9th Blogaversary

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Buy Generic Diazepam Uk 9 years old?!?! How’s that possible!
balloons
This was a big and full year. I’m so glad to have the blog as a creative outlet. I think I’m my best when I am doing “all the things” even if each doesn’t shine 100% of the time. I tried to let myself take it slow when blogging just isn’t quite fitting in, but overall I’ve been active here. Thank you for joining me! I’m so grateful to hear from folks who have made something or saw something here and it means a lot to me. I love doing it and hope to instill in my little ones that hobbies are wonderful- all while not having phones at the table!

Superlatives

https://fireheartmusic.com/hjc368bef Best Burger: I mean it has to be this one, right? The Parisian Burger is circa 2014 but the competition will be what always stands out for me this year. I did really love this meatloaf burger too with brown sugar ketchup, crispy onions, and greens.
The Three Bite Rule - Insta
Most Photogenic: Fall Dog with Apple Slaw I’ve yet to source pretzel buns like this again…I’d better search- they seem like an Oktoberfest-ish thing.
The Three Bite Rule - Fall Hot Dog
Most Repeatable: Crispy Fish Rice Bowl
The Three Bite Rule - Crispy Fish Rice Bowl
I think I made more soups and more sandwiches than some years past but definitely fewer pizzas this year.

2019 goals Recap:

Buy Valium 5Mg Online Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing This was a good one for the year. With baby C joining the family and ohh-so-much artwork from Mr. T, relieving our home of stuff is good.
Feeding Littles: I wish I did this more.
Work on advanced food prepping:
What I’m reading: I read 22 books this year! Crazy! My fav was Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar followed closely by The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Find my books and ratings here.
What I’m watching: 

This year’s Goals:

https://serenityspaonline.com/54mqfevhz3 Year of beauty! I loved this suggestion and I kicked it off grabbing some face masks before a weekend away with my college roomies. The “year of” are something I like for myself and I don’t want to have to coordinate with anyone else. I’m overdue for some nail polishes newer than my college days, I love face masks, and my hair could use some TLC.
Prep intentional sides and veggies: too often they’re a bit of an afterthought and we could increase the colors and options here.
Eat more fish: I love it, Mr. J is OK with it, and the kids gobble it up so I should keep going there.
Blog some series: these are so fun for me while I’m doing them, I should try some others. I’ve done series of grilled cheeses, series of toast toppings, and I’ll see what else comes to mind!
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area I think I (or Mr. J) did our most impactful work when doing one little spot at a time. There’s more to do!
Share more books on instagram: I had some stories of kids books and couldn’t believe when I got actual responses and people without kids asking about more of them. It made my heart swell as something I love.
Prioritize workouts: I started Beachbody On Demand doing the Morning Meltdown 100 and I’m loving it.
What I’m reading: 20 books feels like a natural benchmark to strive towards
What I’m listening to:
I love podcasts and have yet to convince my most talked-to people to also listen so we can discuss.
What I’m watching:

October 2019 Recap

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October was very much a blur. The national burger competition was an entirely a different experience for me and we don’t travel much anymore so that was usual for us too! The kiddos stayed with grandparents and Mr. J and I jetted off to Napa Valley for a very busy 3.5 days. We were on a red-eye back so I could be at work. Woah. I’m prepping a competition post so that’ll be soon. This month wasn’t a non-stop menu of new and exciting things, but a few fun things came out!

These Hashbrown Waffles topped with a fried egg and everything bagel seasoning was so good. I love these and am glad to have a few in the freezer for another time.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
I made cute little sandwiches of crispy chicken, smoked gouda, and apple. They were so good I made them another time to blog them for you!
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Apple Sandwiches
I had been very into ciders but the trip to Napa revived my interest in wine. Next month I’ll share a post about the final burger competition, a butternut squash soup, and a few others. November also brings the blog-a-versary and a new “year of the ___” and goals. Stay tuned!

The Baby Girl:

https://www.prehistoricsoul.com/400kj4ho She loves life. She’s happy to play and be outside. Anything brother does makes her smile. We’ve been at the play kitchen a lot and she’s obsessed with dolls. She has a Cabbage Patch baby and my Raggedy Ann. Apparently she “owns” the dolls at daycare- she won’t let anyone else use them. I think some teeth are bothering her so she’s been a bit more testy. Baby C eats everything. She loves avocado, cream cheese & jelly sandwiches, and meatballs. She’s being Minnie for Halloween!

