This week is pretty much what an average week is like in our lives. Pretty much something going on every night and then even more things to do over the weekend. With the exception of school...we start next week. So, I still have lunches to plan for. Here we go....
Menu
Monday: Breakfast- donuts
Lunch- mini pizzas
Snack- smoothies
Dinner- chicken marsala
Tuesday: Breakfast- Eggos and sausage
Lunch- Spaghetti (leftovers)
Snack- fruit and yogurt and making homemade turtles
Dinner- Chicken spaghetti (leftovers from Friday)
Wednesday: Breakfast- Breakfast tacos
Lunch- Pigs in a blanket
Snack- shaved ice
Dinner- Sausage and potato frittata
Thursday: Breakfast- Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit sandwiches
Lunch- PB & J sandwiches
Snack- from the snack basket
Dinner- out
Friday: Breakfast- cereal and yogurt
Lunch- grilled ham & cheese sandwiches
Snack- popcorn
Dinner- Pork Tacos
Saturday: Breakfast- Biscuits and Gravy
Dinner- out
Sunday: Dinner- Grilled Jalapenos, Beer in the Rear Chicken, Corn on the Cob with Cayenne butter, and Onion Potatoes
Grocery List:
6 Jalapenos
green bell pepper
5 ears of corn on the cob
8 ounces crimini mushrooms
1 sweet onion
4 baked potatoes
bread
English muffins
bacon
2 (3.5 lb) chickens
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
pepperoni
hotdogs
sausage patties
bulk sausage
sage sausage
lunch meat ham
4 ounces Prosciutto, thinly sliced
frozen hash brown potatoes
frozen biscuits
frozen fruit
Eggos
half and half
milk
cheese slices
parmesan cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded motzerella cheese
eggs
plain yogurt
butter
crescent rolls
fruit juice
36 - 40 pecan halves
48 caramels
semisweet chocolate chips
vanilla extract
shortening
gravy mix packet
flour
EVOO
pizza sauce
marsala cooking wine
chicken stock
I think that'll do it. Since I have a lot of leftovers this week, I'm just going to link to the recipies from last week. This means that not all of those ingredients are on the grocery list.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday Aug. 12
I know I didn't post Thursday night's dinner. But, y'all, it was a late night and I wasn't hungry. I made the kids their pork tacos and I ended up eating a bowl of cereal at about 10 pm. I'm actually going to make them again this week, so I'll post the recipe later.
But I did make the chicken spaghetti Friday night and it was really yummy, so here it is. Also, this weekend was a mess, so no recipies to share from the weekend.
Chicken Spaghetti
From The Pioneer Woman website.
2 cups cooked chicken (I boiled 3 breasts in some water until they were cooked through)
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced Green pepper
1/4 cup finely diced Onion
1 jar (4 ounce) diced Pimentos, drained
2 cups reserved chicken broth from the pot (or canned if you'd prefer or don't have enough broth)
1 tsp. Lowry's seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup additional grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dice the chicken breasts. Cook the spaghetti in the chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook since you will be cooking it more in the oven later. When the spaghetti is cooked, combine with the remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and until bubbly. EnJoY!
* I can't get my pics inserted right now. I'll have to post them later. But let me assure you, this was really good and looked great!
But I did make the chicken spaghetti Friday night and it was really yummy, so here it is. Also, this weekend was a mess, so no recipies to share from the weekend.
Chicken Spaghetti
From The Pioneer Woman website.
2 cups cooked chicken (I boiled 3 breasts in some water until they were cooked through)
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely diced Green pepper
1/4 cup finely diced Onion
1 jar (4 ounce) diced Pimentos, drained
2 cups reserved chicken broth from the pot (or canned if you'd prefer or don't have enough broth)
1 tsp. Lowry's seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup additional grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dice the chicken breasts. Cook the spaghetti in the chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook since you will be cooking it more in the oven later. When the spaghetti is cooked, combine with the remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and until bubbly. EnJoY!
* I can't get my pics inserted right now. I'll have to post them later. But let me assure you, this was really good and looked great!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday Aug. 10
It was a busy day in the kitchen today. I made some really great muffins. No suprise as they were a Paula recipe. But great nonetheless. I'm also taking dinner to a friend who recently had a baby. I decided that I'd make, big suprise, another Paula recipe...Lemon blossoms for dessert. I also made lasagna with homemade spaghetti sauce and brought with it, a bag of salad and a box of frozen garlic bread. Somethings are just better store bought and I believe salad and garlic are great store bought items. Not only saves me time but tasts great and are easy. Not that I don't value my friends, but I'm sure they were greatful just the same :) All-in-all it was a yummy kind of day. OH, AND I also tried a pioneer woman iced coffee that was out of this world! Lot's to share today! EnJoY!
Apple Raisin Muffins
Paula Deen's cookbook for the lunch-box set pg. 20
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (I used Fuji as they are our favs)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Put the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
Place the apples and sugar in a medium bowl and toss together. In a large measuring up (2 cup measuing cup works just fine), measure the oil, then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well with a whisk or fork. Pour the oil-egg mixture into the apple mixture and stir well with a fork.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well with a fork. Add the raisins and pecans (if using), and stir well with fork. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the apple mixture over the flour mixture and stirl with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. Don't over mix. Batter will be very thick!
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. I used an ice cream scoop for this.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and the sides pull away from the muffin cups. Cool 5 minutes. EnJoY!
*These were great because they have a wonderul cinnamon flavor. Also, I cut my apples into larger chunks. When the cooked they were still a bit firm to bite into but were cooked through. I also love the raisins in them. It's not a lot of raisins, but enough that you get one every couple of bites.
Lasagna
This is one of my recipies that I have put together over time.
1 prepared recipe of Paula's spaghetti sauce, warmed
1 box of Oven ready lasagna noodles
2 cups motzerella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 carton of cottage cheese
1 Tbs. oregano
1 Tbs. parsley
2 tsp. garlic salt
mushrooms (if you like)
Make your spaghetti sauce. If you don't want to make time to do this, brown 1 lb hamburger meat and add 2 cans of Huntz traditional spaghetti sauce and mushrooms, stir, and you have a very quick sauce that's pretty good (but not as good as Paula's!).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix the motz cheese, parm cheese, cottage cheese, oregano, parsley, and garlic salt with a fork.
Ladel a bit of sauce into the bottom of the dish and spread over the bottom (just enough so the noodles won't stick). Add a layer of the noodles (you really don't need to precook these and I promise they taste almost the same as cooked noodles but are a LOT less work), some cheese mixture, and sauce. Repeat the noodles, cheese, and sauce. Finally a layer of noodles and sauce. Top with some motzerella cheese, oregano, and parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes for the dish to thicken up a bit. EnJoY!
*I ended up not having enough noodles for me to make this for my family as well. Which turned out great. I had some large manicotti noodles to make stuffed manicotti with. I cooked them until they were al dente. Then I spread some sauce in the bottom of my pan, stuffed the shells with the cheese mixture, lined them up in the pan, spread the rest of the sauce over the top, then added the motzerella and parm cheese. Then baked for 30 minutes and had a wonderful dinner. Also, you remember I made spaghetti sauce last week using venison sausage. I had some leftover that I put into a large ziplock baggie and froze. Tonight, I thawed it out and used it in my family casserole. For the lasagna, I used hamburger, but the family requested no onions, so I made the sauce minus the onions. This recipe is so easly adaptable. You could also add mushrooms to the sauce if you'd like. I've done this before but my kids don't really like them, so I usually leave them out.
Lemon Blossoms
Paula Deen and Friends Livin' it up Southern Style Pg. 110
For the Muffins:
18.5 ounce yellow cake mix
3/5 ounce instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
For the glaze:
4 cups powder sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (bottled works just fine too)
1 lemon, zested (I don't use just because I don't like lemon zest)
3 Tbs. canola oil
3 Tbs. water
*Oh great! Now I need to get up and walk to the kitchen to have a few of these bad boys! They are soooooo yummy and refreshing in the summer, or anytime really. Make these just once and you'll be craving them weekly. Just like an Oreo, I bet you can't eat just one!
*I didn't make as much as she was telling me to do because I wanted to make sure I'd like it before I made a big 'ol honkin batch of it. She didn't let me down, I loved it. My only concern now is drinking too much coffee throughout the day. I have to put a limit on myself!
Apple Raisin Muffins
Paula Deen's cookbook for the lunch-box set pg. 20
2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced (I used Fuji as they are our favs)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Put the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
Place the apples and sugar in a medium bowl and toss together. In a large measuring up (2 cup measuing cup works just fine), measure the oil, then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well with a whisk or fork. Pour the oil-egg mixture into the apple mixture and stir well with a fork.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well with a fork. Add the raisins and pecans (if using), and stir well with fork. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the apple mixture over the flour mixture and stirl with a fork until all of the dry ingredients are mixed in. Don't over mix. Batter will be very thick!
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. I used an ice cream scoop for this.
Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and the sides pull away from the muffin cups. Cool 5 minutes. EnJoY!
*These were great because they have a wonderul cinnamon flavor. Also, I cut my apples into larger chunks. When the cooked they were still a bit firm to bite into but were cooked through. I also love the raisins in them. It's not a lot of raisins, but enough that you get one every couple of bites.
Lasagna
This is one of my recipies that I have put together over time.
