This week for dinner. . .

This is what I'm thinking for dinner

M-Cashew chicken
T - Tacos
W - Pasta Bake
Th - After Thanksgiving dinner -- i.e. Turkey & all the fixin's. Brandon LOVES Turkey and wants some more!!!!
F - Leftovers
S - Ward Party

Spicy Orange Chicken

Sally wanted me to post this recipe. I liked it okay but my family thought it was kind of weird. There's a lot of nutmeg, maybe that's why. And, looking at the ingredients, I don't really get where the "spicy" comes from.

http://thisweekfordinner.com/2007/01/31/recipes-main-dishes/

SPICY ORANGE CHICKEN
From: Mary/Grammy McCarthy
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 boneless skinles
s chicken breasts
- 1/2 C flour
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 t. pepper
- 3 T butter

Sauce:
- 2 T brown sugar
- 2 T vinegar
- 1 C orange juice
- 1 t. nutmeg
- 1 t. dried basil
- 1 small can mandarin oranges
- Jane Note: I add ground ginger as well. I also 1.5 X the sauce ingredients.

DIRECTIONS:
Combine flour, salt and pepper in bag. Shake chicken pieces until coated. Brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat.

Combine sauce ingredients (1 1/2 times the recipe) and add to skillet. Cover and cimmer ~30 minutes or until tender. For a “sophisticated touch” add drained mandarin oranges and heat about 5 mins.

Note: cook chicken and sauce in covered skillet, but tip the cover a little to thicken sauce towards the end of cooking time.

Eames Meals for Nov 9-14

This is what I'm thinking

M- Turkey Vegetable Rice Soup in the Crockpot
T - Taco Salad - I keep planning this and have something else instead.
W - Minestrone Soup with Rosemary Bread- Andrew will hate it because it has tomatoes, but I'm making it anyway.
Th - I'm going to try something new, just not sure what yet.
F - Macaroni & Cheese
S - Hot Dogs, potato logs, and veggies

One week left till Phil comes home!

I'm excited for this weekend. Phil comes home and should be home for quite a while, barring any crazy pandemic of h1n1 or some other parasitic/water-born disease.
That being said, I still have to make it through one more week.
This weeks menu:
Sun--roast chicken and butternut squash
Mon--chicken noodle soup
Tues--chicken rice salad in warm pitas
Wed--red beans and rice (I keep saying I'll make this and forget to soak the beans...I'm really trying to use dried vs canned now)
Thur--pot stickers
Fri--pizza
Sat--something yummy and new

Tweaking A Recipe

I like finding recipes on boxes. First, because that means it uses something I buy and second, because they've usually been tested (although some are just plain weird). Here are 2 of my finds that I've tweaked a little. They are big hits here in the Budge household.
Black Bean and Rice Soup--found on a Good Seasonings Italian Salad dressing packet (the dried stuff)
2 cans of black beans, undrained and divided
3 cups of water
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 packet of Italian Salad dressing mix
1 1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked
Place 1 1/2 cans of beans in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into large saucepan.
Add remaining beans, water, onion and mix; stir until blended. Bring to boil on medium-high heat.
Stir in rice. Reduce heat to low, cover. Simmer 5 minutes.
Here's how I changed it: I added one can of undrained petite diced tomatoes. Threw in some extra sausage I had browned and added regular rice instead of brown instant. This meant that I had to cook it a little longer (20 minutes maybe), but with the extra juice from the tomatoes it still stayed soupy. You might need to add extra water though, so watch it carefully. The kids really liked this one and it was good for them.

Grape-Nuts Peanut Butter Bars
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
4 cups Grape-Nuts cereal
Mix corn syrup, sugar and peanut butter in large microwave bowl. Microwave on high 2 minutes or just until mixture boils, stirring every minute. Add cereal; toss to coat well. Press firmly onto bottom of greased 13x9 pan. Cool. Cut into bars.
Here's how I changed it: Cut the corn syrup in half and add honey to make up the difference. Omit the sugar. Add unsweetened coconut flakes and sunflower seeds to the cereal to make a generous 4 cups (cut back on the cereal a little). They make a great granola-type bar, perfect for lunches.
Enjoy!!

Nagel Nov 4th.

