Menu Planning Monday - 1/3/11

Here we go!

Monday: Polenta with Spaghetti Sauce, Baby Green Salad
Tuesday: Enchiladas, lettuce, tomato
Wednesday: Pork Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Thursday: Homemade Mac & Cheese, Peas
Friday: Meatballs and Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Saturday: Herb Crusted Chicken, Baby Green Salad
Sunday: Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce, Green Salad, Garlic Bread

I also plan to try out a new Zucchini Bread recipe this week to use up some of the shredded zucchini I have sitting in my freezer.

Happy Cooking!

Menu Planning Monday - 7/26/10

I'm BAACK! :)
Sorry about the major MIA-ness on my part.. lots of reasons and excuses, but none that I will bother to go into at the moment. Instead, I'm here to reunite myself with the blogging world and post my menu for the coming week. :) Recipe posts will follow at some point.. I've got some yummy stuff to share!

Here we go...

Monday - Bean and Cheese Burritos, Green Salad, Fresh Pineapple, S'mores for dessert
Tuesday - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Grapes
Wednesday - Roasted Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Zucchini and Summer Squash, Plums
Thursday - Homemade Mac and Cheese, Steamed Broccoli-flower, Watermelon
Friday - Basil Chicken, Rice, Steamed Broccoli, Grapes
Saturday - Caesar Pasta Salad with Chicken and Tomatoes, Grapes
Sunday - Baked Chicken, Butternut Squash, Green Salad, Rice, Carrot Cupcakes for dessert

Still Alive

I have to apologize. I started a blog and then fell off of the face of the earth. Well, not so much. Just opened a day care. Been VERY busy! But, I have learned that through balancing my time wisely - and waking up at 5:30 every morning - it is possible to squeeze everything in.

I AM still cooking and am getting a little more ambitious with my recipe testing. I will post only the truly extraordinary finds on here - just so I don't waste time for either of us.

I am also trying to work off all of the holiday weight gain. It's never been this bad. What took months to get off took a week or two to get back on. So, I'm working out daily, eating vegetables nonstop throughout the day, and only eating a little of the truly bad stuff that I make. I'm trying to keep most of my meals healthy, but there are several recipes out there that just intrigue me and I can't help myself. The only difference is that I won't hoard on the outcomes, just savor a few bites and that's it! And workout a little bit more after the kids are in bed...

My amazing husband smuggled in a copy of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and sneakily placed it on my recipe book shelf - where it's always belonged. I found it the next morning and let out the most massive gasp. He made my day. Isn't it funny.. most women want a dozen roses or something of the the like, but nothing says love to me like the random act of bringing in an extraordinary cookbook (or remodeling my kitchen). I love that man! If you don't have a copy of the cookbook, get it! It's AWESOME - she truly walks you through the recipes step by step - it feels like she's there in the kitchen with you.
I won't be pulling a Julie and Julia (though my name's appropriate..), but I will begin exploring the recipes very soon.

Bon Appetite!

Menu Monday - Oct 26, 2009

Here's what we had last week:

Monday: Breakfast for Dinner... I don't know what it is about Mondays, but dinner is always last on my mind.

Tuesday: Stir Fry made from chicken, broccoli, green onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery - delicious! I start off with a little bit of olive oil and saute some crushed red peppers, garlic and ginger, then add the chicken, then the veggies, then a little sesame oil and then some soy sauce. I had a roommate in college who would do a sauce of one part water, one part soy sauce, and 1/2 a part sugar - it was delicious, but my husband's not a fan of a sweet dinner.

Wednesday: Pinto Beans.

Thursday: Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon and Chicken, served with a side of green beans.

Friday: We were at a friend's Halloween party and were so focused on getting our costumes together that we totally neglected eating (I was the ultimate nerd down to the lipstick on my teeth, my husband was the ugliest woman you've ever seen). We ended up have a dinner of chips and salsa and cupcakes.

Saturday: Busy busy day - we ordered pizza.

Sunday: My wonderful husband made dinner. Ahhhh.. He is the chili master and cooked up a delicious batch of chili along with some cornbread.

I've taken some requests for this week that I'm going to try to squeeze in. Steve wants me to make these delicious meat patties with gravy and mashed potatoes that his mom makes, Joe asked for Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches and Kathrynn wants me to make some Mac and Cheese - so my homemade Macaroni and Cheese recipe which is WONDERFUL should pop up soon. The PB&J will have to be a lunch thing - sorry, Joe. :)

Italian Grilled Cheese

Yumminess!

I came up with this one when I had just the teeniest bit of spaghetti sauce and didn't know quite what to do with it. Instead of just buttering each piece of bread, I made them into garlic bread on one side of each and put mozzarella in between instead of cheddar and there you have it. It's delicious dipped in spaghetti sauce.

Bean Days

My husband and I were engaged for the entire winter and spent a lot of time at his parents house. Whenever we'd go over on a cold, gray, dreary day, she would have a big pot of beans ready for us and they were the most delicious, comforting thing imaginable. You'd never think beans could be so wonderful, but these are. Wonderful and simple. And then she gave us one of my favorite wedding presents - a big stockpot with a bag of pinto beans and the beloved recipe.
Now whenever it's a cold, dreary day, it's a bean day and we enjoy a yummy, comforting bowl of beans.



Pinto Beans

Fill a stockpot until 2" from the rim with water and bring to a boil while picking through the beans. Don't use old, dark or shriveled beans - or halves and pieces. Put the good ones in a colander and rinse well.
Pour beans into boiling water. Do not salt. Add 2-3 Tbs bacon grease or shortening (bacon grease is better) and cover, allowing some steam to escape. Boil hard on medium high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, so it is still a good boil. Set timer for 45 minutes to an hour and check if water is boiled down. Add 3-4 cups boiling water. Repeat several times until beans are soft and the overall consistency is creamy - the creaminess happens naturally - no smashing beans necessary. Salt to taste.

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon and Chicken

This is one of my favorite recipes and my kids LOVE it!!! I just HAD to make it tonight.

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon and Chicken

9 oz Angel Hair (though I usually go with more)
1 1/2 cups cooked diced chicken
1/4 cup melted butter (though I usually go with less)
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Cook pasta. Toss in remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste (I like to use sea salt). Top with Parmesan.