The Little Boy:

Diazepam 2 Mg Buy Online He’s so into The Beatles right now. It is adorable. He grabbed a book at the library – possibly because the cover was so colorful with a British flag. Then we listened to some in the car and he asks to listen daily. His favs are: Come Together; Here Comes the Sun; and All You Need is Love. Some meals take him absolutely for-ev-er. What’s the trick around that? Soccer has been great. We went apple picking, got pumpkins, and have played outside a lot. He’s being Mickey for Halloween!

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: Mr. J saved us this month! He got a travel mug organizer and a sink organizer which is helping us clear off the counters- it is a work in progress for sure.
Feeding Littles: We shoot for some meatless meals and this is a fav with Szechuan beefless strips over brown rice and some snow peas. 
Work on advanced food prepping:
What I’m reading: I read Where the Crawdads Sing for bookclub.
What I’m watching: On the plane I watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Together we watched the movie Yesterday which was a fun one – and so timely with the little guy so interested in the Beatles.

September 2019 Recap

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https://www.chat-quiberon.com/2024/01/18/5ejvcpb Wooo-eeee! September was a whirl-wind!

https://gungrove.com/rovdd228pvd September’s hype was the burger competition! I can’t believe it. I won! I literally entered because I thought ‘hmm. they won’t pick my burger but maybe they’ll send me some wine!’ I wanted more and more details so it was a bit clouded in mystery but it went really well. I practiced a few times. The timing (60 minutes to make burgers for 4 judges and 1 display) – exactly as entered was boarder-line too long. It was fun but nerve-wracking. I was proud and glad it all went well.

http://www.wowogallery.com/zsjyc7q In addition to practicing my burger, I made this honey mustard chicken salad and loved it best in lettuce wraps – but of course it was delicious in a croissant! It was a fun back-to-school timing of lunch.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
This Easiest Peach Cobbler was such a fun dessert. I made a small portion and am due to throw the other half together – maybe blueberry next!
The Three Bite Rule - Easiest Peach Cobbler
I made a flatbread with naan, arugula, cherries and parmesan. It was such a fun lunch. It has this impression of being super special but couldn’t be easier.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
The Baby Girl:
She seems so big! She’s so strong and adjusted ok to the switch to milk. She’s a fantastic eater. She loves it all. I can’t get over the volume she’s eating! The other night she ate a BBQ chicken thigh, most of a corn cob, and about 1/3 cup of rice. She loves the swings, following big brother around, and taking things out of whatever they’re in.

Cheap Valium Bulk The Little Boy:
He’s loving his new school! I can’t get over how much he’s learning. We did it because the biggest learning curve is meeting new people and adapting to new routines. He’s doing so great! He just taught me about fiction books and how he does big kid math! We’re so proud of him making friends and being himself – what more could we ask for?! Pasta is his #1, of course. He loves that his new school isn’t nut-free so PB&J it is! He’s super into Italian dressing which seems funny and talking a lot about fish so we’ve had salmon, coconut shrimp, and crispy fish tacos.

2019 goals:

https://www.justoffbase.co.uk/uncategorized/px3p494 Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: I should get back on it. We’re done with bottles so I’m hoping to find somebody who wants them!
Feeding Littles: I reflected on introducing little ones to new foods – like blue cheese dressing! 
Work on advanced food prepping: We went for easy while super busy at work and a cold that passed along amongst us.
What I’m reading: I read Pachinko for bookclub.
What I’m watching: We watched the movie Vice which was so good.

August 2019 Recap

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The end of August brings some teases of fall weather and I’m 100% here for it. The only good thing about August is the height of tomato season – or our baby’s birthday. She’s 1! We made the most of summer days with swims at the grandparents pool, and popsicles, and quick dinners so we could play outside. A trip to see my college roomies and their families filled me up AND my bestie got engaged. I’m feeling so thankful for my friends, near and far.

Order Valium Uk I have a super exciting burger competition coming up in September! My Parisian Burger will go against 3 others and then one of those will advance to a final round in Napa! Fingers crossed (and some legit practice for my timing)! I was all over the place confirming I’d attend. I was feeling stressed with the timeline and requirements, and annoyed I left it to the last minute. I then thought, why would I add something into my life that induces stress? Should I just forget it and move on? I was afraid I was too late but figured I’d just go for it. I don’t push myself outside my comfort zone frequently. Here’s hoping!