1 prepared recipe of Paula's spaghetti sauce, warmed
1 box of Oven ready lasagna noodles
2 cups motzerella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 carton of cottage cheese
1 Tbs. oregano
1 Tbs. parsley
2 tsp. garlic salt
mushrooms (if you like)
Make your spaghetti sauce. If you don't want to make time to do this, brown 1 lb hamburger meat and add 2 cans of Huntz traditional spaghetti sauce and mushrooms, stir, and you have a very quick sauce that's pretty good (but not as good as Paula's!).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix the motz cheese, parm cheese, cottage cheese, oregano, parsley, and garlic salt with a fork.
Ladel a bit of sauce into the bottom of the dish and spread over the bottom (just enough so the noodles won't stick). Add a layer of the noodles (you really don't need to precook these and I promise they taste almost the same as cooked noodles but are a LOT less work), some cheese mixture, and sauce. Repeat the noodles, cheese, and sauce. Finally a layer of noodles and sauce. Top with some motzerella cheese, oregano, and parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes for the dish to thicken up a bit. EnJoY!
*I ended up not having enough noodles for me to make this for my family as well. Which turned out great. I had some large manicotti noodles to make stuffed manicotti with. I cooked them until they were al dente. Then I spread some sauce in the bottom of my pan, stuffed the shells with the cheese mixture, lined them up in the pan, spread the rest of the sauce over the top, then added the motzerella and parm cheese. Then baked for 30 minutes and had a wonderful dinner. Also, you remember I made spaghetti sauce last week using venison sausage. I had some leftover that I put into a large ziplock baggie and froze. Tonight, I thawed it out and used it in my family casserole. For the lasagna, I used hamburger, but the family requested no onions, so I made the sauce minus the onions. This recipe is so easly adaptable. You could also add mushrooms to the sauce if you'd like. I've done this before but my kids don't really like them, so I usually leave them out.
Lemon Blossoms
Paula Deen and Friends Livin' it up Southern Style Pg. 110
18.5 ounce yellow cake mix
3/5 ounce instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
For the glaze:
4 cups powder sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (bottled works just fine too)
1 lemon, zested (I don't use just because I don't like lemon zest)
3 Tbs. canola oil
3 Tbs. water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin cups with cooking spray with flour (you will use these over and over since this makes 5 dozen. I have 2 trays with 12 muffins each and have to refill each at least 2 times, so make sure you have a friend to share these with or else you'll eat them all yourself since they are THAT good!).
Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer (I use my kitchen aid with the paddle attachment) until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into muffin tins (I use my ice cream scoop again), about half full (you want these small, so DON'T over fill....ONLY GO HALF WAY!). Bake 12 minutes. Cool 2 minutes then turn out onto a tea towel (a kitchen towel). While the first batch is cooking make the glaze.
To make the glaze, sift powder sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil and water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.
Using your fingers (yes this is messy, but hey, you get to lick the yummyness off of your fingers), dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they are still warm (but not hot or they'll fall apart). Cover them as much as possible (just give 'em a good dunking!). Place on a wire rack, with wax paper under it to catch the drips, to let cool and set up. Store in an air-tight container. EnJoY!
Pioneer Woman's Cold Coffee
From the Pioneer Woman's web site
Which she adapted from the Imbibe magazine, and I adapted a bit for myself....are you confused yet?!
1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast) (I used 1.5 cups)
8 quarts Cold Water (I used 4 cups)
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)
Note: Can Use Skim Milk, 2% Milk, Whole Milk, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Syrups...adapt To Your Liking
In a large container, mix the ground coffee and water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through strainer and allow the liquid to run through. Discard the grounds.
Place coffee in the fridge and allow to cool.
To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice. Fill 2/3 full with coffee liquid, add half and half (I used my morning creamer) and 2 - 3 Tbs. of sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead), and stir to combine. Taste and adjust cream and milk as needed. EnJoY!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday Aug. 9
I made one of our fav's for dinner tonight. It's super quick, easy, and totally yummy! The meat is a little expensive, but it lasts for at least 3 meals and freezes really well once it's cooked so you can use it later if you don't want to eat pork 2 days a week. It's also a crock pot recipe so you just throw it all in in the morning and eat when you get home. Thanks to one of my best friends, I also have more ideas for how to use it when it's cooked now, too. We had this for dinner Tuesday and will have it again Thursday. Then whatever is leftover I'll put into a large ziplock baggie and freeze until I'm ready for it again another night. So, without further ado... 
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Place the pork ribs in the crock pot. Add the beef broth and all of the seasonings.
Tonight I made BBQ sandwiches. I pulled out enough for 4 sandwiches and added some BBQ sauce. Thursday night I'll be making pulled pork tacos, I'll put that recipe up later this week (Thanks Heather!).
I served these with some baked beans. Nothing special, I just opened a large can of Bush's baked beans and warmed them in a pan. See, easy peesy! EnJoY!
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
I came up with this recipe on my own. I adapted from many different recipies that I found.
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
14 ounces beef broth
3 Tbs. Lowry's seasoning
2 Tbs.Carribean Jerk seasoning
2 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Tbs. onion powder
pinch of nutmegkosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Place the pork ribs in the crock pot. Add the beef broth and all of the seasonings.
I don't measure my seasonings, I just eyeball what I think looks good, so don't feel like you have to measure. If you want more or less of something, just go for it! This is my best guess as to what I do.
Cover and cook on high for 8 hours. (I cooked ours for 6 ours this time and they still turned out good, but I could still see some of the fat, I just ran out of time. I'd give them the full 8 hours if I were you, but 6 will work).
Drain the meat in a strainer. Put into a large bowl and shred using 2 forks.
I served these with some baked beans. Nothing special, I just opened a large can of Bush's baked beans and warmed them in a pan. See, easy peesy! EnJoY!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Monday Aug. 8
Today marked the beginning of our "busy season." Football practice started tonight and will continue 3 nights a week for the next however many weeks. I'm not complaining, I love seeing my little man so happy and doing what he loves to do. I love sitting outside in my folding chair while I'm occupying Miss Thang and sweating so much that when I stand up, it looks like I wet myself. And I love having to come up with dinners that I can throw together in 5 minutes and the kids will wolf down in record time and still have a semi-full belly by the end of practice and get some nutrition out of it. I love this time. I really do. But, it also leaves me sort of stumped as to what to make on nights like this while also adding some variation and intrest.
I am trying something new this season. I realize that we will only have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night where we won't be getting home, having a small snack, running out of the door for some sort of practice, only to return to have dinner, shower, and do to bed. I want to keep track of what I make, how well we like it, and if it was quick to make and just as quick to eat. Then maybe I'll have an arsenal of dinners I can refer to next season.
Tonight I made a salmon dinner. I thought that I am not a salmon fan, but y'all, this dinner changed my mind. I guess after all, I just might be. It was pretty quick, easy, and yummy. It's also a Rachael Ray dinner, so you can bet that it was quite a bit of clean up as well. But, heck, it was quick, easy, and yummy. AND my kids ate it pretty well and didn't complain. As a matter of fact, they told me....wait for it..........that dinner was good!
Lime-and-Honey Glazed Salmon with Warm Black Bean and Corn salad
Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats cookbook pg. 253 (that's number 288 of non-repeating recipies)
*Also, side note, it wasn't really "glazed" so that was a little dissappointing, but good none-the-less
4 Tbs. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 med. red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 to 1 tea. crushed red pepper flakes (I suppose you could leave them out, but I used 1/2 tsp. and couldn't
even tell they were in there)
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
3 Tbs. honey (3 globs since Rach doesn't actually measure)
1 tsp. chili powder
4 6-ounce salmon fillets (I bought 1 large one and cut it up myself)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 10-ounce box frozen corn kernels, defrosted (or cut the kernels off 4 fresh ears of corn, I did this with 3
ears and we had plenty and they were GREAT!)
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 Tbs. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (I didn't use them since I didn't want to waste the extra)
6 cups baby spinach
Preaheat a medium skillet over medium high heat with 2 Tbs. EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium skillet over med-high heat with remaining 2 Tbs. EVOO. In a pie plate, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the salmon fillets and toss to coat evenly. Add the salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through. (I cooked the non-skin side first, then the skin side. My fillets were really thick, this way I could burn the skin and not the fish. The fish will flake easily with a fork when it is cooked through and ready.)
To the cooked onions, add the bell peppers and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until they are heated through. Remove from heat and add the juice of the second lime, cilantro, and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and taste to adjust seasonings. Serve the salmon on top of the warm black bean and corn salad. EnJoY!
I am trying something new this season. I realize that we will only have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night where we won't be getting home, having a small snack, running out of the door for some sort of practice, only to return to have dinner, shower, and do to bed. I want to keep track of what I make, how well we like it, and if it was quick to make and just as quick to eat. Then maybe I'll have an arsenal of dinners I can refer to next season.
Tonight I made a salmon dinner. I thought that I am not a salmon fan, but y'all, this dinner changed my mind. I guess after all, I just might be. It was pretty quick, easy, and yummy. It's also a Rachael Ray dinner, so you can bet that it was quite a bit of clean up as well. But, heck, it was quick, easy, and yummy. AND my kids ate it pretty well and didn't complain. As a matter of fact, they told me....wait for it..........that dinner was good!
Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats cookbook pg. 253 (that's number 288 of non-repeating recipies)
*Also, side note, it wasn't really "glazed" so that was a little dissappointing, but good none-the-less
4 Tbs. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 med. red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 to 1 tea. crushed red pepper flakes (I suppose you could leave them out, but I used 1/2 tsp. and couldn't
even tell they were in there)
1 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
3 Tbs. honey (3 globs since Rach doesn't actually measure)
1 tsp. chili powder
4 6-ounce salmon fillets (I bought 1 large one and cut it up myself)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 10-ounce box frozen corn kernels, defrosted (or cut the kernels off 4 fresh ears of corn, I did this with 3
ears and we had plenty and they were GREAT!)
