- Creamy Pasta With Lemon Pepper Chicken (this was super yummy, might cut back on the pepper next time for the kids)
- Chef Salad
- Parents (dad made Chicken & Dumplings)
- Homemade Pizza - Dough & Sauce (dough is a thin crust and definitely cut back on red pepper in sauce next time, to spicy for the kids)
- Lime Chicken Soft Tacos and Aztec veggies (favorite chicken tacos, veggies a new recipe for me)
- Mini Cheese Meatloaves (husbands favorite)
- Breakfast (omelets , fruit and maybe some homemade biscuits)
Monday, December 13, 2010
Menu Plan Monday 12/13/10
Monday, December 6, 2010
Menu Plan Monday 12/6/10
- Zesty Porcupine Meatballs
- Chinese buffet (dinner out before hockey game)
- Abuelos (Anniversary dinner, kid free!!)
- Hamburger Stew (Parents house, picking up the kids)
- Zuppa Toscana
- Wendy's Chili
- Zesty Italian Chicken (Dec2010/Jan2011 issue of Taste of Home, will post the recipe if we like it later this week)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Menu Plan 11/15/2010
- Chicken & Artichoke Casserole (Saving Dinner cookbook, definitely one of my fav recipes in this book)
- Skillet Lemon Chicken with Rosemary (Saving Dinner cookbook, this was so so…not sure if I’ll make it again)
- Dinner at friends house, family fended for themselves!
- Lasagna Soup (this was yummy, even the kids ate it)
- Baked Tilapia (Taste of Home Simple and Delicious cookbook, recipe below)
- Garlic Lime Chicken (Saving Dinner cookbook)
3 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp paprika
Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 10-15 mins or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
4 servings
Monday, November 8, 2010
MPM 11/8/10
- Pinto Bean and Beef Soup (Pretty good, the lime and cilantro give it a nice flavor)
- Take Out (We had chinese this week)
- Family night at my parents (Mom made chili)
- Italian Sausage Soup (Very tasty, having leftovers today)
- Monterey Jack Stuff Chicken
- Asian Orange Salmon (Saving Dinner cookbook, if we like I'll post this week)
- Turkey Crescent Dogs (This is my go to dinner for my Wed night jog/dinner with friends, Matt can easily put it together and the kids love it)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Menu Plan 10/4/2010
- Ground Beef Stew
- Baked Tilapia (Taste of Home Simple & Delicious cookbook)
- Steak w/ Twisted Chile Black Pepper Glaze (local company)
- Tulsa State Fair food (Turkey Leg and roast corn for myself)
- Picked up some El Super Pollo ,after reading that blog review. I had the chicken they talked about and the hubby had a steak burrito and it was HUGE. We were both very pleased and very full. Will definitely have it again in the near future.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
I’m back!
We’ve had various things going on here for the past few months and we’re finally getting back into the normal groove. I will have a menu plan post in the morning, a scrapbook post Tuesday, and a picture post of the kids on Wednesday!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Menu Plan 8-2-10
Lots of simple things my husband can do this week. We have plans a few nights this week where I'm running around close to dinner time so he needs to be able to handle it if I'm running late. Can you believe that I still have PW's chicken legs on my plan, mostly because I keep forgetting to defrost the legs.
- PW's Spicy Chicken Legs
- Beef Goulash Noodle Casserole (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)
- Shrimp Boil
- Mini Cheese Meatloaves
- Chili Cheese Dogs
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Litte bit of stuff going on...
Meals have been moved from previous week so my menu plan only had one or two different things on it this week. That is part of why I didn't post. I will be back Monday with next weeks!
If you follow my facebook you've probably seen our little friend that we have visiting...
We are just waiting it to turn into a beautiful Black Swallowtail It's been in it's chrysalis since the 7/22/10 and everything I've read says it takes a few weeks to emerge. So we are patiently waiting. I will definitely be taking pictures of the rest of the process until we let it go!