This month, I made crescent dogs – 3 ways which require zero brain power but capitalizes on hot dog season. They’re not grilled so make ’em whenever. My fav were the bagel dogs!
The Three Bite Rule - Crescent Dogs, 3 ways

https://www.ngoc.org.uk/uncategorized/future-events/vdw6ecxe On vacay I made not-your-average spinach salad with strawberries which deserves repeating while the strawberries are still good!
The Three Bite Rule - Not Your Average Spinach Strawberry Salad
I made the easiest app: Pesto Puff Pastry Twists I’d totally made these to be lunch, or have them alongside fall soup, or serve with tomato sauce to dip for a fun dinner!
The Three Bite Rule - Pesto Pasta Twists
September will bring some changes- new school for T and new work hours for me- which might help with the dinner rush! I have some ideas for lunches and highlights of this fantastic season of produce.

The Baby Girl:

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She’s super strong and curious. When we tell her no, she shakes her head. I can’t wait to hear words! She loves carrying toys around and taking everything out of whatever contains it. It is fun to see her interest in things big brother likes and  she now wears shoes since she wants to walk everywhere.  Finally more teeth are coming in and just now had her 1 year check up. She had a fun birthday and loved the cake. Thanks Grandma! We’re slowwwwly reducing the pacifier she loves so much. We had one on the carseat and in bed for sleeping times…emphasis on had. I’m attaching other toys and she’s less than impressed. She can do it! She’ll sit through about 1/2 of a board book- progress!

The Little Boy:

https://modaypadel.com/qxswcy8hwc He loves his sister so much that he needs reminders to chill, enough hugs, let her be. Little dude can’t hang on days he doesn’t have a good nap. He is falling asleep at the table- by 6:15 without one. I cherish nap time and am thankful for 4 1/2+ with regular naps. He loved seeing his new school and we’re excited for him to start next week. I’m so proud when he gets comfortable and settles in, like seeing the new school and when we visited friends in NY and he got right into playing with everyone. Poor guy has wicked motion sickness and Dramamine didn’t cut it on a 4 hour ride from NY. We had a fun trip through Costco and he sampled everything: granola bar; dumpling; almond milk; kielbasa; open faced tomato & mayo sandwich; Norweigan flat bread; and cheese. I love the adventurous side despite always hoping dinner will be pasta.

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: Together we attacked a closet and donated a bunch of stuff. We quickly got a few things on the buy-nothing group for the town and unloaded stuff pretty quickly!
Feeding Littles: I didn’t share a ton- just a reminder that nobody has picture-perfect meals all the time
Work on advanced food prepping: I’d like to do more of this- without it being Sundays. Maybe I can work harder to create a habit that fits.
What I’m reading: I read Southern Lady Code (skip it, unless is realllly speaks to you) and Becoming (we should all be a little more like Michelle) and Educated. Educated was for bookclub (a must read and a repeat for me but I loved it just the same for round 2).
What I’m watching: I’m ready for substance (This is Us! A Million Little Things!), but have kept up with AGT & Bachelor in Paradise.

July 2019 Recap

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July is the best so while it is sad that it is over, the only good thing is baby C’s birthday is coming right up! We got lots of pool days, a week at the beach, and a lot of outside time. Mr. J and I got a date to a new restaurant in our town square that was nice but maybe not our fav for other options nearby. I love El Centro and would choose Mexican over where we went.

Buy Valium In Uk Cheap I made a lemonade slaw to go onto crispy fish tacos with lemonade mix and used frozen breaded fish pieces with the slaw and avocado. I heard from a few who made them which was so fun!
The Three Bite Rule - Lemonade Slaw
Truffle and Herb Deviled Eggs were for no particular occasion but were fun along side dinner.
The Three Bite Rule - Truffle & Herb Deviled Eggs
I made a smoothie with frozen dragon fruit puree packs+ coconut almond milk + mango and the change for me was that it wasn’t a breakfast replacement.

Next month I have a salad and an appetizer already lined up. We’ll see what else I get to. I have a few ideas, of course!

The Baby Girl:

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She’s 100% walking now. A month ago (at 10 months) she was walking a bit and then it picked up, big time. She ate a ton on vacation so maybe there’s a growth spurt ahead! She is so happy all the time. She loved the beach sand and the ocean water and watching her toddle around on the beach was fun. She likes riding around in shopping carts or in the real stroller to look all around, instead of being in her carseat. I’m excited for her birthday! My little babe will be 1!?!?!?!