I'd rather be horizontal than anything else right now but we all know how that's not how it works. Instead, I'm off to the grocery store.

1. wild rice soup

2. autumn sausage casserole

3. burritos and mexican rice

4. potato sausage soup

5. spicy orange chicken

I found the potato soup and spicy orange chicken on that site Cynthia linked awhile ago called This Week for Dinner.

Have a great week everybody.

Away

I'm off to Canada again to visit my mom who has been (still is actually) in the hospital. So I have no idea what my family will eat while I am away....I'm sure they'll eat something!

As for me and Spencer and my sister, I have no idea what we will be eating while staying at my mom's and commuting to the hospital each day. Oh the joys of travel.

First week of November

How is it November????? Anyway, keeping with the theme idea, this is the plan:

M - BBQ Country Style Ribs in the Crockpot and Baked Potatoes
T - Taco Salad
W - Chicken Vegetable Soup & French Bread
Th - Pancit
F - Rocky Mountain Bean Storm
S - Sandwiches

Dinner this week

I'm not sure of the order. I might have to switch a couple because my week gets a little crazy.
Here it goes:
M--cream of broccoli soup and bread
T--black bean salad
W--pasta of some sort
Th--red beans and rice
F--pizza
Sat--a new recipe of some sort...I'm looking through all of the recipes I pull out of magazines to come up with something

Nagel Oct 28th - Nov 3rd

It's easier for me to post on Wednesday since that seems to be my shopping day lately.

1. Cereal and Toast

This is not a joke. I had to buy a special milk jug today for a Halloween costume on Friday so we need to consume a whole gallon of milk by tomorrow morning. And since Miles has scouts till 5 and Matt and scouts till 5:30 it seems like a really good night to not cook.

2. Beef and Broccoli

3. Cynthia's Potato Bacon Soup (love having this soup on Halloween!)

4. Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

5. Spaghetti

Have a great Halloween everyone!

Survival Mode - Kind of

Brandon is leaving town on Wednesday for a job interview in Albuquerque, and won't be back until Saturday afternoon -- barring him getting the flu like the rest of us. So I just have to make dinner for today and tomorrow and then easy. Except I'm now sick so really, it is just easy all week. I love Cynthia's idea for themes, I think it would really help coming up with ideas, and not just do tacos a lot. This is what I'm thinking:

Monday - Crock Pot (maybe we will finish FHE before 9:00 if I don't cook dinner)

Tues - Mexican

W - Soup

Th - Pasta

Fri - Kid friendly

Sat - Fast

Sun - Leftovers (I rarely cook on Sun since I don't do dishes, it is my way of "resting from my labors"

Except with Brandon gone, we will do kid friendly all week.

This is the menu
M - Cowboy Beans - yes I am finally making them, they are in the crockpot.
T - Enchilada Casserole
W - Vegetable Soup
Th - Spaghetti
F - Pasta & Cheese - homemade (not mac because I just use whatever pasta I have on hand)
S - Pizza and Breadsticks (store bought or homemade, depending on my level of ambition)

Pasta & Cheese
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp minced onion or 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T potato flour
1 C milk
dash of Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 C cheddar cheese
3 T Parmesan cheese
Cooked pasta

1. In a small saucepan over med heat, melt the butter. Add the minced onion (if using) and saute for a minute or so. Add the garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper and saute a few seconds. Add the flour and stir forming a crumbly roux.
2. Add milk a little at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Add Worcestershire sauce. Continue stirring until sauce boils. Boil for 1 minute. Add cheese and stir until melted. Serve over cooked pasta. Makes 1 Cup sauce.

Blah...end of the month and trying to stay in budget

Here's what we are having:
Sun-pizza and carrot sticks
Mon-red beans and rice
Tues-pot stickers and ravioli (not enough of each to have a full meal)
Wed-tomato soup and grilled cheese
Th-spaghetti
Fri-stroganoff
Sat--something fun and spooky...just haven't decided yet
Happy Halloween!!

Infanger's are alive

So it's been a long while and obviously we've been eating but I haven't done any posting because well....I've been cooking by what's in the fridge on any given day. Because I have no plan (again) here is what we ate!

I did find a new meal planning website via Make and Takes called This Week for Dinner. She seems to be sensible and real which is always nice.

