Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Chicken fingers

Tuesday: McDonald's after the cardiologist

Wednesday: Turkey and Pesto Ravioli

Thursday:Creamy ham and potato soup

Friday: Pizza Night

Saturday: Fish Tacos

Sunday: Crock pot Country Chicken

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Lasagna from my freezer

Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff from my freezer

Wednesday: Crunchy Garlic Chicken

Thursday: Slow Cooker Bajio Chicken

Friday: Soccer Party

Saturday:Baked Potato Soup in bread bowls

Sunday: Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes

Meal Plan Mondays

Monday: Bats and Cobwebs for Halloween. You can't forget the donuts too--our Halloween tradition.

Tuesday: Cashew chicken, rice and broccoli

Wednesday: Delishcuits

Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas, rice and beans

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Grilling hamburgers and Hot dogs.

Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie Crumble. We didn't eat it last Sunday.

Pork Carnitas

Holy smokes this is good stuff! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. We made this for Mexican night the other night and even my kids gobbled it up.

3-4 lbs. pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 heaping (!) tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the pork shoulder into a few large chunks. You don’t want them bite-sized; I make mine about 3-4 inches.

2. Mix cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, and the two peppers together in a small bowl. Place the pork chunks in a plastic container with a lid or a Ziploc bag. Pour in the spice blend, then toss the bag vigorously until the chunks are completely coated on all sides.

3. Place the pork in a large, deep pan. Pour the lime and lemon juice into the bottom, then add water to just cover the meat.

4. Turn heat to high and bring the water to a rip-roaring boil. You want big bubbles! When it’s rolling, turn the heat to a simmer. Keep the pan uncovered. You want it bubble a fair amount, but not be a roiling boil. While it’s cooking, it will look like uninspired soup. Do not be discouraged!Essentially, you’re waiting for the water to evaporate from the pan, but while the water is evaporating, the powerful acidic qualities of the lime and lemon juice are tenderizing the meat. Yay, science!

5. At about the 2-hour mark, check the pot. The water should be much lower and maybe even almost gone. Now things get interesting… allow all the water to cook out of the pan and watch as the meat magically fries and carmelizes. It is a thing of beauty. But seriously, you need to watch it at this point.

6. Carefully turn the hunks of meat – without shredding them – to brown all sides, then remove the hunks to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before eating. If you’re into this sort of thing, you can save the pork fat from the bottom of the pan in a glass jar and use it for other cooking projects.

Source: theclothesmakethegirl.com

Meal Plan Mondays

Monday: Left over Pad Thai and Mummy Hot Dogs for the kids

Tuesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs with breadsticks

Wednesday: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Thursday: Soup Night--Pumpkin Coconut Soup and Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

I'll make two and freeze all the leftovers.

Friday: Trunk or Treat at the ward. We'll see if this Chillie can win a prize.

Saturday: Carnitas Mexican night

Sunday: Chicken Pot Pie Crumble, Rolls, potatoes

Slow Cooker Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

This is a hit from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. We all love it, and I especially love that you can throw it all in the crock pot. This will be a regular with our family.

2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Pineapple Meatballs and Rice

Tuesday: Left over Chicken Cordon Bleu from Sunday. This made a ton.

Wednesday: Chicken Roll ups.

Thursday: Crock pot Lasagna. We didn't eat Lasagna a few weeks ago as planned and I have Webelos tonight so we're trying it in the crock pot.

Friday: Pizza night as always.

Saturday: Eating Out!! We'll be looking at fall leaves all night at Skyline Drive and I won't be cooking.

Sunday: Pad Thai and Chicken Satay.

Food Nanny's Baguettes

I can't tell you how much I love this bread! The best part is that from when you think about making it to eating it is only an hour. It is ready quickly for such a yummy bread. My family loves it.