The Little Boy:

He’s going to a new school in our town for preschool before kindergarten next year. We’ve been mentally preparing him. I love him for his thoughtfulness and I try to arm him with info because his go-to is to want to stay home until he can picture where he’s going and what it will be like. He has been zooming on his balance bike and loving ice pops. I grabbed pedialyte ones for how active and sweaty he gets. He got to go bowling and loved it.

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: I joined a giveaway group on facebook and got rid of a few things immediately! A wire rack and a baby activity seat went like hotcakes!
Feeding Littles: We had Italian subs in salad form so I shared the little one’s version, deconstructed, minus lettuce. 
Work on advanced food prepping: Using what we had was the name of the game before vacay and then we were gone, so that was half the month!
What I’m reading: I read Palisades Park and Rich People Problems.
What I’m watching: We caught a part of a CNN series about Movies.

June 2019 Round Up

I loooove June. It is such great weather in New England with just a hint of summer. I’m not a fan of >80 degrees, so this is my happy place. It is the end of the fiscal year at work so fundraising is at 100 mph. I am le tired. In June we lightly celebrated Mr. J’s birthday, went to Western MA for a 1st birthday, went to the Downton Abbey exhibit, our flag day parade was super fun and we went to Maine. The little ones are in a fantastic rhythm and are such loves.

The Manchego Birthday Burger was my fav this month!
The Three Bite Rule - Manchego Burger
This lightened up lunch combined my love for a hearty grain and a worth-while green. Some fruit in there is a good choice too! Farro/Arugula/Blueberries/Watermelon, what’s not to love?
The Three Bite Rule - Farro & Blueberry Salad
Plus, I made some loaded Buffalo Chicken Nachos with a nacho tip everyone can benefit from {spoiler: you need layers. lay-ers!}. Plus, make these in the toaster oven for a fun meal/snack that won’t heat up your kitchen!
The Three Bite Rule - Buffalo Chicken Nachos
I’m pumped for July. Work will chill down a bit and vacation is coming up!! I missed the annual beach week when I was overdue last year and I look forward to it all year. I have some fun food coming up: tacos, an app, and some summery foods!

The Baby Girl:

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Annnd she’s off! She’s trying to walk and taking lots of consecutive steps. I can’t believe it! She’s so strong. She likes eating everything and I just want a few more teeth to come through! She has the bottom two in the middle- that’s it! She went in the pool and loved it.  She loves everything really. It is so fun to see her expressing herself when somebody takes something away from her – sometimes that’s us for something she shouldn’t have and sometimes that is big brother suddenly wanting his toy. She’s going to do well holding her own. She LOVES her brother and nobody can make her giggle like he can. She can clap and a wave is coming along.

The Little Boy:

He’s so sweet and being super well behaved. I melt when he tells me he loves me “all the way past my ponytail”. He’s allll about the pesto right now and has been into peaches. For lunches he told me he doesn’t always want sandwiches so I’m trying to keep it varied. I cracked up when we picked some basil one night and he said, hey- this smells like pesto! In my attempts to raise open-minded, accepting, and thoughtful kiddos – and after a narrow-minded incident in the Boston media, I got us a bunch of books about different kinds of families. It was great to test out a few. Now I want to add a favorite to our personal collection. Libraries are just the best (there’s a highlight reel on my instagram of kid favs)! He was a trooper in the car to Maine but dang, motion-sickness is awful. The meds help but until then, he’s ghostly pale, quiet, and looks so scared. Library books and a ring pop really helped pass the time (4 hours). He had the time of his life with his cousins (and their trampoline).

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: I dropped several boxes off to Savers while peeking at sneaks for the ever-growing little guy. I also joined a free/hand me down group in my town on facebook so I want to see if we can hand off a few things asap.
Feeding Littles: I’m not sure I shared many! I shared making pizzas on the tiny naan for some toaster-oven pizza, with tiny pepperoni of course. 
Work on advanced food prepping: Ehh. Meals have been quite minimal and speedy.
What I’m reading: I took forever to read Radium Girls and then sped through The Gown.
What I’m watching: I’m so so into the Bachelorette after having zero expectations- I thought she couldn’t speak! We both love Amazing Race and Great Foodtruck Race. I now want to rewatch all of Downton before the movie comes out in September!