Okay what we have been eating. No idea what is for dinner tonight...
S-Apple Puff Pancake
M-Chili and cornbread
T-Tacos
W-grilled cheese
T-Ravioli with cream sauce and salmon and veggies

S-Spaghetti with homemade bread
M-Chicken noodle soup and more bread and Stubarb pie (now I'm out of rhubarb and I'm sad)
T-Alfredo noodles with chicken and veggies
W-Chicken stirfry with rice
T-Tuna and grilled cheese with fruit

I am trying to do themes again:
M- Soups
T-pasta
W-Fast
T-leftovers
F-date night

Nagel Oct 19th

1. Roasted Pork and Potatoes

2. Chicken Quesadillas

3. Pizza

4. Stroganoff

5. Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I MUST stay within budget this month so next week might have a lot of cereal and scrambled eggs.

It makes me laugh to hear Sally refer to Phil's time away as "survival mode". I always feel like my menus reflect survival mode.

Dinner for Oct 19-24

What to eat???? This is what I am thinking, subject to change of course. :)

M - Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (Andrew hurt his shoulder and needs some lovin')
T - Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans -- now just to remember to soak the beans. (I actually remembered to soak the beans last week, just didn't notice the crockpot was on --high -- so they turned to mush --refried beans anyone???)
W - Enchilada Casserole
Th - Italian Seasoned Chicken and Mashed Potatoes for kids and Pesto mashed potatoes for Brandon and I. If I am really adventurous I might even make Cynthia's Rosemary Bread.
F - Fondue night (hopefully - everyone else had the flu last week, thankfully we have been spared, for now)
S - Leftovers

Back to Survival

Phil's gone for the next month (except for Halloween...he makes it back in time to take the kids trick or treating and then leaves the next day), so that means back in survival mode. I try to keep things simple, not only to make it less work for me, but because I want to avoid the "I don't like this" battle that inevitably happens when I try something fancy or new. Just the old stand bys this week.
Sun--Chicken nuggets and roasted roots
Mon--spaghetti
Tues--tacos
Wed--grilled cheese and soup
Th--chicken pot pie
Fri--pizza
Sat--rice and beans

Dinner for this week

I am using my crockpot again and borrowing things from "A Year of Slow Cooking." HER BOOK IS OUT TODAY! This is what we are planning:

M - Chow Mein &/or Sweet & Sour Meatballs (I have a little leftover Sweet & Sour in fridge) over rice
T - Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans -- now just to remember to soak the beans.
W - Chicken and potatoes (sweet for K & I and regular for everyone else)
Th - Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole
F - Fondue Night with friends

Hmmm . . . I guess I should plan dinner

So I haven't been planning much for dinner this month between canning about 60 jars of peaches (Brandon helped a lot!) about 4 jars of tomatoes (Still have boxes in the garage that are ripening that we picked before the frost), 30 jars of pears, 14 jars of pickles (I still need to do more), freezing 3 gallons of green, red, yellow, and orange peppers (once again THANK YOU Brandon), Shredding lots of zucchini & yellow squash to freeze (still some in freezer), making and freezing pesto, and making jam. Plus doing 2 birthday parties and having a 2 month old. Can I say I'm tired and my house looks like a tornado struck? I have to admit I HATE September ever since we got a garden. Love the fresh veggies, but they almost all need to be done in September during the 2 weeks the two older kids have birthdays. I know, I know, -- whine, whine, whine. So I must admit dinner has been a last minute process most nights -- what takes the least amount of time and effort and in some cases, doesn't use the stove since I have canning pans on it boiling away or waiting to boil away. Then this weekend we ate our 72-hour kit food which was great because there was no planning and little preparing for 3 days. Even thought it has been a while, I am kind of getting excited to cook for real again. I am so loving this blog right now, because I am going back through looking for inspiration.Now to decide what to cook.

M - 72- hour kits
T - Frito Pie
W - Waffles (These sound so good -- Thanks Sarah!!)
Th - -Grilled Ratatouille Soup with Breaded Ravioli (a Rachel Ray recipe my sister e-mailed me and said was good). I am just going to bread some Gluten-free pasta for my GF girl and GF & Reg Rosemary Bread. I guess you could call it a baking/cooking day.
F - Some sort of chicken pasta or BBQ chicken with the Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles (LOVE THESE!). We are having company and one of the people coming has Crohn's so we are eating dairy & red meat free along with gluten free. Her potato bundles will be done with oil sans milk.

