Duck, Duck....Goose!

Brad is such a good sport and dad. Every night, he comes home from work and is immediately bombarded by Cadence and Finn. Of course, he always greets them with an energetic "Hello, children!" and hugs, even if he has had an emotionally draining day (which happens every so often). Then, Cadence almost always asks for one of two things (or sometimes both), "Daddy, can you build a fort?" or "Daddy, can we play Duck, duck, goose?". I rarely participate in either of these activities, but Brad is always a good sport and is usually found running around the backyard with the kids while I finish getting dinner ready. If it's a fort night, he sets it up with the couch cushions, Cadence and Finn knock it down, Brad sets it up again, and so on and so forth. We are blessed to have such a good father and husband.

Recipe Highlight:

This week I made a couple of new dishes, so I decided to share the recipes of successful dishes every once in awhile. Today's recipe is for all you salmon lovers (mom, dad, I'm talking to you!). I love dishes where you can throw everything into one pot and it all cooks together. This is so convenient with two toddlers running around and a baby who might wake up at any moment and need to be held. Normally, I bake salmon topped with a mayonaisse mixture and cracker crumbs, so I wasn't sure I was going to like it plain. I'm glad to say, that it is actually the salmon I like, not just the mayonaisse. This dish was very tastey and not too sweet. The couscous was really yummy.

Salmon with couscous pilaf

Ingredients

- 1 lb. carrots, chopped

- 1 C. couscous (uncooked)

- 1/2 C. slivered almonds

- 1/2 C. raisins

- 1/4 C. chopped fresh mint

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- salt and pepper

- 4 skinless salmon fillets (6-8 ounces each)

- lemon wedges, for serving

How to prepare

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-by-13 inch baking pan, mix together carrots, couscous, almonds, raisins, min, oil, 1 1/4 C. water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

2. Place salmon fillets on top of couscous mixture; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover pan with foil; bake until fish is opaque throughout, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Transfer fish to plates. Fluff couscous with a fork; serve with fish and lemon wedges.

Enjoy!