Today is only my second kitchen day and already I have had so many friends ask questions about what it is that I am doing exactly (and why!) So, I decided to create this site to keep track of it all, answer their questions and hopefully I can help you out as you plan your own Kitchen Day.
Today's kitchen day is all about preparing for our family vacation. We are driving cross country to Maine with four kids! Ack! So we decided to plan ahead in hopes of making the journey a bit more fun and a lot more relaxed. My seven year old daughter and I started by mixing up a few cereals and then bagging them into snack sized bags for quick snacking in the car. Then, we mixed up a batch of Apple Oatmeal Cookies (you can find the recipe under the recipe tab.) She likes to recycle and reuse items as often as possible, so she suggested we store them for the trip in the empty oatmeal canister. It holds about two dozen, so if you made much more than that, you would need another plan.
After all the treats were made, we cleaned up and worked on our other project: meals. I wanted to have a chicken salad for lunch on the road, but my family doesn't love traditional chicken salad. So, I decided to make a new version. I roasted a chicken with chopped onion, green bell pepper, garlic and jalapeños. (I added a dash of Tabasco and season salt, too.) Meanwhile, I cooked a pot of black beans in the crockpot with onion, bell pepper, diced carrots, Rotel tomatoes and green chilies and a few spices. (You can find both recipes on the recipe page.) When it is all finished, shred the chicken and place in a separate bowl with half of the beans. Mix in some sour cream and shredded cheese and you have Mexican Chicken Salad! I am going to top mine with crushed chips or maybe I'll just keep a bag in the car. You could also serve this in tortillas for a cold salad wrap. What an easy lunch!
The left over beans and chicken broth will go together to create a yummy black bean soup. I think I'll mix that up and pour it into a freezer container to save for a dinner when we get home. This way I don't have to stress too much about having an empty fridge when we get home from our long trip. Isn't that nice? That's what Kitchen Day is all about, making your meals easier and your family healthier. Does that sound good? Take a look around at the recipes and you can see how I put it all together on the Kitchen Day Planner page. If you have any questions or some great family vacation meals/treat ideas, please leave a comment and let us know!
Today's kitchen day is all about preparing for our family vacation. We are driving cross country to Maine with four kids! Ack! So we decided to plan ahead in hopes of making the journey a bit more fun and a lot more relaxed. My seven year old daughter and I started by mixing up a few cereals and then bagging them into snack sized bags for quick snacking in the car. Then, we mixed up a batch of Apple Oatmeal Cookies (you can find the recipe under the recipe tab.) She likes to recycle and reuse items as often as possible, so she suggested we store them for the trip in the empty oatmeal canister. It holds about two dozen, so if you made much more than that, you would need another plan.
After all the treats were made, we cleaned up and worked on our other project: meals. I wanted to have a chicken salad for lunch on the road, but my family doesn't love traditional chicken salad. So, I decided to make a new version. I roasted a chicken with chopped onion, green bell pepper, garlic and jalapeños. (I added a dash of Tabasco and season salt, too.) Meanwhile, I cooked a pot of black beans in the crockpot with onion, bell pepper, diced carrots, Rotel tomatoes and green chilies and a few spices. (You can find both recipes on the recipe page.) When it is all finished, shred the chicken and place in a separate bowl with half of the beans. Mix in some sour cream and shredded cheese and you have Mexican Chicken Salad! I am going to top mine with crushed chips or maybe I'll just keep a bag in the car. You could also serve this in tortillas for a cold salad wrap. What an easy lunch!
The left over beans and chicken broth will go together to create a yummy black bean soup. I think I'll mix that up and pour it into a freezer container to save for a dinner when we get home. This way I don't have to stress too much about having an empty fridge when we get home from our long trip. Isn't that nice? That's what Kitchen Day is all about, making your meals easier and your family healthier. Does that sound good? Take a look around at the recipes and you can see how I put it all together on the Kitchen Day Planner page. If you have any questions or some great family vacation meals/treat ideas, please leave a comment and let us know!