Recipe for Minestone

Love this recipe. Used to make it all of the time and just now saw it in my recipe box and remembered how good it is...especially on a chilly day with some good bread.

1tbsp olive oil
1 cup each of chopped cabbage, carrots, celery and onions
2 tsp minced garlic
6 cups water (or 6 cups chicken stock and omit the bouillon)
3 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 cup spaghetti broken into 2 inch pieces
1 can (15oz) red kidney beans,drained and rinsed
1 can (15oz) white northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tomato soup
1. Heat oil in 4qt pot over medium heat. Add veggies. Saute till crisp tender (5 min).
2. Add water, bouillon, and seasoning. Bring to boil, stir in spaghetti and simmer till tender (10 min).
3. Meanwhile, mash 1 cup of beans in a small bowl till smooth as possible. Stir into soup along with remaining beans and tomato sauce. Heat through

Nagel Oct 5th - 11th

Still struggling with planning dinners but I'm going to give it a try this week:

1. pizza

2. red beans and rice

3. spaghetti

4. minestrone soup (I saw it on Sally's post and it sounded good)

5. waffles

The hardest thing to come up with are the sides. So lately we just haven't had any. Honestly, it's a miracle that dinner is served every night. (Even if dinner is popcorn, apples and hot chocolate) I've never had a pregnancy affect my brain this much and for this long. *sigh*

Sunday, Matt's parents are hosting a dinner for Rich - I mean Bishop Haglund. It will be good to chat with a Nashville buddy.

A Quick Rundown of the Week

Back to cooking a little better now that Phil is town.
M--cabbage/chicken salad and bread
T--minestrone main dish soup and salad
W--chicken potpie
Th--chicken noodle soup
F--ravioli
Sat--spaghetti and meatballs
Sun--stroganaff

Back from the weekend

We spent the weekend in Blackfoot with my family and had a really fun time. Now I'm back to reality and canning and planning a birthday party for Friday.

M - We had fresh caught trout (YUM!) that Brandon caught that day, corn on the cob, veggies from the garden, potato salad, fresh cooked carrots.
T - Baked Potatoes, Pan cooked chicken seasoned with fresh herbs, corn on the cob, sauteed zucchini and crookneck
W - Black Bean Salsa, corn on the cob and a relish tray (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery & carrots)
Th - Pasta with Pesto -- my new LOVE. The kids will probably get macaroni & cheese with me making a cheese sauce for Karissa
F - Birthday Girl's Choice
S - Enchilada Casserole

2 Months of Survival Starts this Week

Actually it's a little more than two months. From Sept 9 until Nov 14 Phil will be home a total of about 10 days...no kidding. From now until then, he will be on 2 different continents (not counting the layover in Paris), 3 states other than GA, investigating 2 different bugs, testifying at a trial and learning how to be an officer, crash course-wise. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? I on the other hand will be here. We go into survival mode when he is gone for extended amounts of time. That means simpler meals...much more so, because the kids are easily pleased. That said here it is for this week:
M-- Spending the day hiking and canoeing at a local state park, so picnic stuff
T--black bean salad and something yummy for dessert...it's Phil's last home cooked meal for 3 weeks
W--Phil leaves so we will probably have raman and fruit salad that night
Th--scrambled eggs, toast and some kind of fruit
F--mini pizzas
Sat--chicken nuggets and home fries
Wish me luck and if anybody needs something to do in the next couple of months, you can come to GA for a visit!

Veggies, Veggies, Everywhere

love our garden, I love the fresh veggies and the ease of when I need an onion I just go pick one from the garden. However, with the ease of the garden comes the work of taking care of the food. I currently have 2 large bowls of cherry tomatoes and another of regular tomatoes that have to be canned or frozen. Plus several zucchini that need to be shredded and frozen and cucumber I need to pickle and a bunch of broccoli that needs to be frozen. Plus, I really need to eat some things from our freezer so there is room for all the new things. Along with that, all our meals revolve around veggies or else some goes bad. Not that that that I am complaining, it just that it means I have to think differently for meals since we don't normally have so many fresh veggies and I'm not usually thinking, "What can we have that will make room in the freezer". So basically food has to be easy, use food from the freezer and have fresh veggies in some form, these are my thoughts for the week.