May 2019 Recap

Somehow work got pretty nutty in May so it feels like a bit of a blur. I had a good month in the kitchen for blogged foods. Weeknight foods I’ve been really minimal to allow us to get outside after work, before dinner.

One of my favs was this really amazing breakfast sandwich with roasted tomatoes. I loved this as a stretch beyond the norm.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Brioche Sandwich

I made some broccoli & cheddar puff pastry pinwheels that couldn’t have been easier.
The Three Bite Rule - Broccoli & Cheddar Pinwheels
Quick! Make this meatloaf burger before Independence day arrives. Brown sugar ketchup and crispy fried onions are perfect.
The Three Bite Rule - Meatloaf Burger
June is the end of the fiscal year at work so it’ll be 100 mph. June is also Mr. J’s birthday which means: birthday burger!! Here was last year’s birthday burger and the rundown of previous ones. I’ve flagged 2 that I’ll decide between. Also flag day is coming up. Such a strange holiday but our town LOVES flag day. The parade is huge and goes right down the end of our street.

The Baby Girl:

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She’s 9 months old! She tried shrimp and loved it – pancakes, green beans, and blueberries are also favs. She is suddenly not as into bottles so hopefully that doesn’t continue to be a thing. I love seeing her eat all the things. She’s close to 17 pounds and ohh-so-happy. Baby girl is surfing around and will take about a step without holding on. Splashing in the tub is her fav so we think she’ll love the pool.

The Little Boy:

He looooves soccer. We missed the town soccer timing so he’s at a community one and it has been great. I only hoped he’d participate and he definitely does! It is mostly skills and that’s good for them since they each have a ball. I love how much he can talk about. He’s sweetly reflective and has an impressive memory. We have been reading a ton and finding some really fun library ones. He’s had a really fantastic time at daycare and doing so well behaved. I’m proud of him.

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: My sis is having a yard sale so I’m passing off baby stuff! No more baby tub, baby bouncer, tiny bottles etc.
Feeding Littles: I shared this farro bowl and the Meatloaf Burger
Work on advanced food prepping: I’ve given myself the headstart so planning my ideas for the week with options that are quick has been my success.
What I’m reading: I read Grapes of Wrath for bookclub and slogged my way through it. Then I read The Great Alone and couldn’t put it down.
What I’m watching: We didn’t watch many movies and will be very sad when we finish Schitt’s Creek.

April 2019 Recap

Spriiiiing! It makes me so happy. Winter was mild this year but I LOVE the daylight, everything growing, getting outside more, and transitioning from wintery foods. April was fun with a more social opportunities than I sometimes have with friends and a few fun family festivities. I think our energy is up! I feel like I’m being more realistic about what’s possible in the kitchen and I’m being OK with setting the priority that we eat together and eat different things, but I’m not forsaking all else to stick to my dinner plan. Seeing the little babe smile on the swing when her big brother pushes it when we get home is worth wayyy more than the meal prep I otherwise could make happen that night!

I love a grain bowl and these Thai Coconut Rice Bowls with Pork were such winners. The pork was leftover from a crockpot pork, the rice was ready in 10 minutes from the pressure cooker, and the sauce I zipped together in the blender the day before.
Thai Peanut Coconut Rice Bowl - The Three Bite Rule
I need to perfect my salmon cooking. I overcooked it but the leftovers were perfect in a Salmon BLT with lemon aoli.
The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Aoli BLT
Next month I have some good stuff coming! I have a burger, a breakfast, and a few other things.

The Baby Girl:

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She’s so fast and so strong. She was pulling up to stand before quite hitting 8 months old. All she wants to do is stand! She’s a quick and quiet crawler who can disappear to explore before you know it! I’m so proud of her sleeping skills, though I’m sure daycare wouldn’t mind her sleeping more there! She has 2 little chiclet teeth on the bottom and wants to eat everything. She’s loving the swings and chewing on T’s raptor dino that is unofficially regulated to being hers now. Her teachers at a daycare-wide dance party swooped her away and brought her around to see everyone. They really love her. She’s so happy and chill even when hungry or tired. We got bows to keep her hair out of her face and they’re just too cute.