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 to 3 Tbs. fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (I didn't use them since I didn't want to waste the extra)
6 cups baby spinach
Preaheat a medium skillet over medium high heat with 2 Tbs. EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, preheat a medium skillet over med-high heat with remaining 2 Tbs. EVOO. In a pie plate, combine the juice of 1 lime, honey, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add the salmon fillets and toss to coat evenly. Add the salmon to the hot skillet and cook until just cooked through. (I cooked the non-skin side first, then the skin side. My fillets were really thick, this way I could burn the skin and not the fish. The fish will flake easily with a fork when it is cooked through and ready.)
To the cooked onions, add the bell peppers and corn kernels and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook until they are heated through. Remove from heat and add the juice of the second lime, cilantro, and spinach. Toss to wilt the spinach and taste to adjust seasonings. Serve the salmon on top of the warm black bean and corn salad. EnJoY!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Menu & Grocery List for Aug. 8 - 14
Yep, it's still summer, but our hectic life has begun this week. We start our first tackle football practices this week. No pads yet, just mainly conditioning so the boys can get used to being out in 107 degree heat. Yes, you read that right, our high temp today is 107. Don't be jealous, I know you are!
I digress...
Since we have practice 3 nights of practice this week and next, right after dinner time, I have to make dinners that are filling but won't slow him down AND that will warm up well since big daddy won't be home for dinner and has to eat after practice. Here's what I've come up with.
Menu:
Monday: Breakfast- donuts
Lunch- leftovers
Snack- apples with peanut butter
Dinner- Lime and Honey glazed salmon with warm black bean and corn salad (from last week
that never got eaten)
Tuesday: Breakfast- Apple Raisin muffins
Lunch- Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with fruit
Snack- yogurt
Dinner- Crock Pot Pulled Pork sandwiches with baked beans
Wednesday: Breakfast- Eggs and toast
Lunch- Spaghetti O's with yogurt
Snack- cupcakes; out
Dinner- Salad, Lasagna, garlic bread, lemon blossoms
Thursday: Breakfast- Apple Raisin muffins (the rest from Tuesday)
Lunch- Cornbread dog muffins
Snack- fruit
Dinner- Pulled pork tacos
Friday: Breakfast- cereal and fruit
Lunch- out
Snack- popcorn
Dinner- Chicken spaghetti
Saturday: Breakfast- breakfast tacos
Dinner- Chicken marsala
Sunday: Breakfast- cereal
Grocery List:
6 red apples (Fuji is my choice)
garlic
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 red onion
1 sweet onion
1 lemon
2 limes
cilantro
bag of salad
6 cups baby spinach
4 ears of corn on the cob
8 ounces crimini mushrooms
1 cut up fryer chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
24 ounces salmon fillets
hotdogs
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
4 ounces proscuitto
1 pound hamburger meat
bread
hamburger buns
soft tortilla shells
tortilla chips
4 ounces diced pimentos
12 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces tomato sauce
14.5 ounces stewed tomatoes
lasagna noodles
peanut butter
baked beans
spaghetti O's
spaghetti
11 ounces whole kernel corn
15 ounces black beans
14 ounces beef broth
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Marsala cooking wine
vanilla extract
honey
Lowry's seasoning
Carribean jerk seasoning
red pepper flakes
ground cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
onion powder
dried oregano
dried parsley flakes
Italian seasoning
Worcestershire
cinnamon
nutmeg
raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is our pick)
veggi oil
18.5 ounce yellow cake mix
3.5 ounce instant lemon pudding mix
baking soda
flour
powder sugar
sugar
brown sugar
cottage cheese
motzerella cheese
eggs
milk
lemon juice
garlic bread
Here is my list. I didn't buy everything on this list. A lot of this is in your pantry. Just print this list off and cross off what you already have. Then you are ready to roll for the week. EnJoY!
I digress...
Since we have practice 3 nights of practice this week and next, right after dinner time, I have to make dinners that are filling but won't slow him down AND that will warm up well since big daddy won't be home for dinner and has to eat after practice. Here's what I've come up with.
Menu:
Monday: Breakfast- donuts
Lunch- leftovers
Snack- apples with peanut butter
Dinner- Lime and Honey glazed salmon with warm black bean and corn salad (from last week
that never got eaten)
Tuesday: Breakfast- Apple Raisin muffins
Lunch- Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches with fruit
Snack- yogurt
Dinner- Crock Pot Pulled Pork sandwiches with baked beans
Wednesday: Breakfast- Eggs and toast
Lunch- Spaghetti O's with yogurt
Snack- cupcakes; out
Dinner- Salad, Lasagna, garlic bread, lemon blossoms
Thursday: Breakfast- Apple Raisin muffins (the rest from Tuesday)
Lunch- Cornbread dog muffins
Snack- fruit
Dinner- Pulled pork tacos
Friday: Breakfast- cereal and fruit
Lunch- out
Snack- popcorn
Dinner- Chicken spaghetti
Saturday: Breakfast- breakfast tacos
Dinner- Chicken marsala
Sunday: Breakfast- cereal
Grocery List:
6 red apples (Fuji is my choice)
garlic
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 red onion
1 sweet onion
1 lemon
2 limes
cilantro
bag of salad
6 cups baby spinach
4 ears of corn on the cob
8 ounces crimini mushrooms
1 cut up fryer chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
24 ounces salmon fillets
hotdogs
3 pounds boneless pork ribs
4 ounces proscuitto
1 pound hamburger meat
bread
hamburger buns
soft tortilla shells
tortilla chips
4 ounces diced pimentos
12 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces tomato sauce
14.5 ounces stewed tomatoes
lasagna noodles
peanut butter
baked beans
spaghetti O's
spaghetti
11 ounces whole kernel corn
15 ounces black beans
14 ounces beef broth
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
Marsala cooking wine
vanilla extract
honey
Lowry's seasoning
Carribean jerk seasoning
red pepper flakes
ground cumin
chili powder
garlic powder
onion powder
dried oregano
dried parsley flakes
Italian seasoning
Worcestershire
cinnamon
nutmeg
raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is our pick)
veggi oil
18.5 ounce yellow cake mix
3.5 ounce instant lemon pudding mix
baking soda
flour
powder sugar
sugar
brown sugar
cottage cheese
motzerella cheese
eggs
milk
lemon juice
garlic bread
Here is my list. I didn't buy everything on this list. A lot of this is in your pantry. Just print this list off and cross off what you already have. Then you are ready to roll for the week. EnJoY!
Friday Aug. 5th
Side note: I just re-read this and realized I wrote 'sittin' totally meaning to post like this. I guess I truly am becoming a Texas girl!
We have a 4 burner gas grill with infred heating. But we did the jalapenos Saturday night on a charcoal grill and they were just as amazing. I would eventually like to get a small charcoal grill that we can use when we have more time to cook out. But I do love our gas grill for weekday grilling.
Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Couple of things, we didn't get pictures of these either of the nights we made them because they dissappeared before the camera could come out!
Also, I didn't follow a recipe, I just put in what I thought sounded good.
10 jalapeno peppers
1 block cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1 package thick sliced bacon
5 wooden skewers, or 10 wooden toothpicks, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
For the jalapeno's, make a small slice down the side of them going from the top to the end. Be careful not to cut them apart. Using a small spoon or small measuring spoon (I used a 1/8 tsp. for this) scoop out the seeds and white membranes. You may want to use some gloves or wear glasses so that you don't have to take out your contacts later. It hurts....I'm just sayin'.
Mix the cream cheese, shredded cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
Using a spoon, carefully fill each pepper with the cheese mixture. Using 1 piece of bacon per pepper, wrap the bacon around the pepper. Skewer each pepper with the skewers or tooth picks. I used skewers and put 2 jalapeno's per skewer.
Heat your grill to medium heat. Grill the peppers until the bacon is crispy. We ended up moving the peppers onto some foil on the top rack so the bacon didn't burn but got a bit more crispy and the cheese really melted.
When we used the charcoal grill we kept them off to the side (not directly over the coals). It took longer to cook them, but the peppers were a lot softer and had a great grill taste. Either way, you can't go wrong.
EnJoy!
The Best of fine Cooking Grilling 2011 magazine pg. 27
For the butter (make early in the day so it firms up) (also, I halved this recipe since we didn't need this much)
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
2 shallots, thinly sliced (about 2/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
In a small skillet, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Cool.
In a medium bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat the remaining butter until soft and creamy. Add the shallots and garlic, Roquefort, thyme, and vinegar to the butter and mix with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper.
Form into a log and wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate. Can freeze for up to 2 months.
For the rib-eyes
2 Tbs. fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs. evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
2 boneless rib-eye steaks (or as many as your family will eat)
1 Tbs. kosher salt
Heat the grill to medium high heat. Combine the pepper, thyme, and oil in a small bowl. Rub on the steaks. Sprinkle steaks with salt on both sides. Grill the steaks on one side for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn steaks and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to plates and let rest for 3 or 4 minutes. Serve with gererous amounts of butter on each steak. EnJoY!
Grilled Corn on the Cob with lime-cayenne butter
The Best of fine Cooking Magazine 2011 pg. 84
1/4 lb. unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
Corn on the Cob (as many as your family will eat)
Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Stir in the lime juice, salt, and cayenne. Keep warm.
Peel off all but one or two layers of the corn husk. Pull the remaining husks down, but not off. Remove the bulk of the silks (the rest will come off easily after they char). Pull up the husks, it's ok if some kernels poke through.