1 1/2 c. warm water, divided

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

2 tsp. sugar, divided

3 1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

Melted butter for brushing on loaves, optional

Combine 1/2 cup water, yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar in a small bowl. Stir to combine and let it stand until bubbly. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer blend the flour, salt, the remaining 1 tsp of sugar, and yeast mixture. Gradually add water, up to 1 cup and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball that is not too sticky to handle. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cut the dough in half and shape the halves into baguettes. Grease a baguette pan or a cookie sheet and place the loaves on the pan. Score the loaves down the middle, cover with a dish towel, and let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes or until they have a hollow sound when tapped with a knife. If desired, brush the tops of the loaves with butter halfway through baking. For a softer crust, brush with butter when they have finished baking.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Grilled Island Chicken and these mashed potatoes.

Tuesday: Tacos with this new filling recipe I'd love to try.

Wednesday:Roasted tomato soup with grilled cheese, or baguettes.

Thursday: Ultimate Beef Stroganoff for the crock pot.

Friday: Pizza night as always with Valentino's crust.

Saturday:Faith and Hope's birthday party BBQ: hamburgers and hot dogs.

Sunday:Chicken Cordon Bleu with rolls, veggies and potatoes. For dessert, apple crisp.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas. You have to try these!

Tuesday: BBQ Salmon, baked potatoes and broccoli

Wednesday: Homemade Subway sandwiches with these rolls.

Thursday: Cream of Broccoli Soup and breadsticks.

Friday: Pizza with this crust.

Saturday: Mc Donalds's for Faith's Birthday dinner.

Sunday: Lasagna and Brischetta.

Meal Plan Monday

Monday: Sprite BBQ Chicken

Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Wednesday: Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork

Thursday: Tasty Meatloaf

Friday: Pizza with this crust we love

Saturday: Chinese Sundaes because we got invited to dinner Sunday and didn't eat them last week.

Sunday: Roast Chicken and mashed potatoes.

Meal Plan Mondays

Just click on any of these recipes if you'd like them. Have a great week.

Monday: Cube Steak Parmesan. I love this recipe because cube steak is usually a clearance item at our grocery store (I guess no one eats it), and I can get it cheap. I serve it with penne noodles and broccoli.

Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup and Cinnamon Rolls. I have a good cinnamon roll recipe, but I wanted to try this one from All Recipes since it had like 4,000 reviews.

Wednesday: Carnitas

Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs and Bread sticks

Friday: We always make pizza on Friday

Saturday: Grill night hamburgers and homemade fries.

Sunday: Chinese Sundaes.

Food Nanny's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have another recipe I love, but it calls for shortening, so I love that I can use butter with this recipe and they turn out wonderful every time.

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy with electric mixer. Add vanilla and eggs and beat another minute. Sift the flour baking soda, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. They freeze well.

Grilled Island Chicken

This is one of our favorite marinades for grilled chicken from here. So easy and delicious. This recipe is for only 2-4 chicken breasts, so we usually double it.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-4 chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours (I would suggest marinading for at least 3 hours at the minimum).

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side (depending on how thick the chicken breasts are), until the chicken is no longer pink in the center (if you have a meat thermometer, the chicken should register 165 degrees). Tent with foil and let the chicken rest for about five minutes before serving.

Alternately, the chicken can be baked using the following directions:
When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them. Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes (exact baking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sausage and Spinach Penne Skillet Dinner

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I couldn’t find turkey sausage so I substituted mild pork sausage)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the spinach, a handful at at ime, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste adn serve immediately.

Buckaroo Beans

Wherever I take this, I will always be asked for the recipe. It's my go-to recipe for baked beans and we love it!

1 pound of browned ground beef

1 pound of cooked and crumbled bacon

1 medium chopped onion

1 medium chopped green pepper

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

2 T. mustard

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 16 oz. can of Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

1 16 oz. can of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

1 16 oz. can of Butter Beans, drained and rinsed

1 16 oz. can of Pork and Beans, undrained

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish or your crock pot. When it is all mixed together, I look at it to see if it needs more liquid. I usually squirt in more ketchup and BBQ sauce and a little more mustard until it looks like a good consistency. If you are going to bake it, set the oven at 350 and bake for an hour. If you want to throw it all in your crock pot, cook it on high for a few hours or low, depending on how much time you have.

