up in a splashpad search for Elgin area. Our first of many weekly cousin playdates was here. A very fun park, small splashpad, but water and kids always is fun - small or large. 

We snacked under a tree... (I always bring food and snacks with me when I am out with the kids. We keep bottled water in the car, but bring our own too in the "go bag." We have hats, sunscreen, bug spray and crackers and fruits with us always!! I have a change of summer or winter clothes in the car depending on the season, with an extra jacket or hoodie, for All.Of.Us in a bag in the trunk, also 3 kid size small blankets. If I use something its quickly replaced so I am not in a jam next time.)

It was really nice. Theres a little walking path, over a bridge which kids always like. A mini pavillion and a safety town!! We brought our plasma cars and scooters for the seven kids to pretend play, it was a huge hit!

Bathrooms are super clean too. 

There are many native prarie flowers allowing for super bug observations. We are going to have to start shlepping our nature journals with us. We saw dragon and damsel flies, red ahpids, a new type of beetle, bees and beautiful plants.

For some reason the address on yelp is linked to Blackhawk park in the area. Vogelei is actually located at the cross intersection of Golf and Higgins road.

Lastly they have the Northern Illinois Raptor Center here. While I didnt see it I did read that they have paid learning sessions. I may explore that for a birthday party here?

NEW UPDATE :: YOUTUBE CHANNEL INFO ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT BLOG

Our family has had many adventures through the years. Mom, the @Minstr0Interior had an a-ha moment . . .  Suddenly I See what we will have filled our life with, ADVENTURES! We travel, craft, sing, dance, collect insects and spend loads of time together. Sometimes too much time together. Our kids have recently begun to document their own adventures, and so this channel was born. Enjoy our adventures. Or not. WANT MORE? If there is a blog post accompanying this video we will share it here. Sometimes we will include the ingredients list of the craft or recipe, or the itinerary of our trip. In the meantime click play. 

From our family: 👍 + 🙃 + ❤️ ( Thumbs up, emoji face, hearts! )

See It Live >>> 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2mGpujQIVgxdfTImFnQuLA

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud. 

Summer Bucketlist, 2015. The early weeks and our 3 kids summer routine. At Home Day Camp.

We have had a wonderful start to the summer. Logging long days, early mornings, and we are only in our first week with all 3 kids. My younger sons school dismissal was a week earlier then older sons.

The Summer Routine

Being a mom, staying at home, can feel mundane. You are a slave to the stove, snack queen, mediator of the sibling rivalry, etc. Etc. 

While I am making pancakes this morning, a moment of I can't believe I'm cooking again overtook me. However we aren't rushing. Eventho i sort of put this burden on myself since we don't eat cereal every morning, the kids eat something fresh everyday! Toast and fruit, leftovers, potato pancakes, etc. Today I am making pancakes from scratch, but we are not rushed, so I can use a skillet, and put a pat of butter before I latle each batch. If course its more time consuming, but ridiculously yummy too!! We are on summer break, why rush? The schedule today calls for some vintage shopping and the beach.

The kids get plates and forks for breakfast, my older son came in the kitchen mid pancake making and started playing the iPad songs. As I finish they are discussing their dreams, Men in Black and Donna Summers "I survive" which is playing, and baby girl was practiceing her ballet spins. 

As we eat We will talk about the plan for the day and "make a plan." 

Monday was a lazy day, lotsa of sleeping, TV, iPads and reading. We were bums on out first day of summer. I framed some of the kids art from the year and finished younger sons Kindergarten memory book. We ran errands, getting parts for some projects I have at home, hanging a mirror, completing my sons shelves, etc.

Tuesday - we hit the beach. I rock collected, babies built sand castles and older son played soccer... For two hours!

Wednesday we went to Vogelei Park in Hoffman Estates to meet our cousins for the first of many weekly playdates.

I googled splash pads near Elgin, which is where our cousins live. Yelp brought up a long list and there were some fun blog posts. I have a separate post on the park visit with pictures.

The Birds Nest Teachable Moment

{We discussed our cousins moving to their new house, and the 2nd daughter mentioned finding a bird nest. I'm very into teachable moments, so the kids brought this subject to me and I just extended the conversation: I asked her why she thought it was on the ground? Why it had strings in it? And why I put the nest we found in our freezer? 

As the kids answer I repeat what they said, incorrect answers are not corrected, instead I keep repeating until someone gives me the right answer. I say "what else" when I want them to keep shooting answers at me. Why all this created conversation?? After a child answers a question, and you say NO or immediately give them the right answer- children assume "guessing" is wrong. But instead guessing answers, even when their incorrect is sheer brilliance at work!! Their little minds are working to FIND a solution, even when they don't know what that solution is. By guessing kids are learning the process of problem solving and critical thinking, in their own little head. As an adult, well its my job to be patient (god that's hard!) and not blurt out the answer. 