Heat grill to high heat. Place the corn on the grate and cover grill. Grill, turning often, until the outer layer of the husk is completely chared, 5 to 10 minutes. You can push the corn to a cooler spot if your grilled other things now.
Just before serving, peel off the husk and brush away any remaining silks. Brown the kernels on the grill briefly, turning frequently, about 1 minute. Brush with warm cayenne butter and serve immediately. EnJoY!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Thursday August 4th
We made a new Paula recipe. It was so good! The flavoring was great and somehow I was able to cook it perfectly so it was jucy. And the green beans were really tasty.
Well, we went off of the menu today also. So, here it is...
Breakfast:zucchini bread ok, I lied, we did eat zucchini bread
Lunch:pigs in a blanket packed pb&j's for Schlitterbahn
Snack:homemade ice cream snow cones from Ducky's
Dinner: pan fried chicken and green beans
Zucchini bread:
I ate the bread that we had Tuesday. Just slice off what you want and warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then smear it with butter and EnJoY!
Lunch: we ended up going to Schlitterbahn for the day so I packed some pb&j sammies to eat there.
Snack: what else is better than some Ducky's snow cones on a 111 degree day? NOTHING!!!!!
OK now for dinner!
Pan Fried Chicken:
Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-Box set Pg. 120
2 Tbs. butter
Chicken cutlets (as many as you'll need)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. canola oil
Melt 1 Tbs. of butter in a small glass bowl in the microwave (I use pie plates when breading chicken). Rince the chicken and pat it dry (I don't understand this step, but my chicken tasted so good, I might start this every time I make chicken now!). Combine the bread crumbs and the cheese in another pie plate. Swipe the chicken throught the butter, then roll it in the bread crumb mixture.
Put the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the oil in a skillet and heat to medium. When the butter is melted, mix it and the oil together. Put the chicken in the pan and pan-fry about 3 minutes on each side, until the chicken is brown and crusty and cooked through. EnJoY!
Green Beans
Paula Deen's cookbook for the lunch-box set Pg. 122
2 pounds green beans
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. house seasoning (recipe to following)
1 Tbs. bacon greast (optional, I didn't use this and got in trouble, I'll be using it from now on)
Snap the ends off the beans. Wash them and drain in a colander. Place in a medium bowl and cover with broth. Add the house seasoning and bacon grease, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes. EnJoY!
House Seasoning
Paula Deen's cookbook for the lunch-box set Pg. 124
1 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Combine in a bowl or baggie. Awsome seasoning!
Well, we went off of the menu today also. So, here it is...
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner: pan fried chicken and green beans
Zucchini bread:
I ate the bread that we had Tuesday. Just slice off what you want and warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then smear it with butter and EnJoY!
Lunch: we ended up going to Schlitterbahn for the day so I packed some pb&j sammies to eat there.
Snack: what else is better than some Ducky's snow cones on a 111 degree day? NOTHING!!!!!
OK now for dinner!
Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch-Box set Pg. 120
2 Tbs. butter
Chicken cutlets (as many as you'll need)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. canola oil
Melt 1 Tbs. of butter in a small glass bowl in the microwave (I use pie plates when breading chicken). Rince the chicken and pat it dry (I don't understand this step, but my chicken tasted so good, I might start this every time I make chicken now!). Combine the bread crumbs and the cheese in another pie plate. Swipe the chicken throught the butter, then roll it in the bread crumb mixture.
Put the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the oil in a skillet and heat to medium. When the butter is melted, mix it and the oil together. Put the chicken in the pan and pan-fry about 3 minutes on each side, until the chicken is brown and crusty and cooked through. EnJoY!
Green Beans
Paula Deen's cookbook for the lunch-box set Pg. 122
2 pounds green beans
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. house seasoning (recipe to following)
1 Tbs. bacon greast (optional, I didn't use this and got in trouble, I'll be using it from now on)
Snap the ends off the beans. Wash them and drain in a colander. Place in a medium bowl and cover with broth. Add the house seasoning and bacon grease, if using. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes. EnJoY!
House Seasoning
Paula Deen's cookbook for the lunch-box set Pg. 124
1 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Combine in a bowl or baggie. Awsome seasoning!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday August 3rd
Well, we didn't really stick to the menu at all today, except for dinner.
Breakfast:Breakfast tacos cereal
Lunch:grilled cheese with spaghetti O's Chick-fil-a
Snack: Chocolate Monkey Shake late lunch so no snack today
Dinner: Spaghetti with homemade venison sauce and garlic bread
See, what'd I tell ya?! We stuck to nothing but the dinner! It was good though. And I know that I've shared this recipe on here a few times before, but I made it a tad bit different on here, so I'll repost again.
Also, if you've noticed, I do a lot of recipies out of Paula Deen's cookbook Paula Deen and Friends Living it up Southern Style. This is probably one of my favortie cookbooks. If you don't have it, I highly reccomend you go out and get it. I was given this cookbook about 3 years ago from some great friends in Houston. They were our neighbors and unfortunatly we just lost one of them. But everytime I cook from this book I get to think of him and the great times we all had together. It's amazing what therapy a little cooking can do for a person. And now I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to make some Lemon Blossoms.
Sorry...moving on....
Alice Jo's Spaghetti Sauce
Paula Deen Family and Friends Living it up, Southern Style Pg. 177
1 1/2 pounds hamburger (I used 1 pound venison sausage...we had it and it needed to be used)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic- chopped
12 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces tomato sauce
14.5 ounces stewed tomatoes
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
splash of good red wine
Brown meat in a large pot. Drain fat. Add the onions, green pepper, and garlic. Saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and seasonings. I just happened to be drinking a glass of wine while making dinner, and decided to "pour some for my homies" right on into the pot. The recipe calls for 1 cup water, I figured the wine could be used in place of the water. It really added a depth to the sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Boil another pot of water. Add the spaghetti and boil 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is done. Drain.
For the bread, I bought a garlic bread from the bakery and followed the directions on the bag. It just looked really good and I figured it'd be good to give it a try. It was ok, but I think I'll stick to making my own from now on.
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner: Spaghetti with homemade venison sauce and garlic bread
See, what'd I tell ya?! We stuck to nothing but the dinner! It was good though. And I know that I've shared this recipe on here a few times before, but I made it a tad bit different on here, so I'll repost again.
Also, if you've noticed, I do a lot of recipies out of Paula Deen's cookbook Paula Deen and Friends Living it up Southern Style. This is probably one of my favortie cookbooks. If you don't have it, I highly reccomend you go out and get it. I was given this cookbook about 3 years ago from some great friends in Houston. They were our neighbors and unfortunatly we just lost one of them. But everytime I cook from this book I get to think of him and the great times we all had together. It's amazing what therapy a little cooking can do for a person. And now I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to make some Lemon Blossoms.
Sorry...moving on....
Alice Jo's Spaghetti Sauce
Paula Deen Family and Friends Living it up, Southern Style Pg. 177
1 1/2 pounds hamburger (I used 1 pound venison sausage...we had it and it needed to be used)
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic- chopped
12 ounces tomato paste
8 ounces tomato sauce
14.5 ounces stewed tomatoes
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
splash of good red wine
Brown meat in a large pot. Drain fat. Add the onions, green pepper, and garlic. Saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, and seasonings. I just happened to be drinking a glass of wine while making dinner, and decided to "pour some for my homies" right on into the pot. The recipe calls for 1 cup water, I figured the wine could be used in place of the water. It really added a depth to the sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Boil another pot of water. Add the spaghetti and boil 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is done. Drain.
For the bread, I bought a garlic bread from the bakery and followed the directions on the bag. It just looked really good and I figured it'd be good to give it a try. It was ok, but I think I'll stick to making my own from now on.
Place the pasta on a place and spoon some sauce on top. Add a slice of bread and EnJoY!
* Just a little note, I HONESTLY could NOT tell the difference in the meat in the sauce. It tasted just a good with venison as it does with hamburger. The only difference I noticed was that the venison did not get as small as the hamburger does when I browned it. I like to get my hamburger small when browning, and I just couldn't get this into small chunks. But it was good nonetheless.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday Aug. 2nd
I have a breakfast and lunch recipe to share today, but no dinner recipe. We had a funeral visitation to attend this evening, so we went out for dinner. In leu of our no dinner to share, I have some that we've made and never made it onto the blog. So I'll pick one and share it tonight. You're welcome!
Breakfast: Zucchini bread (I actually made this a while ago. I made a couple of loaves and froze one. I just thawed this in the fridge the day before)
Lunch: Chicken ceasar wraps with fruit (I had leftover pasta salad from Monday night)
Snack: from the gas station on the road
Dinner: out, but I'll feature Tasty Marinated Chicken with scalloped potatoes
Dessert: Lime Chiffon Pie, Oh My!
Zucchini Bread
I got this from a mom in my MOPS group in Houston, not sure where she got it from
3 eggs
1 c. veg. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. grated zucchini
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon (or 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. cloves from a spicer bread)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (I didn't use these, we don't like nuts in our bread)
Beat eggs; add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add zucchini and remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes. Start testing doneness at 60 min, then every 5 min. after. EnJoY!
This freezes well. Just let cool, wrap in Saran wrap then foil. Freeze. Thaw in fridge 1 day before eating.
This bread supprised me when I made it. You can NOT taste the zucchini (great for kids and getting them to eat more veggies) and it was red when I cut into it because of all of the cinnamon. It tastes GREAT!