Also have another goodie from Gina. Her July Idea Notebook is out for $3 until July 31st! Includes this cute kit that I made this page with.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
15-Minute Pasta Salad
-
1 3/4 dried bow tie pasta -
1 1/2 sliced strawberries -
3 ozs small fresh mozzarella balls, halved -
Handful fresh basil leaves (shred if large) -
1/4 –1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Menu Plan 7-19-10
-
15 Minute Pasta Salad (Parents Magazine August 2010) -
Creamy Mexican Soup (One of our fav soups) -
Chicken Thighs w/ Green Beans (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook) -
Grilled Tilapia w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook) -
Chipotle Beef and Bean Chili (Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Little Bit of Scrap
Menu Plan Monday 7-5-10
- Taco Pasta *Delcious*
- Black Bean & Summer Vegetable Enchiladas *So good, will be a go to meatless meal*
- Tilapia Citrus Couscous Salad (Clean Eating Magazine Jul/Aug 2010)
- PW's Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs *One of my favorite ways to make chicken legs!*
- Roasted Spicy Mayo Chicken Breast (The Deen Bros. Take It Easy)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Gardein Crispy Tenders review
Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. I've had a few computer issues that caused me to do a complete reinstall. Now onto my review...
I've taken on the Meatless Mondays for a few months now and for the most part have stuck to it. We are not becoming vegan or cutting out all of those yummy things we are used to but I am trying to cut it out at least one day a week. I found out about the Gardein brand while reading "The Conscious Cook" cookbook last week and when I went to Whole Foods on Wednesday I decided to test out a few of the products to see if I could sneak these past my kids.
Here are the pros for the Crispy tenders
- Meat-free
- Kids ate them and liked them
- I even ate them and liked them
- Crisped up nicely and surprisingly nice texture
- Good ingredients, low in fat and calories
- Price & Quantity ($4.99 for 10 tenders)
- Processed food
I also have the Chick'n Scallopini to try soon, I'll let you know how that taste also!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tilapia with Strawberry-Thyme Sauce and Oven-Baked Polenta
Tilapia with Strawberry-Thyme Sauce (Fresh Home Magazine Spring 2010 issue)
1 cup quartered fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 fresh thyme sprig
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 tilapia fillets
1 Tbsp olive oil
crumbled blue cheese and cooked bacon (I omitted)
In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, wine, sugar, lemon juice, thyme spring and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 mins or until slightly thickened. Discard thyme sprig.
Combine the flour, pepper and remaining salt; sprinkle over tilapia. In a large skillet, cook fillets in oil over med-high heat for 3-4 mins on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with strawberry sauce and sprinkle with blue cheese and bacon.
Oven-Baked Polenta (Everyday Food Great Food Fast cookbook)
3/4 cup cornmeal
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp fresh marjoram (or 1/4 tsp dried)
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a lidded baking dish, whisk together 3 cups of water, the cornmeal, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Cover, and bake for 30 mins, stirring halfway through.
Remove from the oven, and add the milk, butter, and marjoram, and whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Menu Plan 5/17/10
A new week with a new menu plan
- Mini Cheese Meatloaves , mashed red potatoes and steamed green beans
- Simple Ricotta Gnocchi with marinara sauce and a salad
- Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs and veggie kabobs
- Tilapia with Strawberry Thyme Sauce ( Fresh Home magazine Spring 2010 issue) If good I will post later this week!
- Breakfast for dinner
You can check out more menu plans at Orgjunkie
I’ve started making 4x6 recipe cards of recipes I’ve found online that have become regulars so I don’t have to rush to the computer every 5 seconds during dinner to look at the recipe. This week will be the mini cheese meatloaves, if you would like this card in full print size please comment and I’ll email it to you!
The kit used for this card is Simple Pleasures found at Digital Design Essentials
Thursday, May 13, 2010
This deserves another chance
I made the Quick Cheese Ravioli with Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle tonight and although it was a bit of a mess up on my end, they were still wonderful! First of all my ricotta which wasn’t past its expiration date had yucky shades of green/blue mixed into it’s lovely creamy white color. Ummm gross! So I didn’t get to prep it early in the day like I had originally planned since I had to wait for my husband to bring home some new ricotta.