The Little Boy:

He’s sooo into favorites right now. What’s your favorite dino? What’s your favorite fork? What’s your favorite color on this picture? I forgot that that’s a thing for kids. He loves the baby and is a fantastic big brother. It melted my heart when he said he “just wants to be 6” why I asked, “because then C will be 3 and we can play more.” I’ve loved doing puzzles with him. I think he over-does it on some favorite foods and thinks he wants them but then isn’t really into it- like certain cereals. It seems he will always want pasta, bananas, and avocado. He likes all candy- even junky stuff from a town egg hunt. I loved watching him at a daycare-wide dance party. He wanted to participate, was a bit reserved, then got into it. He thrives on having close friends. I missed the deadline for town soccer so he’s doing a little community one. We’ll see where his comfort-level is. He’s been happy on bike rides with Daddy but also is doing fantastic on his balance bike. His love for library books rivals mine.

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: ehhh. All I did was pull together items for a clothes swap at work. We have a bunch of baby equipment earmarked for a yard sale.
Feeding Littles: I shared dinner of shrimp with Trader Joe’s Island Soyaki sauce, brown rice, edamame. He wasn’t into the shrimp that night but liked it when he had rice in the same bite. 
Work on advanced food prepping: A day-off mid-month was huge for this! I cooked and blogged 3 things!
What I’m reading: I read An American Marriage for bookclub and really liked it. I read China Rich Girlfriend and loved it as much as the first in the series.
What I’m watching: We watched All the Money in the World and The Imitation Game. Both are so intense and fascinating. I want to know more about each in real life! TV-wise, Mr. J and I got into Schitt’s Creek and are ob-sess-ed. Amazing Race is back

March 2019 Recap

March just wizzed right by! My birthday kicked off a fun month! I’m feeling like we are so much more in a groove and all doing really well! The babe is so happy and now quite predictable. The little boy has loved the snow and more daylight is so great for us! Mr. J and I are on a roll. Work has been  super busy- which I love. We all were sick through March so we were all to ready to be better and healthy after colds, seemed-like-strep, a stomach bug, and a perpetually runny baby nose.

I made these cheeseburger turnovers with tots in them and they were so fun and an ideal one to prep in advance.
The Three Bite Rule - Cheeseburger Turnover
I took a Trader Joe’s haul to the next level with tips to take Trader Joe’s items and turn them into a full meal.
The Three Bite Rule - Trader Joe's Favs into Meals
I also made a nutella croissant baked French Toast and LOVED it. My nutella tip is key!
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
Next month will have a rice bowl and a sandwich and I’m not sure what else. We are heading to Maine for Easter. I will probably make a Carrot Cheese Ball. I also make some chocolate peanut butter eggs to have at home.

The Baby Girl:

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What a happy lady! She sits up and suddenly started going from laying to sitting- transitions hadn’t been smooth until just now! Baby C is eating and loving it. We are working her through all the baby foods to ensure there aren’t allergies and also we need her to eat enough to be a meal before reducing to fewer bottles because of her challenge to gain weight. She has 2 bottom teeth that popped through. She loves to bite on everything.

The Little Boy:

He love love loves playing in the snow. Now that it is gone, we’re mucking around in boots and getting outside more. Thank goodness! He’s very into PJ Masks which isn’t my fav. I love seeing how many books he’ll dive into in a row. Some meals he gobbles them up quickly and wants more, other meals take for-ev-er. Breakfast for dinner of eggs and sausage is a current favorite. He likes “snacky lunch” meaning- not a sandwich.

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: ehhh. I didn’t really make it happen. I hope to tackle the kitchen utensils.
Feeding Littles: I shared a repeat dinner I made before– we did of “Pizza” polenta bowls with white beans- for all. 
Work on advanced food prepping: I did this pretty well this month with some morning prep to give me a head start.
What I’m reading: I read The Slap for bookclub and none of us enjoyed it. I also read Today Will be Different and The Map of Salt and Stars which was so amazing.
What I’m watching: We watched Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and was blown away. So good. We also watched Tag and laughed out loud. The little boy watched a few movies. Snow days and sick days seemed like good times to snuggle for movies! He liked Moana and Trolls.

Trader Joe’s Becoming Balanced Meals

Every influencer can show you their Trader Joe’s haul, but it is easy to leave Trader Joe’s with fun things that don’t really get you closer to a complete meal. I don’t pretend anyone can/should do all their grocery shopping there, but Trader Joe’s is suchhh a lifesavor at this stage of my life for meal starters or a hands-off main dish! These shortcuts to getting varied dinners on the table is a huge asset to me. If I’m not strategic shopping at Trader Joe’s, then I do leave with fun things that have me scratching my head of how we’ll eat them or did I just spend $50 on things that don’t go together and I’m still not ready for dinner?