Chicken Ceasar Wrap
Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch Box Set (kids cookbook) Page 88
Sorry, no pic of this today
1 c. chopped romaine lettuce (I used iceburg lettuce since that's what I had)
1 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 c. Ceasar salad dressing
3 tomato or spinach wraps (or as many as you'll need) (I actually used tortilla wraps, it's what I had!)
In a small bowl, combine the lettuce, chicken breast, Parm cheese, and dressing. Place the chicken salad mixture in the center of the wrap. Fold up each of the wrap, then roll up tightly. EnJoY!
This was a good wrap. My kids ate it very quickly and really enjoyed it.
Tasty Marinated Chicken
I got this recipe from a Freezer Group member that I was in, in Houston. Not sure where she got it from.
This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good! Great flavor!
The ingredients for this is NOT in the grocery list for this week since it wasn't on the menu. Sorry!
Moving on, Ingredients:
2/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbs. liquid smoke
2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
In a gallon size baggie, combine olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk. Place chicken in the baggie and coat. Zip the baggie and place in a bowl and refridgerate for at least 24 hours. Preheat grill. Discard the marinate and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Goes great with brown rice or acorn squash. I made a box of scalloped potatoes. I just followed the directions on the box. EnJoY!
Lime Chiffon Pie
this is on a recipe card and all I know is that I got it out of a Kraft magazine 3 years ago.
Also, if you know me during the summer, then you've probably had this. It is my FAVORITE summer dessert. Light, fluffy and refreshing! TRY THIS!!!!!
2/3 c. boiling water
1 pkg. (4 servings) lime Jell-O
ice cubes
1/2 c. cold water
1 1/2 tsp. grated lime peel (I don't usually use this since I don't always have limes)
2 Tbs. lime juice
small carton thawed Cool Whip
1 grahm cracker crumb crust (just buy one, it's so much easier!)
Stir boiling water into Jell-O in a large bowl at least 2 minutes (make sure you do this!) until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to the cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to Jell-O, stir until ice is completely melted. Stir in lime peel and juice. Add Cool Whip, stir with a whisk until well blended (I use the whisk the entire time I'm making this). Refridgerate 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is very think and will mound. Spoon into crust. Refridgerate at least 4 hours or overnight. EnJoY!
Breakfast: Zucchini bread (I actually made this a while ago. I made a couple of loaves and froze one. I just thawed this in the fridge the day before)
Lunch: Chicken ceasar wraps with fruit (I had leftover pasta salad from Monday night)
Snack: from the gas station on the road
Dinner: out, but I'll feature Tasty Marinated Chicken with scalloped potatoes
Dessert: Lime Chiffon Pie, Oh My!
Zucchini Bread
I got this from a mom in my MOPS group in Houston, not sure where she got it from
1 c. veg. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. grated zucchini
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon (or 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. cloves from a spicer bread)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (I didn't use these, we don't like nuts in our bread)
Beat eggs; add oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add zucchini and remaining ingredients. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 to 75 minutes. Start testing doneness at 60 min, then every 5 min. after. EnJoY!
This freezes well. Just let cool, wrap in Saran wrap then foil. Freeze. Thaw in fridge 1 day before eating.
This bread supprised me when I made it. You can NOT taste the zucchini (great for kids and getting them to eat more veggies) and it was red when I cut into it because of all of the cinnamon. It tastes GREAT!
Chicken Ceasar Wrap
Paula Deen's Cookbook for the Lunch Box Set (kids cookbook) Page 88
Sorry, no pic of this today
1 c. chopped romaine lettuce (I used iceburg lettuce since that's what I had)
1 c. chopped cooked chicken breast
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 c. Ceasar salad dressing
3 tomato or spinach wraps (or as many as you'll need) (I actually used tortilla wraps, it's what I had!)
In a small bowl, combine the lettuce, chicken breast, Parm cheese, and dressing. Place the chicken salad mixture in the center of the wrap. Fold up each of the wrap, then roll up tightly. EnJoY!
This was a good wrap. My kids ate it very quickly and really enjoyed it.
Tasty Marinated Chicken
I got this recipe from a Freezer Group member that I was in, in Houston. Not sure where she got it from.
This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good! Great flavor!
The ingredients for this is NOT in the grocery list for this week since it wasn't on the menu. Sorry!
Moving on, Ingredients:
2/3 c. olive oil
2/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbs. liquid smoke
2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
In a gallon size baggie, combine olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder. Whisk. Place chicken in the baggie and coat. Zip the baggie and place in a bowl and refridgerate for at least 24 hours. Preheat grill. Discard the marinate and place chicken on grate. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Goes great with brown rice or acorn squash. I made a box of scalloped potatoes. I just followed the directions on the box. EnJoY!
Lime Chiffon Pie
this is on a recipe card and all I know is that I got it out of a Kraft magazine 3 years ago.
Also, if you know me during the summer, then you've probably had this. It is my FAVORITE summer dessert. Light, fluffy and refreshing! TRY THIS!!!!!
1 pkg. (4 servings) lime Jell-O
ice cubes
1/2 c. cold water
1 1/2 tsp. grated lime peel (I don't usually use this since I don't always have limes)
2 Tbs. lime juice
small carton thawed Cool Whip
1 grahm cracker crumb crust (just buy one, it's so much easier!)
Stir boiling water into Jell-O in a large bowl at least 2 minutes (make sure you do this!) until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to the cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to Jell-O, stir until ice is completely melted. Stir in lime peel and juice. Add Cool Whip, stir with a whisk until well blended (I use the whisk the entire time I'm making this). Refridgerate 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is very think and will mound. Spoon into crust. Refridgerate at least 4 hours or overnight. EnJoY!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday Aug. 1st!
Wow! I can't believe that it's already August. We'll be planning school menus very very soon. BUT, today we had a day at home. Monday, for us, is grocery and errand day and clean the house day.
Breakfast: donuts
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: fruit & yogurt
Dinner: BBQ pork chops and Pizza pasta salad
For breakfast we went to Shipley's for donuts. YUM!
Lunch was leftovers. I used to have leftovers Friday's, but realized that I always have a fridge full on Monday's so I moved it to Monday.
We ended up eating lunch late, so we didn't have fruit for a snack.
Dinner was so good! I ended up making the pasta salad a bit different from the recipe. I didn't want it to be pizza-y, so I turned it into a tom, motz, basil pasta salad and it turned out wonderful! Here's the recipies:
BBQ pork chops:
I didn't use a recipe, just grilled them
3 pork chops (or however many your family will eat)
Lowry's seasoning salt
KC Masterpiece steak seasoning
Garlic powder
Season both sides of the chops. Heat the grill on high and heat up. We have a 4 burner gas grill and I turned off the 2 side burners and the 2 middle to low. Grill them about 3 to 4 min per side. (I over grilled mine so they were a bit dry, but still really good)
Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad:
Rachael Ray 2 30 minute meals Pg. 29
Salad:
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
8 fresh white button mushrooms, sliced (I didn't use these)
1 small green (or red) bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stick pepperoni, casing removed and diced (I didn't use, but got an ear-full that I should have, so I will next
time)
1 pound fresh mozzerella cheese, diced
20 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 pound wagon wheel pasta, cooked al dente, cooled under cold water, then drained (I used tricolor
corkscrew pasta)
Dressing:
1 tea. garlic salt
1 tea. dried oregano leaves
1 rounded Tbs. tomato paste (I didn't use this since I didn't want it to be pizza-y)
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar (I went a bit over since I didn't use the tom paste)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (again, I went a bit over)
fresh ground black pepper and some salt
Combine tomatoes, onion, mushrooms (if using), bell pepper, pepperoni, mozzerella, basil, and pasta in a big bowl. Whisk garlic salt, oregano, tomato paste (if using), and vinegar together. Stream in olive oil while continuing to whisk. When oil is incorporated, pour dressing over pasta, add a few grinds of pepper, then toss to evenly coat. This is soooo good!
EnJoY!
Breakfast: donuts
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: fruit & yogurt
Dinner: BBQ pork chops and Pizza pasta salad
For breakfast we went to Shipley's for donuts. YUM!
Lunch was leftovers. I used to have leftovers Friday's, but realized that I always have a fridge full on Monday's so I moved it to Monday.
We ended up eating lunch late, so we didn't have fruit for a snack.
Dinner was so good! I ended up making the pasta salad a bit different from the recipe. I didn't want it to be pizza-y, so I turned it into a tom, motz, basil pasta salad and it turned out wonderful! Here's the recipies:
BBQ pork chops:
I didn't use a recipe, just grilled them
3 pork chops (or however many your family will eat)
Lowry's seasoning salt
KC Masterpiece steak seasoning
Garlic powder
Season both sides of the chops. Heat the grill on high and heat up. We have a 4 burner gas grill and I turned off the 2 side burners and the 2 middle to low. Grill them about 3 to 4 min per side. (I over grilled mine so they were a bit dry, but still really good)
Rachael Ray 2 30 minute meals Pg. 29
Salad:
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
8 fresh white button mushrooms, sliced (I didn't use these)
1 small green (or red) bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stick pepperoni, casing removed and diced (I didn't use, but got an ear-full that I should have, so I will next
time)
1 pound fresh mozzerella cheese, diced
20 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 pound wagon wheel pasta, cooked al dente, cooled under cold water, then drained (I used tricolor
corkscrew pasta)
Dressing:
1 tea. garlic salt
1 tea. dried oregano leaves
1 rounded Tbs. tomato paste (I didn't use this since I didn't want it to be pizza-y)
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar (I went a bit over since I didn't use the tom paste)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (again, I went a bit over)
fresh ground black pepper and some salt
Combine tomatoes, onion, mushrooms (if using), bell pepper, pepperoni, mozzerella, basil, and pasta in a big bowl. Whisk garlic salt, oregano, tomato paste (if using), and vinegar together. Stream in olive oil while continuing to whisk. When oil is incorporated, pour dressing over pasta, add a few grinds of pepper, then toss to evenly coat. This is soooo good!
