Weekly Meal Planner

Now, that I have started to really cook for us, I thought having a meal planner would make things a little bit easier for me. For the past weeks, I've been cooking our weekly dinner on weekends. For the coming days this week, this will be our dinner (I have included today as well).

Sunday - pasta in venetian sauce from leftovers and meat pies (frozen from the shops)

Monday - rissoles with veggies

Tuesday - pizza (taking advantage of the promo in dominos)

Wednesday - braised steak with veggies

Thursday - mince and pasta

Friday - Baked chicken and veggies

Saturday - mince and rice

From this one weeke meal, I've only two meals to cook. I cooked the steak, rissoles and chicken already. I've also got our dinner for tonight ready (before I plunge on camera reviews).

Next thing to do is plan for the following week but first I have to check the meat we have in the freezer. This is easy like looking at the camera lense.

Oh, the home brand fish fingers are a hit to my family. It's cheap but still tastes nice (I just hope any cam is the same sans the taste).

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Pineapple Chicken

We tend to add variety on our meat consumption. But Mcj is not really fond of chicken - so I thought of cooking Pineapple Chicken for a change. I got the recipe from grouprecipes.com and I now have all the ingredients.

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 can pineapple chunks, set aside the syrup
1 Tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized onions, chopped
1/2 cup evaporated milk or coconut milk
patis (fish sauce), to taste

How to make it
Marinade the chicken with the pineapple syrup for a few minutes.
Pour the chicken with the marinade in a pot, cook until the marinade evaporates and the chicken is lightly brown. (You’re not exactly frying the chicken–you just want to seal in the juices.)
When done, set aside the chicken on one side of the pot.
Add the oil, saute garlic and onions then mix together with the lightly browned chicken and cook for about a minute.
Add the pineapple chunks then pour the evaporated milk. Cover and bring to a simmer. (If you are using coconut milk, do not cover, otherwise it will curdle).
By the time the chicken is done, the sauce would be rather thick and creamy, stir then season with patis.
Simmer again for 2 minutes then turn-off the heat.
Best serve with steamed rice.

I'm planning to cook it later today but will have to stay in the freezer for this weeks dinner. I tend to cook for the whole week on weekends as I can't be bothered to cook at night when I get home or the night before (even if I don't have to a update car insurance blog)

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It's All About What's In Down Under | Permanence in Change | I Am A Shoeaholic | A Juggling Act | Healthy Living | The Life of a Tatapilla | What's reel and real?

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Pelagonia

See more flowers at Flowers from Today

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It's All About What's In Down Under | Permanence in Change | I Am A Shoeaholic | A Juggling Act | Healthy Living | The Life of a Tatapilla | What's reel and real?

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Somewhat True

You Are Modern

You are optimistic and forward looking. You love living in this world. You have are drawn to the darker elements of life. You like a bit of grit. People excite you. You like to be up on what's going on with everyone you know and don't know! You have a few key interests that are borderline obsessions. You can't stop thinking about them!

The Bookstore Test

Work is Hard. Time for Blogthings!

Now, on my personality. I like grit - yeah, I like suspense and thrill but not too nauseous. I like intrigue, I don't want to call it gossip because I long ago give up on that. Lol. Yeah, obsessions... when the mood strikes, even lying on massage tables can't lure me to stay away from it. I have to dig and be all over it.

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How to Make Smart Kids

While genetics has a major part to play, smart kids are also shaped by their very first teacher – you! Carrie Cox looks at ways to give your child a wonderful head start.
Toddler + Preschooler
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It’s been estimated that a toddler’s brain is about twice as active as that of a university student, suggesting there’s a lot more going on inside that little noggin than a pressing desire to smear the walls with yoghurt. In fact, medical research has shown that unlike any other part of the human body, the brain has done most of its growing by the time a child is five years old.

By that time, most of the critical pathways and connections within the brain have already been laid down, and some have been discarded permanently. What remains is the foundation for a lifetime of future learning.

Young children’s minds are often described as ‘sponges’ due to their capacity to absorb so much of what is going on around them, but perhaps that is understating the matter. Maybe a ‘mop’ is a better description, because it is possible that young children can soak up a virtually limitless amount of information. But here’s the big question: is the size of your child’s ‘mop’ predetermined, or can early education increase its absorbency?

Nature versus nurture

Researchers have long sought to prove that intelligence is a purely genetic trait, but overwhelmingly the proof shows otherwise. While adults with high IQs are more likely to have children with high IQs, the reason is as much, or even more, to do with a child’s developmental environment as any hereditary hard-wiring.

“A stimulating environment can dramatically increase IQ,” argues Dr Jan Strydom, a professional educator who developed the Audiblox preschool program for children with learning challenges. “At birth, every person is dealt a hand of cards – his genetic make-up. But without having learned the game and without regular and rigorous practice, nobody will ever become a champion at any game.”

A recent study by North American researchers found that bright teenagers do have a different brain structure to their more average classmates but that this structure is largely shaped during the formative years. Apparently, there is a critical ‘use it or lose it’ phase of early brain development during which unwanted connections between neurones are pruned as the brain streamlines its operations. It is at this time that parents can make a vital, brain-boosting difference.

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I believe both nature and nurture play important role in the development of the child. There should be balance though. I'm not the first to admit that I do well with my kids when it comes to teaching but I try my best and so far, so good. In this day and age when both parents are working, it's easy to forget that our kids need our attention (pulse oximeters might be need to keep in track). Well, who says parenthood is not a job. It is and the hardest job of all.

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It's All About What's In Down Under | Permanence in Change | I Am A Shoeaholic | A Juggling Act | Healthy Living | The Life of a Tatapilla | What's reel and real?

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