Here are a few of my favs, and what I do with them:

Orange Chicken + Edamame in the shells + brown rice:

I usually make the rice that morning, or the night before, to speed us up. The package comes with 2 packets of sauce so making half is an easy option. The breaded chicken is baked then gets tossed into a sticky sweet sauce. This is a true fav of ours so we make the whole thing for 2 adults, 1 preschooler who eats like a teenager, and a leftover serving for lunch. He looooves popping edamame out of the pods too so it is fun to eat a veggie in a different way.
The Three Bite Rule - Trader Joe's Favs into Meals

Cauliflower Gnocchi + Pesto:

TJ pesto is the best out there- of any brand. It freezes well too if you don’t want it too often when opened. The frozen cauliflower gnocchi is such a hit for TJ fans. It does taste like cauliflower but the true trick is that it shouldn’t be prepared according to the package! Saute in a pan with just a tiny bit of water. Get it some toasted/golden sides and toss in pesto for big enough flavor to lean towards gnocchi instead of cauliflower. Make 2 packages if serving more than 2 people. For 2 adults and a little kid, 2 bags are really necessary. This is a 10 minute dinner in 1 pan. Done.
The Three Bite Rule - Trader Joe's Favs into Meals

Eggplant Cutlets + pasta + sauce:

I love plain kitchen ready tomatoes instead of regular sauce but Trader Joe’s has some good sauces too! Their pasta there is always super cheap but I had some on hand. More importantly, the eggplant. It is the best, and one of the only places to find it! I love it to be eggplant parm, eggplant parm subs, on pizza, in calzones, in grilled cheese even, and it is great as a stack with cheese, sauce, and the above pesto! Because it is frozen it is easy to pop a few into the oven or toaster oven!

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Veggie Fried Rice + Dumplings + other mix & match Asian-inspired goodies

The veggie fried rice only takes a few minutes to cook in a pan and while we love it, I think it needs a little drizzle of soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. The pork potstickers are great and easy to make just a few. There are always other fun Asian inspired frozen foods to mix & match like bao buns, spring rolls, etc. I also like to cook a few pot stickers alongside sesame noodles. These freezer goodies really make dinners feel different. Roasting some broccoli then topping with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds is a simple side. I’ve also tossed cucumber in sesame oil & rice vinegar for a 2 second side!
The Three Bite Rule - Trader Joe's Favs into Meals

Roasted Corn + Chicken & Cheese Tamales:

The roasted corn is so fun and a great side to tacos or inside burritos. We probably have something Mexican once a week so I like having this around. It is great in Mexican Street Corn. Tacos + roasted corn + a few chips makes for a fun dinner. I love the tamales and Mr. J and I liked mini chicken tacos but the little one wasn’t as into those. I should try again though. This corn is often a side and I open up some black beans to go into the tacos or on the side too.
http://thethreebiterule.com/easy-sesame-noodles/

Sauces & Pantry items:

These can be a bit seasonal – I was shocked to find Marsala sauce a second time, but the Trader Joe’s bottled items are really fantastic and great time savors. When I had just a little leftover marsala sauce, I added some veggie broth, mushrooms, and marsala wine to stretch the leftover sauce a bit. I was inspired by a balsamic & fig dressing and can definitely put this Island Soyaki to work. I grabbed Chili Lime seasoning and the umami seasoning to try them out. I make my own Everything But the Bagel but that is a fantastic one too! Having a sauce on hand can really make basic dinner items come together quickly. Adding any of these sauces to some turkey meatballs over rice or egg noodles would make for efficient meal with salad or veggie of your choice. Or using a sauce with chicken to become a sandwich or panini would be delicious.
The Three Bite Rule - Trader Joe's Favs into Meals
Their bakery items are also great- the focaccini rolls are super soft and a fun way to elevate a sandwich or the pretzel buns with sausage & peppers is so good. I always grab some snacks. The sesame sticks are a constant and I like their trail mix variations into portioned packs. I can’t ever get over how economical their cheeses are! I sometimes grab frozen fish and the refrigerated pastas are helpful to be quick dinners too!

Happy shopping! What am I missing? Any favorites of yours?