EnJoY!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Menu & List for Aug. 1 - 7
I've had some trouble getting back into the blogging swing of things and posting the past couple of weeks. Sorry. I do have some great recipies that I've made over the last few weeks that I'll share off and on over the next few days. But for this week I have some yummy recipies to do. So without further ado (or is it adu or am I totally off and not even close?!)
Menu:
Monday- Breakfast: donuts
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: fruit & yogurt
Dinner: BBQ pork chops and Pizza pasta salad
Tuesday- Breakfast: Zucchini bread
Lunch: Chicken ceasar wraps
Snack: granola bars
Dinner: out
Wednesday- Breakfast: Breakfast Tacos
Lunch: Grilled cheeses with spaghetti O's
Snack: chocolate monkey smoothie
Dinner: Spaghetti with homemade venison sauce
Thursday- Breakfast: Zucchini bread
Lunch: Pigs in a Blanket
Snack: homemade ice cream
Dinner: Pan fried chicken with green beans
Friday- Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: out
Snack: cupcakes
Dinner: grilled jalapeno peppers, some kind of grilled meat, grilled corn on the cob with lime
cayenne butter
Saturday- Dinner: with friends
Sunday- Dinner: Lime and honey glazed salmon with warm black bean and corn salad
GROCERY LIST:
2 plum tomatoes
pineapple
bananas
head of lettuce
6 cups baby spinach
1 pound green beans
2 zucchini
9 ears of corn
3 limes
cliantro
1 red onion
onion
head of garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
basil
block cheddar cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup paremsan cheese
1 pound fresh motzerella
seasoned bread crumbs
1 pound wagon wheel pasta
12 ounces tomato paste
16 ounces tomato sauce
29 ounces stewed tomatoes
salsa
Worcestershire sauce
sugar
flour
baking soda
baking powder
honey
vanilla extract
cinnamon
garlic salt
oregano
cayenne
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes
red wine vinegar
olive oil
chicken stock
15 ounces black beans
cesar salad dressing
peanut butter
bread
soft tortillas
spinach or tomato wraps
eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound salmon fillet
1 1/2 pounds hamburger meat (I'm using venison meat)
pepperoni
bacon
2 chicken breasts
8 chicken cutletts
3/4 pound lunch meat
So this is the list. I don't have any meat for Friday yet. We just haven't decided what we want to do yet. But I know we'll be grilling it and we'll choose it Friday. So I'll have to let you know Friday when we decide. Check back for Monday's dinner. It's a good'n.
EnJoY!
Menu:
Monday- Breakfast: donuts
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: fruit & yogurt
Dinner: BBQ pork chops and Pizza pasta salad
Tuesday- Breakfast: Zucchini bread
Lunch: Chicken ceasar wraps
Snack: granola bars
Dinner: out
Wednesday- Breakfast: Breakfast Tacos
Lunch: Grilled cheeses with spaghetti O's
Snack: chocolate monkey smoothie
Dinner: Spaghetti with homemade venison sauce
Thursday- Breakfast: Zucchini bread
Lunch: Pigs in a Blanket
Snack: homemade ice cream
Dinner: Pan fried chicken with green beans
Friday- Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: out
Snack: cupcakes
Dinner: grilled jalapeno peppers, some kind of grilled meat, grilled corn on the cob with lime
cayenne butter
Saturday- Dinner: with friends
Sunday- Dinner: Lime and honey glazed salmon with warm black bean and corn salad
GROCERY LIST:
2 plum tomatoes
pineapple
bananas
head of lettuce
6 cups baby spinach
1 pound green beans
2 zucchini
9 ears of corn
3 limes
cliantro
1 red onion
onion
head of garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
basil
block cheddar cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup paremsan cheese
1 pound fresh motzerella
seasoned bread crumbs
1 pound wagon wheel pasta
12 ounces tomato paste
16 ounces tomato sauce
29 ounces stewed tomatoes
salsa
Worcestershire sauce
sugar
flour
baking soda
baking powder
honey
vanilla extract
cinnamon
garlic salt
oregano
cayenne
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes
red wine vinegar
olive oil
chicken stock
15 ounces black beans
cesar salad dressing
peanut butter
bread
soft tortillas
spinach or tomato wraps
eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
8 ounces cream cheese
1 pound salmon fillet
1 1/2 pounds hamburger meat (I'm using venison meat)
pepperoni
bacon
2 chicken breasts
8 chicken cutletts
3/4 pound lunch meat
So this is the list. I don't have any meat for Friday yet. We just haven't decided what we want to do yet. But I know we'll be grilling it and we'll choose it Friday. So I'll have to let you know Friday when we decide. Check back for Monday's dinner. It's a good'n.
EnJoY!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, July 19
It's Tuesday. I have a wonderful menu planned for today. For breakfast we had Monkey Bread Rolls, McD's for lunch, no snack, and Pork tenderloin with AWSOME biscuits, and corn. So, if you don't try anything else on this blog that I've made, you HAVE to try today's menu! I told my kiddos tonight, that I'm pretty sure this is my most favorite meal and I have to include breakfast in that.
Remember TRY THIS!!!
Monkey Bread Rolls
Better Homes and Gardens New Jr Cookbook Pg. 22
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 Tbs. syrup
The night before, grease a baking sheet with shortening. Place frozen rolls about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge overnight to let dough thaw and begin to rise.
Generously grease 12 muffin cups with shortening. Divide the pecans evenly among the muffin cups. Save for a later step.
*This marinates, so make sure to start it the night before.
1 pork tenderloin (2 to 2.5 pounds)
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. dry red wine
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 green onions, chopped, white and green parts
In a large resealable baggie, place all of the marinade ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the pork tenderloin. Seal the bag and put into a bowl. Marinate overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the outdoor grill, or the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and pat dry (I actually didn't do this). Reserve the marinade in a small sauce pan. Grill the meat for about 35 to 40 minutes or put into a greased casserole dish and cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into 2 inch pieces.
While the meat is cooking, gently simmer the reserved marinade until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, stirring occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece.
Garlic Cheese Biscuits
Paula Deen and Friends Living It Up, Southern Style pg. 19
*If you like Red Lobster's rolls, you'll love these, they are just like 'em!
1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I used garlic salt, and used about 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. salt (I didn't use this since I used garlic salt)
1/8 tsp. dried parsley flakes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (don't forget this! It's important!)
Combine the Bisquick and cheese in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until combined. The dough will be slightly moist. Drop the dough by the tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until firm and beginning to brown.
While the biscuits are baking, make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic salt and parsley flakes. Mix well.
As soon as you take the biscuits from the oven, brush them with garlic butter. EnJoY!
Corn
this is ALL mine!
Fill a glass, microwave safe, bowl with lid with enough frozen corn for your family. (I use about 3 cups) Put about 2 Tbs. margarine on top and add salt and pepper. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, stir and microwave another 3 minutes. EnJoY!
Remember TRY THIS!!!
Monkey Bread Rolls
Better Homes and Gardens New Jr Cookbook Pg. 22
*Start this the night before you want to have them.
**Leave 45 minutes the morning you're eating it to finish it.
***Also, this would make a FANTASTIC Christmas morning breakfast!!!!
1/2 of a 34.5 ounce package frozen cinnamon dough (6 rolls)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 Tbs. syrup
The night before, grease a baking sheet with shortening. Place frozen rolls about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge overnight to let dough thaw and begin to rise.
Generously grease 12 muffin cups with shortening. Divide the pecans evenly among the muffin cups. Save for a later step.
Turn on oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds or until butter is melted. Put sugar in another small bowl.
Use some kitchen scissors to cut each roll in four pieces. Dip each piece into melted butter, then roll in sugar. Place two dough pieces in each muffin cup. Drizzle with remaining melted butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar.
In a small bowl combine ice cream topping and syrup, drizzle over top of rolls. Place muffin tin in a large shallow baking pan.
Put pan in oven. Bake 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Cool 1 minute. Serve warm. EnJoY!
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Paula Deen and Friends Living It Up, Southern Style Pg. 16
1 pork tenderloin (2 to 2.5 pounds)
Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. dry red wine
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 green onions, chopped, white and green parts
In a large resealable baggie, place all of the marinade ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the pork tenderloin. Seal the bag and put into a bowl. Marinate overnight in the fridge.
Preheat the outdoor grill, or the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the tenderloin from the marinade and pat dry (I actually didn't do this). Reserve the marinade in a small sauce pan. Grill the meat for about 35 to 40 minutes or put into a greased casserole dish and cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into 2 inch pieces.
While the meat is cooking, gently simmer the reserved marinade until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons, stirring occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece.
Garlic Cheese Biscuits
Paula Deen and Friends Living It Up, Southern Style pg. 19
*If you like Red Lobster's rolls, you'll love these, they are just like 'em!
1 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I used garlic salt, and used about 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. salt (I didn't use this since I used garlic salt)
1/8 tsp. dried parsley flakes
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (don't forget this! It's important!)
Combine the Bisquick and cheese in a small bowl. Add the water and stir until combined. The dough will be slightly moist. Drop the dough by the tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until firm and beginning to brown.