Sometimes the discussion naturally dies before I get an answer... And that's okay. In this case part of learning is the PROCESS of the conversation, not the answer. When the conversation dies, i let it, and later, even hours or a few days later, I will remind the kids "do you remember when we were talking about the Birds nest, well you never gave me the answer to my question." And I'll fill in an ending to bring closure to what was discussed. 

We don't have these conversations every day, but at least once a week something naturally will come up in conversation and I will extend it by asking the kids questions about the object. It's important to know that sometimes I don't even know the answers to the questions that I'm asking, however the kids are still brainstorming and not afraid of questions they don't know the answer to. And mommy often says "i don't know, I'll google it."

Well nearly all the kids had come for a snack and were participating in the convo. I asked their mom secretly if I could frame a birds nest for them to hang in their new home, she said yes, "it could say 'Bless this Nest." And so my next project, due in 2 weeks or so, is born. (Today while shopping in Indy I'll be looking for a deep shadow box and maybe a small elegant bird or fake eggs?}

Afterwards, since it was on our way home, my kids and I went to Ikea for lunch. Its yummy and $2.99 kids meals are well priced for a treat to eat out. I had a shelf part to buy so this trip was 2 for 1. We didn't explore the whole store, instead we just got what we came for.

Thursday - Saturday

Visiting Grandma and the Indiana Dunes. Which includes many beach visits, antique and vintage shopping at the spots we love, buying Saturdays birthday party gift, and eating out!

Insects this week

These fun insect finds were by the kids keen eye! The red aphids near the daisy was at our weekly cousins playdate, the first of the season, at Vogelei Park.

A day later we are in Indiana visiting grandma, and this little caterpillar was enjoying a snack on her perennial. I have not started any soft body collecting, eventho my entomology toolbox gift does have the viles needed, and the gel pen for labels! 

We always hit the beach, almost as soon as we arrive in Indy. And my munchkins wanted to climb the big dune (instead of letting my inside voice say "I'm too old for this" I try to change it too "this keeps me young!") we stopped to take pictures when we conquered the summit - okay, we made it to the top.

This milkweed was tall and luscious. Then baby girl spyed the bumble bee, younger son asked if the milkweeds we "stuck?" Nope, just mating. 

I also did some bug net collecting at grandmas, I am thinking of an elegant box for her, a muslin backing, Insects in Baba's garden. Posts and pictures to follow.

As I blog, on my phone, over pancakes and after breakfast - older Son is laying down, ready to shower up, and the younger ones are playing with toys (only found at grandmas).

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud 

Mommy "What's the Plan?" :My Momism

This has been a daily routine question in our house for years! Mommy What's the Plan for Today? I honestly can't remember how it started, but I know now I can't live without our daily "plan review." It was probably a "redirect strategy" when my Older Son was little. He would cry over something minor, and instead of going on and on over the matter, we redirect > "hmph, what should we do today honey?" or "let's go see what the plan is for today while we drink some juice, ok?"

areyousureaboutthatblog Whats the Plan for Today Mom? It' s a simple statement that
prevent meltdowns and keeps us aligned.

When my eldest was 2 or so, I'd review our day at breakfast. "After breakfast we will go to the park, play a little, and then go buy milk." Enough information for him to handle, and get excited about his favorite parts.

Ironically I've found that my kids don't nag in other ways I've heard of - like the night before a big activity or trip - some kids can't sleep or ask there parents over and over, "so we are going to {insert name} place tomorrow right?" My boys don't do this type of nagging, and I think it's because through this process they've learned to control and temper their excitement.

Now my eldest is 8, and young son is 4, on weekends we sit at breakfast and review the day - the whole day. And if something comes up in the afternoon, I say "we have to review the plan, there's a small change." And thankfully meltdowns are a thing of the past (well, mostly, for plan change reasons we can manage!). 

There are days where my older son tells me "but you said we'd go to the store first." When I actually said "responsibilities first, then the store." Selective hearing? Maybe... It could be a new type of excitement and wanting what he wants Right Now! So I've started stating the plan and having HIM repeat it. That way we are on the same page. 

Even my husbands in on the routine. Since he works so much, sometimes Saturday morning is our first chance to touch base on what weekend adventures are in store for us. My kids giggle when dad says first "what's the plan mom?" I still don't know why the kids like so much when dad says that!? 

It takes a few minutes to walk through our days plan, but everyone knows what to expect and what's happening next - and that makes for happy kids and happy mom! 

Make mistakes. Breath, reflect. And Laugh.Out.Loud.