Roasted Marshmallow Shake

Local DC residents know about a little burger joint on capitol hill, Good Stuff Eatery, that serves the best marshmallow shake ever. Here is the recipe!!! I could eat the whole blender.

22 marshmallows or more if you like, not the mini marshmallows

about 3-4 cups of vanilla ice cream depending on how thick you like your shake

1 c. milk

2 T. sour cream

Put the marshmallows on a cookie sheet and broil them in the oven. You don't want them to catch on fire so watch them. Cook them until they look like how you like to eat them over a campfire. Let them cool a little. Throw them in the blender with the ice cream, sour cream and milk and blend. If it looks too thin, just add more ice cream. Garnish with a roasted marshmallow or two. If you love roasted marshmallows, you better use skim milk and low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt because I can't stop eating this. Enjoy!!

Food Nanny's Breadsticks

I really love these breadsticks; they are very easy and tasty.

by Liz Edmunds, the Food Nanny

1 T. active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

2 T. olive oil

1 T. honey

1/4 tsp. salt

3-4 c. flour

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Parmesan cheese

1. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, cover, and let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

2. Mix the oil, honey, salt, and yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl. If using a food processor, add 1 cup of flour at a time, up to 3 cups, mixing well after each addition. You may have to stir in the third cup of flour by hand, depending on your machine. Or mix in all 3 cups of flour by hand with a wooden spoon.

If the dough seems too wet, mix in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is soft. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead in more flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is moderately stiff and somewhat firm to the touch, about 6 minutes.

3. Grease a sheet pan and pinch off balls of dough to equal about 2 T. and roll between your hands to form small breadsticks. Lay them on the prepared pan.

4. Mix the butter and garlic in a small bowl. Brush onto the breadsticks, reserving some for later. Sprinkle the breadsticks with parmesan cheese. Let the breadsticks rise until doubled in bulk, 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

5. After the breadsticks have risen, bake about 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. If you want to brush on additional garlic butter halfway through baking and again when they come out of the oven you can. The recipe says to do this, but I never do and they still taste fine.

Strawberry Cream Crepes

• 
  
• 
  
• I don't know what took me so long to make these. They are my new favorite dessert ever. I topped them with hot fudge sauce. You can add ice cream and whipped cream too. LOVE THESE!
• 
  
• BATTER:
• • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 
    
• FILLING:
• 16 oz. Mascarpone cheese
• 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 
  STRAWBERRY TOPPING:
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon strawberry or vanilla extract
• Dash salt
• 4 teaspoons butter, divided

Directions:

In a blender, combine the batter ingredients. Meanwhile, for filling, in a small bowl, combine the cheese, confectioners' sugar, and lemon juice. Gently fold in strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. For topping, in a small bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, orange juice, extract and salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in an 8-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat; pour about 1/4 cup batter into the center of skillet. Lift and tilt pan to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry; turn and cook 15-20 seconds longer. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet as needed. When cool, stack crepes with waxed paper or paper towels in between.

Cowboy Caviar

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 1 (8 ounce) bottle zesty Italian dressing
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together onion, green bell pepper, corn,green onions, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cherry tomatoes, zesty Italian dressing, black beans, black-eyed peas and coriander. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours. Toss with desired amount of fresh cilantro to serve.

Strawberry Shortcake with Almond Glaze

Another great recipe from here. I just made it for a birthday cake and it was sooooooo yummy.

1 yellow cake mix

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs

1 small vanilla pudding mix

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

2 tsp almond extract

Mix all the above ingredients together for a few minutes until well combined. Pour the batter into 2 round cake pans. I used 9" and it was perfect. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until done. Let cool for a few minutes and then gently remove from pans.

Almond Glaze

4 cups powdered sugar

1 stick of butter, melted

4 tsp almond extract

6-7 Tb milk, or enough to make the consistency like a glaze.