While the biscuits are baking, make the garlic butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic salt and parsley flakes. Mix well.
As soon as you take the biscuits from the oven, brush them with garlic butter. EnJoY!
Corn
this is ALL mine!
Fill a glass, microwave safe, bowl with lid with enough frozen corn for your family. (I use about 3 cups) Put about 2 Tbs. margarine on top and add salt and pepper. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes, stir and microwave another 3 minutes. EnJoY!
Monday July 18th
Monday started the week with VBS in the morning for us. This meant that we headed to Shipley's for donuts. If you don't have a Shipley's, then I'm sorry for you and you'll have to make due with what you have :) For lunch we came home and had some very yummy grilled cheese sandwiches, or cheese toasties as some of you may call them. We had some fruit to go with it, plums and nectarines. Our snack for the day were some fruit snacks. Nothing too exciting, but yummy nonetheless.
My hubby has been craving some Rice Krispy Treats and I knew dinner needed to be started, so into the kitchen I headed. I made the RKT's just like the box said to (I'll post in a bit), then I got the rolls ready for the morning, the tenderloin marinating for Tuesday night's dinner, and started on tonight's dinner. Here are the recipies for the Rice Krispy Treats and the Chicken Divan that was divine!
Rice Krispy Treats (as is on the box)
Melt 3 Tbs butter and 1 bag of large marshmallows in a large pot. When melted, remove from heat, and stir in 6 cups Rice Krispy's. Spread out in pan. EnJoY!
Chicken Divan
from Paula Deen's book Paul Deen and Friends Living It Up, Southern Style Pg. 68
I halved this recipe for my family, I'll list what is in the book
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli
6 chicken breast halves (about 4 lbs) cooked, boned, & shredded
2 10 1/4 oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tea. curry powder
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I didn't have any open, but had a glass of red by me, so I used that instead :)
1/2 cup Paremsan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbs. butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open one end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken.
In a medium bowl, commbine the soup, mayo, sour cream, cheddar cheese, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste, and the wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well.
Place the mixture into an 11x7 inch casserole dish that have been sprayed with veggi cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parm cheese and bread crumbs and sprinkle over top. Dot with butter.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Drumsticks ice cream for dessert!
OH MY GOODNESS! This was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo goooooooooooooooood! The kids loved it and devoured it in minutes, which is unusual for my kids.
You can also make this and freeze it. Just follow the directions up until baking it. Instead of baking it, cover it with with plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Allow to thaw for 24 hours in the fridge. When ready to bake, uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly.
My hubby has been craving some Rice Krispy Treats and I knew dinner needed to be started, so into the kitchen I headed. I made the RKT's just like the box said to (I'll post in a bit), then I got the rolls ready for the morning, the tenderloin marinating for Tuesday night's dinner, and started on tonight's dinner. Here are the recipies for the Rice Krispy Treats and the Chicken Divan that was divine!
Rice Krispy Treats (as is on the box)
Melt 3 Tbs butter and 1 bag of large marshmallows in a large pot. When melted, remove from heat, and stir in 6 cups Rice Krispy's. Spread out in pan. EnJoY!
Chicken Divan
from Paula Deen's book Paul Deen and Friends Living It Up, Southern Style Pg. 68
I halved this recipe for my family, I'll list what is in the book
2 10-oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli
6 chicken breast halves (about 4 lbs) cooked, boned, & shredded
2 10 1/4 oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayo
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tea. curry powder
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I didn't have any open, but had a glass of red by me, so I used that instead :)
1/2 cup Paremsan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbs. butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open one end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken.
In a medium bowl, commbine the soup, mayo, sour cream, cheddar cheese, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste, and the wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well.
Place the mixture into an 11x7 inch casserole dish that have been sprayed with veggi cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parm cheese and bread crumbs and sprinkle over top. Dot with butter.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Drumsticks ice cream for dessert!
OH MY GOODNESS! This was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo goooooooooooooooood! The kids loved it and devoured it in minutes, which is unusual for my kids.
You can also make this and freeze it. Just follow the directions up until baking it. Instead of baking it, cover it with with plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Allow to thaw for 24 hours in the fridge. When ready to bake, uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until bubbly.
Grocery List and Menu for July 18 to 24
Well, I know it's been a while since I've posted. We were on vacation so I didn't cook for that time, and I had clean out the fridge the week before, and last week we were getting back into the groove of things. So, here we are agian. Ready to get back to it. I've got a lot planned for this week and a lot of it is some of our favorites along with some new recipies we're super excited to try.
Menu:
Monday: Breakfast- Shipley Donuts
Lunch- grilled cheese with fruit
Snack- fruit snacks
Dinner- Chicken Divan with Drumsticks for dessert...Yum Yum!
Extra special snack for the week- Rice Krispy treats
Tuesday: Breakfast- Monkey Bread Rolls
Lunch- Out with VBS friends
Snack- apples with peanut butter
Dinner- grilled pork tenderloin with biscuits and corn
Wednesday: Breakfast- Eggos with sausage
Lunch- Calzones
Snack- yogurt popscicles
Dinner- Pork fried rice with salad
Thursday: Breakfast- Poptarts
Lunch- leftovers
Snack- fruit
Dinner- hamburgers and rotelle with broiled feta (yes, you've seen this a lot! I LOVE it!!!)
Friday: Breakfast- cereal
Lunch- Spaghetti O's with yogurt
Snack- pudding cups
Dinner- grilled pork chops with chicken Rice-a-roni
Saturday: Dinner- fish pouches
Grocery List:
frozen corn
frozen peas
frozen snow peas
10 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli
Eggos
17 oz. package frozen cinnamon roll dough (6 rolls)
caramel ice cream topping
Drumsticks (ice cream)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
bacon bits
Poptarts
peanut butter
butter
sugar
maple syrup
Bisquick baking mix
chicken Rice a roni
rice
soy sauce
Rice Krispys
Marshmallows
pizza sauce
honey
brown sugar
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
ground cinnamon
garlic powder
curry powder
dried parsley flakes
pudding cups
Spaghetti O's
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
bread crumbs
rotelle pasta
mayo
roll of bread sticks
bread
bagel chips
milk
Dani-o-nio
sour cream
feta cheese
parmesan cheese
grated sharp cheddar cheese
apples
green onions (2)
asparagus
red onion
grape tomatoes
yellow squash
mushrooms
yellow bell pepper
basil
head of garlic
fresh ginger
head of lettuce
pork chops (enough for your family)
pork tenderloin (2 lbs.)
chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs.)
fish fillets (enough for your family)
breakfast sausage
1 lb hamburger
red wine
white wine
This is a list of everything you'll need for the week. I realize you'll have a lot of what is on the list. Just cross off what you already have! This is just so you'll know what you need and you can get what you don't have.
EnJoY!
Menu:
Monday: Breakfast- Shipley Donuts
Lunch- grilled cheese with fruit
Snack- fruit snacks
Dinner- Chicken Divan with Drumsticks for dessert...Yum Yum!
Extra special snack for the week- Rice Krispy treats
Tuesday: Breakfast- Monkey Bread Rolls
Lunch- Out with VBS friends
Snack- apples with peanut butter
Dinner- grilled pork tenderloin with biscuits and corn
Wednesday: Breakfast- Eggos with sausage
Lunch- Calzones
Snack- yogurt popscicles
Dinner- Pork fried rice with salad
Thursday: Breakfast- Poptarts
Lunch- leftovers
Snack- fruit
Dinner- hamburgers and rotelle with broiled feta (yes, you've seen this a lot! I LOVE it!!!)
Friday: Breakfast- cereal
Lunch- Spaghetti O's with yogurt
Snack- pudding cups
Dinner- grilled pork chops with chicken Rice-a-roni
Saturday: Dinner- fish pouches
Grocery List:
frozen corn
frozen peas
frozen snow peas
10 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli
Eggos
17 oz. package frozen cinnamon roll dough (6 rolls)
caramel ice cream topping
Drumsticks (ice cream)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
bacon bits
Poptarts
peanut butter
butter
sugar
maple syrup
Bisquick baking mix
chicken Rice a roni
rice
soy sauce
Rice Krispys
Marshmallows
pizza sauce
honey
brown sugar
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
ground cinnamon
garlic powder
curry powder
dried parsley flakes
pudding cups
Spaghetti O's
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
bread crumbs
rotelle pasta
mayo
roll of bread sticks
bread
bagel chips
milk
Dani-o-nio
sour cream
feta cheese
parmesan cheese
grated sharp cheddar cheese
apples
green onions (2)
asparagus
red onion
grape tomatoes
yellow squash
mushrooms
yellow bell pepper
basil
head of garlic
fresh ginger
head of lettuce
pork chops (enough for your family)
pork tenderloin (2 lbs.)
chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs.)
fish fillets (enough for your family)
breakfast sausage
1 lb hamburger
red wine
white wine
This is a list of everything you'll need for the week. I realize you'll have a lot of what is on the list. Just cross off what you already have! This is just so you'll know what you need and you can get what you don't have.
EnJoY!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Where did the week go?
Thursday- I can't believe it's Thursday already and I've only posted Monday's recipies! Wow! So sorry. Tuesday we were "out of town" and ate out so I don't have anything to share with you except that we ate at Bennihana and OH MY! So fun and ssssooooo full!!!
