Made some Carnitas in the crockpot today. They came out sooo tasty, moist, tender and crisp.

Carnitas

3 Pounds of boneless country style pork ribs.
1 tbs. Chili powder
2 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Onion powder

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Rub the dry ingredient mixture into the pork meat. Place in crockpot on low for 8 hours.

Put a small amount of cooking oil into a frying pan.


Put meat into the frying pan and break apart with spatula while frying up.


Serve warm over corn tortillas with guacamole.


Here is my guacamole recipe. You can double the recipe as needed.

It's two days in a row that Penelope ate school lunch. Yesterday they had Subway sandwiches, how could she resist that?  Today it was honey chicken over steamed rice from Pick up Stix. I asked the lunch ladies today why they did not cook hot foods there and I was told that they are not set up for it. They would need more equipment as well as special licensing. I guess it's just easier for them to order out. Although it's kinda neat that the kids get such a varied menu, I am disappointed that they are not getting homemade healthy lunches. Tomorrow is a minimum day and the kids get out at 12pm and we have a 3 day weekend. Yay Labor Day!

So I told you I was going to experiment with some juices containing spinach and I have. Yesterday I made a spinach, strawberry, and blueberry juice per my sisters suggestion. It was really yummy, just not very pretty to look at.

Here is my green juice for today.


2 Celery stalks
3 Apples
3 Small handfuls of spinach
1/2 Lemon
A small piece of ginger (see in photo above)


I love all the different smells from each piece of produce that you get when it is being juiced. The citrus of the lemon, grassy scent from the celery, and sweet and crisp scent from the apple. Chris however commented that spinach smells bad. This recipe made 2 glassfuls and both Chris and I enjoyed it. It was a bit sweet, a bit tart, and just a bit "green". Very refreshing with ice and also gave us a burst of energy.

Today was my second day of volunteering at the lunchroom at Penelope's school. I am enjoying it a lot, it is a private Christian school so it is pretty small. The kids are polite as they go through the lunch line picking up their lunches and some of them quite talkative. I was disappointed to find out that very little cooking is actually done by the kitchen staff. A lot of the hot foods are brought in from local restaurants. For instance today we served beef kabobs, seasoned rice, and pita bread from a Mediterranean place nearby. Aside from the hot lunch the kids are also given a snack/dessert, and a salad bar with various fruits and veggies is set up for them to take as they please. There is also a snack window that 3rd graders and up can purchase from. They kitchen is stocked with loads of snacks, drinks, and easily prepared snack foods like nachos, or pretzels. It's like a mini convenience store! The lunch staff seems to have the freedom to create whatever menu they like and they also fix up fancy salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit bowls, and more. It would be nice to see some more homemade foods being cooked up in the kitchen.

Yesterday they served Costco hot dogs, your choice of chips, and a mini chocolate muffin along with the salad bar. Penelope chose to buy her lunch at school. Today however when I told her what they were serving she wanted to take her lunch. Too bad for her! As a parent volunteer I am allowed to have whatever lunch items, and drinks I would like. The kabobs smelled really good so I made a plate to go and I have to say it was pretty tasty. Penelope on the other hand ate this...


Tuna sandwich, oranges, nectarine, fruit gummies, and a whole wheat blueberry figgy bar.

Penelope's homework for today was to draw her family and neighborhood.


Here we are, a colorful bunch!

Her Bible memory verse for the week is Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." She already has it memorized!

Remember a few months ago when I made Sloppy Cheesesteaks?  Well I have another hybrid recipe to share with you. Last night I was trying to figure out what to make Pen for dinner. I had settled on simple pasta with marinara sauce and a side of buttered bread but then remembered I had leftover pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese from a couple of nights before when we made a pizza. Light bulb! Why not make a pizza pasta? I decided to use macaroni noodles and that's where Pizza Macaroni made it to our dinner table.

Pizza Macaroni

Macaroni noodles
Chopped Pepperoni
(You can add other toppings you would normally have on your pizza i.e. mushrooms, olives, sausage.)
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Your favorite pizza sauce

Cook noodles according to package directions. While the noodles are cooking you can chop and shred the rest of your ingredients. Once the noodles are cooked, drain, and then add the sauce to them. Go as saucy as you like! Stir the noodles and then add the other ingredients. Stir and then add the shredded cheese. Go as cheesy as you like! Put in a baking dish and cook in oven at 375 for about 25 minutes. Just enough to heat through and melt the cheese. Serve topped with grated Parmesan and crushed red peppers!


And on another note I am loving my juicer. I have been experimenting with different juices in the morning for breakfast and Penelope has also been creating fruity combinations for herself. Here are  the combinations we have tried thus far...

Carrot, bell pepper, and tomatoes- I really like this one. The carrots give it a bit of sweetness and cuts down on the bell pepper taste.