Mix the glaze ingredients together while the cake bakes. Once the cakes are out of their pans, prick the cake with a large fork or the back of a wooden spoon. . Spoon the glaze over the two round cakes letting it sink in. It works better if your cake is still a little warm so the glaze will soak in. Save about 1/3 or so of the glaze and set aside.

1 pint whipping cream

powdered sugar to sweeten

1-2 pounds of fresh strawberries, sliced

Whip cream with 2 Tb powdered sugar, using a mixer. Wash dry and slice the starwberries and set aside.

Assembly:

Place one of the glazed cake rounds on a cake stand or large plate. Top with freshly whipped cream and a layer of strawberry slices. Follow with the second cake, more whipped cream and arrange more fresh sliced strawberries on top in a pretty pattern. Next drizzle the more of the almond glaze over the top and down the sides. Store in fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie

1 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

4 egg yolks

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Crust:

1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers

1/3 c. sugar

6 T. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Combine all the ingredients for the crust and press into a pie plate. Combine lime juice, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk with a few drops of green food coloring if you'd like. Pour pie into crust and bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Cool before serving.

Pad Thai

I have been on the hunt for the last five years to find the best Pad Thai recipe. I want the real stuff from my favorite restaurants. Well, this is it! You need to go to an Asian store if you want to do this right.

1/2 pkg. medium size rice noodles, soak 20 minutes in warm water then drain

1 bunch green onions

1/2 of a red onion, chopped

7 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 pound fresh shrimp

1/2-1 pound of chicken cut in strips

3 eggs

1/2 lb. mung bean sprouts

shredded carrots

chopped peanuts

Pad Thai sauce

In a wok or skillet add 1/4 c. vegetable oil over medium high heat. Saute red onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add three eggs and scramble them. Stir in shrimp and chicken and cook until done. Add rice noodles and cook for about two minutes, until soft. Add bean sprouts and stir in Pad Thai sauce. Garnish with green onions, carrots, and peanuts.

Pad Thai Sauce:

4-5 T. palm sugar (get it at the Asian store in a jar)

1 c. tamarind sauce (get it at the Asian store in a jar)

5 T. fish sauce

You can add 2 T. of peanut butter if you like.

Cook over the stove on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.

You can also garnish your Pad Thai with additional peanut sauce.

2 jars of Satay peanut sauce

2 or more T. peanut butter

2 T. broth if too thick

1/2 lemon, juiced

Warm the above ingredients over stove.

I'm telling you, this is the BEST we've had--we got this recipe straight from our friend in Thailand.

Sausage and Spinach Penne Dinner Skillet

Another great recipe from here. You will love this and wow your family. My kids ate it up. If you are in a rut, try this dinner tonight.

1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I couldn’t find turkey sausage so I substituted mild pork sausage)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta
1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the spinach, a handful at at ime, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste adn serve immediately.

Fish Taco Salads

I kind of made this up when my taco shell crumbled and I thought why not make it a salad. You could easily just get soft taco shells to have fish tacos. We love them.

About 4-5 Tilapia filets

garlic salt

lemon juice

Fry the tilapia filets in a skillet over the stove in a tablespoon of olive oil. I sprinkle them with garlic salt and lemon or lime juice (has to be fresh).

Dressing: (from Liz Edmunds, the Food Nanny)

3/4 c. mayonaise ( I use Greek yogurt for a no fat better tasting variation)

1/2 c. buttermilk (1 Tbsp. vinegar and enough skim milk to make one cup is good too, but only use 1/2 cup of that)

1 T. lime juice

1-2 T. fresh cilantro

1 tsp garlic

3/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. dried onion

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Avacado-Mango Salso

2 Mangos skinned and diced

2 Avacados cubed

1 red pepper

3/4 of a red onion

fresh cilantro

2 T. sugar

2 T. olive oil

4 T. red wine vinegar

2 tsp. salt or garlic salt

Mix it altogether and let sit about 30 minutes before serving.

I used cabbage, crumbled tortilla shells, tomatoes, fish, dressing, and salsa. Yummmmy!