Wednesday, for lunch we had leftovers from the fridge since it was exploding out at us. Wednesday night, we had tacos. I didn't get a picture of them since we ate late and were starving & I couldn't be bothered with the little thing called a camera or else it may have been my dinner :) They are super easy though. I just brown a pound of hamburger meat, drain, return to pan and add 1 packet of taco seasoning mix with 3/4 cup of water. Cook a bit. Then I warmed up a can of refried beans (I know, you're thinking, how classy!). Warm up some taco shells (as many as your family will eat). We use all soft shell, because that's what we like and I can't keep hard shells good for any amout of time so they end up going bad on us. Cut up some lettuce and onions, have some sour cream, salsa or taco sauce ready, and some shredded cheese. If your family will eat tomatoes, have some cut into chunks as well. Easy and Yummy!
Thursday lunch, again was leftovers and you'll be happy to know, our fridge is almost able to close again!
Thursday dinner-
Stuffed Shells
I've been making this dish for 11 years and do not remember where I got the recipe.
12 jumbo pasta shells
1 beaten egg
1 (12 ounce) low fat cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup shredded motzerella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
homemade pasta sauce (following)
![]()
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook shells for about 18 minutes or until tender but still firm. Make sure you stir often so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and do NOT over cook them or you won't be able to stuff them. Drain well and leave in colendar to cool for a few minutes, so that you can handle them.
For filling: sitr together egg, cottage cheese, motzerella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, and garlic powder. Spoon into cooked shells. Spoon a little bit of pasta sauce on the bottom of a sprayed baking dish. Arrange shells over sauce. Cover shells with remaining pasta sauce. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Add some motzerella cheese on top and broil until brown (mine got a little more than brown tonight...sorry, but still sooo good!). This is great with some yummy garlic toast. EnJoY!
*Now here's the thing. I make my homemade pasta sauce and at least triple the recipe. This way all I have to do is ladle 4 large ladle fulls into gallon size baggies and freeze. Then when I am ready to have pasta I pull the baggie out and run some water on it until it's thawed. Sooooo good and easy! When I run out, I make a triple batch again, freeze, then enjoy some more.
Homemade Pasta Sauce
(From Paula Deen on foodnetwork.com)
(This is a single recipe, if you are going to triple it, just triple the amounts)
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic- chopped
2 (6 ounce) tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2 ounce) stewed tomatos
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Brown beef in large pot. Drain fat. Add onions, green pepper, and garlic, saute until onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 cup water, and seasonings. Simmer 30 minutes.
Wednesday, for lunch we had leftovers from the fridge since it was exploding out at us. Wednesday night, we had tacos. I didn't get a picture of them since we ate late and were starving & I couldn't be bothered with the little thing called a camera or else it may have been my dinner :) They are super easy though. I just brown a pound of hamburger meat, drain, return to pan and add 1 packet of taco seasoning mix with 3/4 cup of water. Cook a bit. Then I warmed up a can of refried beans (I know, you're thinking, how classy!). Warm up some taco shells (as many as your family will eat). We use all soft shell, because that's what we like and I can't keep hard shells good for any amout of time so they end up going bad on us. Cut up some lettuce and onions, have some sour cream, salsa or taco sauce ready, and some shredded cheese. If your family will eat tomatoes, have some cut into chunks as well. Easy and Yummy!
Thursday lunch, again was leftovers and you'll be happy to know, our fridge is almost able to close again!
Thursday dinner-
Stuffed Shells
I've been making this dish for 11 years and do not remember where I got the recipe.
12 jumbo pasta shells
1 beaten egg
1 (12 ounce) low fat cottage cheese, drained
1/2 cup shredded motzerella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
homemade pasta sauce (following)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook shells for about 18 minutes or until tender but still firm. Make sure you stir often so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan and do NOT over cook them or you won't be able to stuff them. Drain well and leave in colendar to cool for a few minutes, so that you can handle them.
For filling: sitr together egg, cottage cheese, motzerella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, and garlic powder. Spoon into cooked shells. Spoon a little bit of pasta sauce on the bottom of a sprayed baking dish. Arrange shells over sauce. Cover shells with remaining pasta sauce. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Add some motzerella cheese on top and broil until brown (mine got a little more than brown tonight...sorry, but still sooo good!). This is great with some yummy garlic toast. EnJoY!
*Now here's the thing. I make my homemade pasta sauce and at least triple the recipe. This way all I have to do is ladle 4 large ladle fulls into gallon size baggies and freeze. Then when I am ready to have pasta I pull the baggie out and run some water on it until it's thawed. Sooooo good and easy! When I run out, I make a triple batch again, freeze, then enjoy some more.
Homemade Pasta Sauce
(From Paula Deen on foodnetwork.com)
(This is a single recipe, if you are going to triple it, just triple the amounts)
1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic- chopped
2 (6 ounce) tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2 ounce) stewed tomatos
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
Brown beef in large pot. Drain fat. Add onions, green pepper, and garlic, saute until onion is tender (about 5 minutes). Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 cup water, and seasonings. Simmer 30 minutes.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday- donuts, corn dog muffins, & pork chops with green beans
Monday mornings are our grocery mornings. I have decided that, for the summer, we will have donut mornings then head to the grocery. It's a good little treat for the kiddos, and gives us something to look forward to. I'm a very scheduled person, so I do have a summer schedule that we try to follow, but will deviate if something comes up. I also think that it helps the kids to know what's going to happen and keep them ready for school.
Lunch today was a new experiment. My daughter LOVES hotdogs. I'm not sure who she comes from, because I do NOT like hotdogs. I will eat them if I have to, but I'm not excited about them. My son is the same way. He'll eat them if I serve them, but won't ever ask for me to make them. But I know they are a kids food and they are so easy to do for lunch. I found this little recipe in a Fun Food magazine and thought that it'd be a different way to try them. It also camouflaged the hotdog taste a lot!
Corn Dog Muffins
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(Recipe from Taste of Home, Fun Food, summer 20008 magazine)
1 box Jiff corn bread mix (or any mix, but I really like Jiff corn bread mix)
1 Tbs brown sugar (next time, I'd use 2 or 3, but just because we like our corn bread sweet)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 (11 ounce) can of whole kernal corn, drained
3 hot dogs, cut up
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a medium bowl, mix the corn bread mix and brown sugar. Add the egg and milk and mix to combine. Stir in the corn and hot dogs. Your batter will be thin. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full (I filled them to the top and was fine). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. This made 12 muffins for us.
Serve and EnJoY!
For dinner I decided to try a recipe that I found on the Southern Living website. I mean, it HAD to be good, right?! Well, it didn't let me down. This is probably going to be my new "go to" website for dinners for while. It was quick and easy and sooo yummy!
Pork Chops with Roasted Green beans and pecans
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(Recipe from Southern Living Magazine website)
2 lbs fresh green beans (or as much as your family will eat)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
4 bone-in pork chops
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs, they were just as good)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup veggi oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash beans and snap ends (if you wish, they didn't, but I did since I don't like to eat the ends). Combine the beans, 1 Tbs. olive oil and 3/4 tsp salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides (also known as a jelly roll pan). Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until beans are tender and slightly browned.
Sprinkle pork chops with pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. In a shallow pie pan mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and thyme. Dredge the pork chops in this mixture.
Cook the pork chops in 1/4 cups veggi oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their thickness, on each side or until done. (I only cooked ours for 2 to 3 min per side since they were pretty thin)
Stir pecans and butter into the beans and cook another 5 minutes, or until the pecans are golden. Serve the chops with the beans. EnJoY!
I LOVED the pecans with the beans. It gave the beans a little extra flavor. Soooo good! I'll be making my beans this way for quite a while!
Lunch today was a new experiment. My daughter LOVES hotdogs. I'm not sure who she comes from, because I do NOT like hotdogs. I will eat them if I have to, but I'm not excited about them. My son is the same way. He'll eat them if I serve them, but won't ever ask for me to make them. But I know they are a kids food and they are so easy to do for lunch. I found this little recipe in a Fun Food magazine and thought that it'd be a different way to try them. It also camouflaged the hotdog taste a lot!
Corn Dog Muffins
1 box Jiff corn bread mix (or any mix, but I really like Jiff corn bread mix)
1 Tbs brown sugar (next time, I'd use 2 or 3, but just because we like our corn bread sweet)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 (11 ounce) can of whole kernal corn, drained
3 hot dogs, cut up
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a medium bowl, mix the corn bread mix and brown sugar. Add the egg and milk and mix to combine. Stir in the corn and hot dogs. Your batter will be thin. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full (I filled them to the top and was fine). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. This made 12 muffins for us.
Serve and EnJoY!
For dinner I decided to try a recipe that I found on the Southern Living website. I mean, it HAD to be good, right?! Well, it didn't let me down. This is probably going to be my new "go to" website for dinners for while. It was quick and easy and sooo yummy!
Pork Chops with Roasted Green beans and pecans
2 lbs fresh green beans (or as much as your family will eat)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
4 bone-in pork chops
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs (or plain breadcrumbs, they were just as good)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup veggi oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash beans and snap ends (if you wish, they didn't, but I did since I don't like to eat the ends). Combine the beans, 1 Tbs. olive oil and 3/4 tsp salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides (also known as a jelly roll pan). Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until beans are tender and slightly browned.
Sprinkle pork chops with pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. In a shallow pie pan mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and thyme. Dredge the pork chops in this mixture.
Cook the pork chops in 1/4 cups veggi oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, depending on their thickness, on each side or until done. (I only cooked ours for 2 to 3 min per side since they were pretty thin)
Stir pecans and butter into the beans and cook another 5 minutes, or until the pecans are golden. Serve the chops with the beans. EnJoY!
I LOVED the pecans with the beans. It gave the beans a little extra flavor. Soooo good! I'll be making my beans this way for quite a while!
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