So here I am rushing putting together the raviolis, although quick…wasn’t quick enough for me. I quickly start putting them in the boiling water and realize that I haven’t started the butter sauce and they need to be served when ready. Started that and had the raviolis finished when I realized that I hadn’t made a side dish. My raviolis were stuck together and sticky. Tasted great though!
We are definitely trying these again in the future, this time put together early with sauce and sides almost done before I cook them. No picture but hopefully a great one next time I make these!
Quick Cheese Ravioli with Two Different Fillings
24 square wonton wrappers
6 ozs goat cheese or italian blend cheese, grated (I used the italian blend cheese)
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t pepper
1/2 t salt
In a small bowl, mash together the goat cheese (or italian blend cheese), ricotta cheese, garlic, and nutmeg. Add salt and pepper.
To assemble ravioli, place a sheet of waxed paper on a baking sheet or other flat surface. Arrange 6 wonton wrappers on this work surface. (Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel) Spoon 1 T of cheese filling into center of each wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrappers with water. Fold around the corner of each wrapper over the filling to a form a triangle. Flatten the area around the cheese filling to eliminate any air pockets, pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining fillings and wrappers.
You can freeze at this point on a flat tray for 1 hour. Wrap ravioli in bundles of 6-8 in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag.
Serving Day-
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/4 t salt to water. Drop desired number of frozen ravioli into water, one at a time. Stir gently and cook for 5-7 mins, until al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove the raviolis and drain them very quickly on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately with Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle or your favorite marinara or meat sauce.
Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh basil ( I actually used 1 t dried)
2 T butter, melted
1 T parmesan cheese, grated
salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
In a small bowl, stir together parsley and basil. Add butter, parmesean cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic salt (optional). Microwave for 30 seconds or until heated to liquid consistency. Drizzle over ravioli. ( I don’t have a microwave so I warmed this in a small pan on the stove)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Menu Plan 5/10/10
Tally is still fighting a cold still and Devlin is running a fever but otherwise acting semi normal. Keeping an eye on the both of them for now.
Now onto my Menu Plan this week. I’ve planned 2 meatless nights this week and as usual recipes and possibly pictures will be posted during the week!
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Don’t Panic More Dinners in the Freezer) and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Spicy Peanut Chicken (Don’t Panic More Dinners in the Freezer) with baby bok choy and brown rice
- Quick Cheese Ravioli with Parsley-Basil Butter Drizzle (Don’t Panic More Dinners in the Freezer)
- Pepper Steak Stir Fry (All You Magazine May 21st 2010 issue)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Chili Con Carne and White River Sour Cream Cornbread
Chili Con Carne (Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-16oz can tomatoes, cut up
- 1-16oz can kidney beans
- 1-8oz can tomato sauce
- 2 t chili powder
- 1/2 t dried basil, crushed
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
White River Sour Cream Cornbread (Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer)
- 3/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1/4 cup sugar (I used sucanat)
- 1 t baking powder
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream
- 1/3 cup oil
Monday, May 3, 2010
Chicken Cacciatore
- 2 med onions, sliced thin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-15oz can diced tomatoes
- 1-8oz can tomato sauce
- 1 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 2 t oregano
- 1/2 t basil
- 1/2 t celery seed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 c white wine
- 6 boned chicken breast
- 2 bell peppers, I used orange and yellow (not included in original recipe)
- 1 lb mushrooms, quartered (not included in original recipe)
You can also freeze this mixture in a freezer bag before cooking and then cook in the crock pot on the day you want to eat it. I used my frozen chicken breast with the mixture and it turned out super yummy at the end of the day!