Carrots and plums- This was surprisingly yummy and Penelope really enjoyed it too.

Nectarines, blueberries, and strawberries- You can't go wrong with this combination.

Blueberries and oranges- This was Penelope's creation, it was pretty good. The sweet blueberries cut down on the tartness of the oranges.

Next I am going to experiment with some spinach combinations. I will let you know how these turn out.

We are almost done with a full week of Penelope in Kindergarten, she is really enjoying it. Wednesday was her first day of chapel and she said she talked about God and danced to beautiful music and it made her cry. I asked her if anyone saw her crying but she said she hid it. Tuesday was taco/burrito day at school and she asked if she could take a lunch instead.


I made her a turkey and cheese sandwich, the K is for Kindergarten of course! She also had chippy's, strawberries, blueberries, and fruit gummies. I froze her apple juice the night before and then left it on the counter in the morning while we got ready for school. It was nice and cool when she finally drank it at lunch and it also served as an ice pack to keep her lunch cold. Yesterday was hamburger day at school so she decided to eat lunch there. Unfortunately when I picked her up she informed me that she was disappointed that there was no cheese on her burger. Today they were serving Teriyaki chicken rice bowls for lunch so she wanted to eat at school. She brought her fortune cookie home and ate it up along with the snack box I prepared for her.


Crackers, garden tomato almonds (more on these later), strawberries, cheddar cheese slices, and pepperoni.

Here is another bento I forgot to post. It was actually the first one I made in our new home. Since we live in wine country I decided to make her a lunch with things that would typically be enjoyed with a glass of wine.


Top tier: A slice of Iberico and Manchego cheese, a couple of slices of cheddar, black olives, uncured nitrate free hot salami and regular salami, and crackers. The salamis are Vons' Open Nature brand and they are sooo good. I also love them because I can eat them without getting an itchy mouth!

Bottom tier: Green and red grapes, unsalted cashews and almonds

Don't worry the goblet contains kid friendly apple juice, no wine!

On another note Penelope started ballet class yesterday. I am really excited about this class because she is now old enough to learn ballet technique and positions. There is a lot of stretching involved in the class and boy did it look difficult. She really enjoyed it though and did very well.

I am also excited that I volunteered to work in the lunch room at Penelope's school for a couple of days a week. I am so interested to see what their lunch program looks like. I will fill you in on that later...

Look who started Kindergarten today! Whaaa, she is growing up so fast! I have been a nervous wreck the last couple of weeks leading up to today, but surprisingly I was at peace about it this morning. Then when I saw how excited she was standing in line with all her classmates and then walking into the classroom and finding her seat I was so happy for her. I know she is going to do great but what ever will I do with all my free time?!


Here is a snack box I made for Pen to enjoy when she is home from school. Blueberries, 2 marshmallow moons, Ranch flavored sunflower seed kernels, lemon biscuits, and dried pineapple rings.

She wanted to eat lunch at school today. On the menu was Chicken Strips, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Salad Bar, Frozen Fruit Bar, and a Beverage. August seasonal fruits and veggies to choose from in the salad bar include: Melons, Berries, Grapes, Kiwi, Pineapple, Spinach, Romaine, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Colored Peppers, Green Beans, and Carrots. Drink choices are 1% Milk, 1% Chocolate Milk, 100% Fruit Juice, or Bottled Water. I bet she was excited about the salad bar! One more hour till I get to pick her up!

Well tomorrow is my birthday... I will be celebrating with family and away from my computer so I thought I would remind you all today. Belated gifts are better then no gifts and online gift cards are also greatly appreciated. ;p Just teasing! I already got some pretty amazing gifts this year, yes early, because I am just special like that. My amazing mom in-law got me a pretty sweet immersion blender. Yes! I have been wanting one of these. Bring on the smooth and creamy mashed potatoes! My even more amazing husband bought me the super upgraded version of the juicer I have been wanting.

Breville Juice Fountain Elite

I was so excited when I saw this I immediately had to test it out. Penelope and I decided to make some grape juice out of some plump green and red grapes we had in the fridge.


This thing is a machine! There is no need to chop anything up or remove anything from the fruit/veggie before you feed it through the chute. You can literally stick pineapple in it without having to remove the rind. It's also a cinch to clean up! You put a produce bag in the container that collects the pulp and simply toss it out. The rest of the machine is easy to take apart and rinse off.


Can I just say that fresh grape juice taste nothing like bottled grape juice that has been pasteurized, added too, and had the nutrients removed from. It is so sweet and delicious. This morning I juiced up some carrots and since I had one plum left in the fridge I threw that in as well. Yum! I am so excited to try a variety of fruit and veggie concoctions. Best gift ever!

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to...be continued tomorrow.