Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. So what does that mean? Well, according to Chinese astrologists, it could mean a whole lot depending on what animal you are in the Chinese zodiac. I guess if your business has anything to do with wood or fire, it will be a good year for you! Oh, and beware of volcanoes this year according to a recent article in The Independent.

Well, in our house it means giving the boys red envelopes with money, setting out a pair of mandarin oranges with red envelopes in each room, visiting family and friends and making a New Year's feast. The Chinese believe it is important to serve food symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. So on this year's menu, I plan on making:

• Scallion Pancakes: roundness = togetherness, gold = wealth
• Pork Dumplings: the shape of the dumplings resembles old ingot-shaped coins = wealth
• Chinese Broccoli: blossoming flowers = life
• Longevity Noodles: long noodles = long life
• Tea Eggs: Gold-colored eggs resemble gold nuggets = prosperity

Happy New Year and Gong Hay Fat Choy!

Busy week ahead along with some cold nights (what else is new) so this week's meal plan includes lots of easy and fast meals, soups and one-pot dinners. As I often try to do, I asked the boys to each pick one dish to be included in the week's menu. So it comes to no surprise pasta and meatballs and fish tacos made it on the meal plan. Recipe links below:

Monday: Pasta & Meatballs picked by the little one. For a picky eater, he hasn't found a meatball he doesn't like. For me, I'm especially found of Great Grandma Turano's Meatballs from Dinner: A Love Story.

Tuesday: Portuguese Kale + Potato Soup can be made quickly with very just a few humble ingredients. Plus it tastes that much better the next day.

Wednesday: Barefoot Contessa Jambalaya because I will have leftover sausage from Tuesday plus I love one-pot dinners.

Thursday: Fish Tacos, Rice & Beans plus Avocado and Mango Salsa from ChopChop. My oldest requested this knowing it is our "vacation" dish, but hopes it will make him think of summer!

Friday: Beef & Broccoli was a unanimous request from both my boys. I often have to double the recipe because they can not get enough of this stuff.

Have a great week!

The weather forecast for the week looks like there will be many cold nights, so looking to make some warm and hearty meals. This week's meal plan includes a bunch of recipes from Flour, Too: Indispensable Recipes from the Cafe's Most Loved Sweets and Savories as I cook my way through it (loving it so far). The week ends with International Night at school, so I'm looking forward to making scallion pancakes for the first time (!), and sampling some ethnic dishes from the diverse school community. Recipe links below.

Monday: Chicken and Orzo Soup with Veggies from Flour, Too. I was going to make this last week but an impromptu dinner at a friend's house has us trying it this week instead.

Tuesday: Pork Tenderloin and Asian Celery, Fennel and Edamame Salad with Candied Lemon from Flour, Too

Wednesday: Spicy Turkey Burgers with Tomato-Onion Jam from Flour, Too too!

Thursday: Weeknight Bolognese and salad from Ina Garten

Friday: Scallion Pancakes with Soy Dipping Sauce from Flour, Too!

Have a great week!

Menu pad by 1-canoe-2.myshopify.com

2014 is in full swing, which means keeping to my resolution to cook more healthy foods. Here's this week's menu plan at our house and some links to recipes I'll be making/testing/tweaking: 

Winter Minestrone Soup

I have one amazingly adventurous eater (8 year old) and one extremely stubborn one (5 year old). My oldest will gladly try tripe or a raw oyster (but probably will never again). My youngest will avoid any protein (except for nut butter, eggs, or bacon) or most veggies (except for carrots, celery, or tomatoes in tomato sauce). He is the epitome of a picky eater. Or as he puts it, "just scared."

Maybe veggies and other non-carb foods are truly scary to him. Or maybe it's his sneaky way of getting out of something. But I've found a way to get him to try - and even like - veggies. I get him to help me make Ina Garten's Winter Minestrone Soup.

Experts suggest (and my own experience has proven) when you get your kids involved in cooking a meal, they will most likely taste it, then proclaim they are the greatest chef the world has ever seen (as my kids have done). Another way to get kids to try something new is to mix new ingredients with something tried and true. In my case, pasta + bacon + cheese. The kid was scarfing up the stuff so fast, he forgot he's throwing down spinach, carrots, celery, tomatoes and other veggies he proclaimed to be so scary in the past.

Plus this soup is so good. Especially during a polar vortex. Make this. You won't be sorry.

Click here for the recipe.