Menu Plan Monday 5/3/10
- Mini Cheese Meatloaves, Crash Hot Potatoes and Corn
- Chicken Legs, Parsley Potatoes, and Broccoli
- Cheese & Mushroom Quesadillas (Meatless Monday)*new*
- Homemade Pizza
- Turkey Cutlets with garlic white wine (post recipe later this week)*new*
- Chili Con Carne and Cornbread (from last weeks menu)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
May’s PMP Challenge at PC
Here is my example!
Monday, April 26, 2010
Menu Plan Monday 4/26/10
-
Chicken Cacciatore (Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer cookbook) *new* -
Chili Con Carne and White River Sour Cream Cornbread (Don’t Panic-Dinner’s in the Freezer cookbook) *new* -
Beef Pita Tacos (Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer cookbook) *new* and Whole Wheat Pita Bread *new* -
Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake (Jamie’s Food Revolution) This was ok but the kids didn’t like the cheese sauce with the Parmesan so next time I’ll make it full cheddar. *new* -
Zuppa Toscana (not even sure where I got my original recipe for this Olive Garden clasic, recipe for how I make it at the bottom of the post) -
Breakfast for dinner pancakes or muffins, eggs of choice (scrambled or omelet) and bacon (looking for a pancake or muffin recipe I want to try this week will post when I find one that I have the ingredients for)
- 1 lb italian sausage ( I use turkey or chicken italian sausage)
- 4-6 bacon, cut into 1/2” slices (can use turkey bacon but I prefer the good stuff)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 10 cups chicken stock
- 2-3 potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and slice into 1/4”-1/2” pieces
- 1 cup cream (I use whatever I have on hand, cream, half n half or milk. I do prefer cream or half n half)
- 1 bunch of Kale, cut or tore into pieces
I know these aren’t the best instructions but I’m a cook by taste type of person and it really just comes together.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Beef Pita Tacos and Annie’s Whole Wheat Pitas
The main recipe from “Don’t Panic Dinner’s in the Freezer” started with the first 3 ingredients. I thought it was a little bland so I added a few more seasonings and cooked it longer to blend the flavors. Served with some of Annie’s Whole Wheat Pita’s
Beef Pita Tacos (4 servings, 3 cups of mixture, enough for 8 tacos)
- 1lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup salsa
- 1-8 oz can stewed tomatoes
- 1 T chili powder
- 1/2 t cumin
- 1/2-1 t garlic powder
- 1/2-1 t onion powder
- 1/4 t red pepper flakes
- 4 pita breads, cut in half
Yummy!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Time for a change…
Recap of the past month since I’ve been slacking on updating lately.
- We had a lovely Easter with my parents. The kids had so much fun with the goodies in there baskets as well as egg hunting.
- I finally got a new computer. Dual core with 1T harddrive and 8 gigs of memory. I’m in heaven! Had a few compatibility issues with Windows 7 and my Photoshop but eventually we found a way around it without me having to spend more money on a newer version of Photoshop. I must say I’m loving the virtual drives. My husband prefers Linux so he uses a virtual drive for Windows when he has to use it for certain programs, mostly school related.
- New goodies at both of my CT’s Peppermint Creative and Digital Design Essentials. I haven’t gotten a chance to make anything with some of the new products but that is on my todo list for today so hopefully I’ll have a few more pages up soon! Both of these are Peppermint Creative goodies. Ingrid is our new template maker and she has some super cute sets out.
Now for my Menu Plan this week
- Lime Chicken Soft Tacos (My fav chicken taco recipe)
- Mini Cheese Meatloaves (Has these last night and yummy) *new*
- Chicken Thighs with Balsamic Garlic Sauce (ummm in the process of trying to find this recipe… not exactly sure if it was a bookmarked online, from one of my cookbooks or even one of my many magazines. Oops) *new*
- Slow Cooker TexMex Chicken & Beans *new*
- A Cracking Burger (Jamie Olivers Food Revolution cookbook) *new*
Think that’s all I have for now. The plan is to update at least weekly if not more, hopefully I can do just that. Loving this windows live writer so far!