Made it through "Birthday Week"

September is a very busy month for me. Usually school is just starting so our schedules change and have to readjust and wake up early. I also have three birthdays in one week. There are four people in our house. So, everyone but me has a birthday.

For the actual birthdays we have cupcakes and than I have a birthday party in which I buy a cake. I am proud to announce I have not gained any weight. I am down five pounds this month. Despite all the cake and cupcakes. I had a great time and found this year to be a lot less stressful than last year. The beginning of October I will add all my measurements and let you all know exactly how much weight I lost.

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Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash

So one of the joys of being a mom is trying to find healthy meals that my kids will eat and stay in our budget. I am constantly looking up recipes. My kids are not a huge fun of Butternut Squash they will eat it but need some encouraging. I am hoping that with some extra exposure I can get them to eat it. This is one of the recipes I found that only uses a food ingredients, looks simple and I think my kids will love.

This recipe I found at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roast-chicken-with-potatoes-butternut-squash-10000001949705/

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) roasting chicken

• Cooking spray
• 12 ounces red potatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 8 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sage in a small bowl. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Rub garlic mixture under loosened skin. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Place rack in broiler pan.

3. Combine potatoes, squash, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Arrange vegetable mixture around chicken. Bake at 400° for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 165°. Let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin.

Wine note: For an affordable wine to pair with this dish, pick a dry riesling from Washington state, like Chateau Ste. Michelle's 2007 (Columbia Valley; $9). It has peach and orange flavors that create a tempting aromatic package with the sweet flavors of Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Butternut Squash. —Sara Schneider

I hope this helps everyone. Even though my goal is to lose weight my goal with my kids is to help teach them how to eat healthy early. They do love the Body By Vi Shakes so they get them for snacks. My kids are pretty awesome in that they let me try new recipes all the time and never complain when it doesn't turn out.

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