Ok, I'm going to try to answer your questions for me: How do you create balanced meals? I usually make sure I have a good source of protein, try to only have 1 carb, and usually some vegetables. If it's a one-dish meal, I try to be cognizant of ratios. You won't find me eating a bowl of fried rice with one ounce of chicken in it. I don't put noodles in the soup if I'm going to want crackers with it. I think eggs and bacon are a better breakfast than cereal. I think I eat a lot more fat and fewer carbs than most people. I also give myself permission to do whatever meets my nutritional needs. Sometimes I eat tuna out of the can because what I really want is to get the lean protein out of the way so I can eat some cheese pizza. Sometimes I dump shrimp and peas into my pasta water and call it a meal. Sometimes I eat an entire bag of beef jerky in the middle of the day. I think it's important to name and rank your priorities out loud, and being a foodie is on the list, but not #1. Do you follow a weekly rotation of menus? Definitely not. I'd get bored. I might plan on cooking three nights and buy three proteins, or have a vague idea that I'd like to do something with tomatoes and ground beef, but I don't think I ever know exactly what I'm cooking before that day. Do you designate some items as must haves on a weekly or daily basis? Nope. But if I realize I haven't eaten vegetables in two days, I take myself firmly in hand :-D Do you have rules for children and adults on what to eat, when to eat etc? I try to have a bare minimum of 20 grams of protein in a meal. Usually much more than that. For me, that usually translates to meat. I use beans, but not as the main protein. It's probably no more than one or two meals a week that don't have a hefty amount of protein. I try not to eat just carbs or just dessert when I'm genuinely hungry- I have a real meal first, then I'm satisfied with a reasonable portion. I have to have some sort of chocolate in the house, even if it's semisweet chocolate chips, because I'll end up eating more of something I don't really want otherwise. If I'm having a randomly starving day, I'll often eat pickles, artichokes, baby corns, or hearts of palm. Something that distracts my mouth long enough for my stomach to realize it's full. Do you actively plan meals to maximize nutrient value for vitamins, minerals etc? (Like Tomato for lycopene or X for Vitamin A or Y for iron etc.) Nope. I am so over those lists of superfoods. Ever notice that every single one is different? Fresh produce is good for you. Variety and different colors are good for you. That's the end of it, for me. What else? I keep a mental list of things that make me feel spoiled, but are good for me. Seafood is a big one. Ahi tuna, especially. I find it really important to buy quality produce. If it ends up disappointing despite my best efforts, I throw it away. There are starving people, but shoveling unwanted calories down my gullet doesn't do them any good, and I will just end up overeating something else to undo the disappointment. Ever notice how many poor people have weight problems? When we aren't getting quality, we tend to make up for it in quantity and/or sugar and fat. It would be helpful if you told us about any challenges or specific questions you're having. Are you planning to cook, but getting short on time or energy and going out for takeout? Having trouble with portion control? Dealing with a picky kid, or finding that everyone in the family likes different things? If you look back over the past couple of weeks, were there any times when you felt particularly unhappy with how a meal played out?

I made this 7-grain cereal bread a couple of weeks ago and it was wonderful. I think you could use your recipe and follow the method for this one and be very successful! Good luck! Alexa Multigrain Bread Posted By Sara@Our Best Bites On 01.08.2012 @ 10:23 pm Multigrain Bread Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook Ingredients 1 1/4 cup (6 1/4 ounces) seven-grain hot cereal mix 2 1/2 cups boiling water 3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour (not bread flour) 1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 oz) whole wheat flour 1/4 cup honey 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled* 2 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast 1 tablespoon salt Optional (I omitted): 3/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats *If you’re using salted butter, just decrease the additional salt by just a bit. Instructions Place cereal mix in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook and pour boiling water over it; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture cools to 100 degrees and resembles thick porridge, about 1 hour. Whisk flours together in separate bowl. Once grain mixture has cooled, add honey, butter, and yeast and mix on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, and knead until cohesive mass starts to form (*note: some at high altitudes have noted they have not needed all of the flour, go by look and feel and stop adding flour if you need to!) 1 1/2-2 minutes; cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 20 minutes. Add salt and knead on medium-low speed until dough clears sides of bowl, 3-4 minutes (if it does not clear sides, add 2-3 tablespoons additional all-purpose flour and knead until it does. Don’t add more!) continue to knead dough for 5 more minutes. Add seeds (if using) and knead for another 15 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand until seeds are dispersed evenly and dough forms smooth, round ball. Place dough in large, lightly greased bowl; cover tightly with plastic and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 45-60 minutes. Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide in half. Press 1 piece of dough into 9×6 inch rectangle, with short side facing you. Roll dough toward you into firm cylinder, keeping roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Turn loaf seam side up and pinch it closed. Repeat with second piece of dough. Spray loaves lightly with water or vegetable il spray. Roll each loaf in oats to coat evenly and place seam side down in prepared pans, pressing gently into corners. Cover loaves loosely with greased plastic and let rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in size 30-40 minutes. Dough should barely spring back when poked with knuckle. Thirty minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until loaves register 200 degrees, 35-40 minutes. Transfer pans to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove loaves from pans, return to rack, and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving. Storage: Bread can be wrapped in double layer of plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days. Wrapped with additional layer of foil, bread can be frozen for up to a month.

Meg, make sure that the depth of the foil is very close to the depth of the pyrex pans. Baking cakes and rolls in foil pans is very different from baking a casserole. I would seriously think about spending $10 or $15 and getting a couple of other glass baking dishes. I speak from experience with a leaking foil pan of lasagna, and a friend's un cooked cheese strata, while everyone sat around and watched the oven. I also remember a noodle kugel that was baked in a foil pan. The person who cut the kugel also punctured the pan. thankfuly the kugel was firm enough not to leak too much. I use foil all the time to bake a cake, rolls or brownies to take or give away. I might use one for roasting a piece of meat, but never for anything "sauc-ey". Linda C

I always use leftover rice--in fact, my recipe says leftover rice works better. I just heat the oil (I use sesame oil) and saute peas, carrots, onions and garlic until they're tender. I push that over to the side like Glenda's recipe and add the egg until it's scrambled then add the rice and soy sauce and stir it all up. I watched my maid make it when I was young and lived on Okinawa. She made the best fried rice ever!