M-Sombraro Pie with steamed cabbage and blanched broccoli and a veggie plate of cucumbers, peppers, & tomatoes (both kinds).
T - Chicken stir fry over rice
W - Leftovers with cooked veggies and veggie plate
Th - Chef's salad
F - Out of town -- hopefully the garden doesn't get too far away from us.

Sombraro Pie

non-Gluten-Free version changes at end

1/2 lb hamburger*
1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained*
1 lg onion, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 C beef or veggie broth
1 can whole kernal corn (or 1 1/4 C frozen corn)
1-2 T chili powder (I do 1 1/2 T)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/4 C GF Flour blend**
1/2 tsp xanthan gum**
1/2 C cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 C oil
3 T cold water

1. In a large skillet brown meat and onion, adding beans when almost cooked. Add tomatoes, broth, corn, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and pour into a 2 qt baking dish (pie plate, 11x7, 9x9).
2. While the sauce is simmering make the crust by mixing the flour, xanthan gum, cornmeal, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add oil and mix with a pastry blender until mixed. Add water if too thick, it should be the consistency of soft, sticky, playdough. Cut 2 pieces of wax paper slightly longer than the pan you will be using (just worry about the length of the paper, the width of the paper is enough for all the pans). Place the dough between the paper and roll out to the size of the pan. Place pastry over sauce and cut a hole in the middle (I cut a few holes since I doubled the recipe and did it in a 9x13).
3. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30-35 minutes (longer (35-45 minutes if you double into a 9x13) or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
*Or 1 lb hamburger or 2 cans black beans
**For non-GF just use all-purpose and leave out the xanthan gum

I'm a Slacken

I haven't been the best at planning meals really since we moved. And do you know what that means? A lot of extra trips to the store, because my pantry is still lacking. I vow to do better.
Up for this week:
M--took what was left of the Costco chicken (see, not good) from last week and made chicken stock and chicken noodle soup
T--red beans and rice
W--ham, cabbage and potatoes (throw it in one big pot, my mom's alternative to casseroles)
Th--left overs
F--jambalaya
Sat--chicken pot pie
Sun--pork loin and potatoes

To cook for the week

This week is rather easy on the meals since today is my birthday and Brandon & the kids are leaving Thurs. morning to camp for the weekend and I am off on Friday for a weekend with my sisters and all our babies. Thus, this is what the weeks look like for us.

M - BBQ Bnls Country style ribs, Rosemary Potato Bundles (you must try these!), Steamed broccoli
T - Going out or having BBQ steak, baked sweet & regular potatoes & garden veggies
W - Tacos
Th - Tin Foil Dinners
F - Eating out with sisters
S - ????

Back to Cooking

School has started. Life needs to get back to normal and I need to stock up my pantry again. One thing I really hate about moving.
M--Went out to eat (our back to school tradition--so I can talk and listen about the day with no worries)
T--Tuna patties and couscous
W--pasta of some sort and salad
Th--cabbage salad
F--I might try this salmon pasta, it's been calling my name for a while now
Sat--I might see if this flies. I actually really like zucchini.
Sun--Baked potatoes

Meals of the week

I am renewing my efforts to plan meals this week and hopefully this month. This is the plan for the week:

Mon: Hot Dogs, Sauteed zucchini & croockneck and steamed green beans
Tues: Potato Logs and Squash Quiche with dilled cucumber slices and steamed beans
Wed: Chicken & Cheese Rollups with garden veggies
Thurs: Potato Bundles from Pioneer Woman (These look heavenly), Hamburger patties, garden veggies
Fri: Lasagne Casserole from the freezer made in my new oven (it is gas so I am still figuring out the oven part, but LOVE the stove!) and garden veggies
Sat: Tacos

I love summer with fresh veggies. Hopefully we will have corn on the cob by the end of the week.

I think I might cook . . . a little

So I have not really had to cook dinner for the last 3 weeks between my mom, the ward and a wonderful husband. Frankly, for most of that time, I have not felt up to it. However, I am starting to get back in the mood. Now if only my oven wasn't broken. That said, this is what I am thinking for dinner this week.

M - Grilled chicken with veggies & salad
T - Chef Salad with eggs, meat, veggies, etc.
W - Lasagne (the YW are bringing it on Tues along with taking my kids to the park. Love the YW!)
Th - Breakfast, probably pancakes & eggs
F - Grilled Burgers
S - Chicken Fajitas

Tempting recipe

I like beans. They are cheap and versatile. I thought I'd share this link for a recipe that looks good. Not up to making a menu yet, I'm still just trying to get organized and my pantry stocked. One thing is for sure, I definitely need to plan better. We are truly in suburbia and the grocery store is no longer just around the corner. No quick trips to get the forgotten item. Yikes!
Here's the recipe for black beans.

So sad...

It's the last week. I'm not really planning anything. I have one chicken left to roast. I think Anne Marie is going to inherit most of the hamburger/deer burger left, because I'm just not going to get it all used up. Other than that, I think I did pretty good. There is really nothing left to use up. All of the condiments I'll put in our cooler. We leave on the 30th and we can get into our house on the 1st. However, we don't get our stuff until the 2nd or 3rd. So that is our life in the next couple of weeks. This week we actually do have 4 nights of eating at other people's houses. The next week we get a per diem, so we'll be eating out. The kids are looking forward to that.

A bread site

So I've been busy doing...well life. We eat but mostly whatever is about. I just happened upon this great bread blog which has a similar idea to crockpot 365 (she just published a book!) only bread everyday for a year. YUM! They have a recipe for whole wheat sandwich bread. I plan on trying it just as soon as the heat drops below the 90's. Summer is in full swing and I am looking forward to hitting the West Coast to cool off later this summer.

Happy eating:)

Old Mother Hubbard...

That's who I feel like right now. There is not a lot in our cupboards and that makes coming up with dinners not fun. That's the reason I'm a big fan of food storage...there is always something with which to make dinner. I was told by the moving company it could be up to 5 days before they get us our stuff, which means I really need to use up as much of the stuff that I can. I have a plan for the condiments and stuff though. Anyway.
M--pot stickers or leftovers (yummy Alfredo pasta from a dinner that Phil's boss had on Sat, the kids didn't like it)
T--chili
Wed--chicken stir fry (Phil is done--no more overnight calls...ever!!! I'm celebrating by taking him cinnamon rolls in the morning because he finishes the year with a call day/post call day)
Th--rice with veggies and ham
F-Sun morning--with our friends at their cabin so we are sharing meals--I'm really looking forward to this!!!

Meals for this week

It is a good thing Sally started this blog since it forces me to have to think about dinner. Especially this week since I really just want to eat out. Do you ever feel they should bring meals in the week before you have the baby since your mom will be here the week after? Not that I can't I just don't want to. Anyway, this is what I think we will have, barring me breaking down and us eating out.

M - Fajitas (some friends are coming over and we are splitting the meal)
T - BBQ ribs in crockpot with baked potatoes
W - French toast and eggs
Th - Enchilada Casserole
F - Grilled Chicken & rice
S - Eating out because I'm lazy.
Sun - I don't cook meals on Sunday we just have leftovers
M - I AM HAVING A BABY!!!

Our Meals for the Week

It's been hectic in our family with JP's baseball season. Some nights we would eat at the ballpark. I love making homemade pesto, so if any of you ladies would like some, I have plenty to share. I like freezing pesto too.

Here is our week menu:

Monday: Grilled Chicken topped with homemade pesto(Basils from my garden)

Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad and homemade bread sticks( no noodles and bread sticks for Sean)

Wednesday: Honey Teriyaki Chicken with rice

Thursday: Shrimp and Rosemary or Pesto over pasta(over rice for my GF hubby)

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: Memphis Trip (Visiting the Fairey's) (JonJon at Pioneer Youth
Trek)

Have a great week y'all!!

Leftovers please??

I am trying to think of meals that will freeze well for the next few months. I made a huge batch of a lasagna casserole (recipe below) that was delicious. I made enough for 3 meals and froze the remaining 2/3 in 2 portions for after the baby and froze the Gluten free one in single portion sizes. This should be handy for when meals get brought in. I'm not too worried about food for Karissa, a year ago we had to have meals for about 2 weeks and everyone was wonderful but always good to be safe. I am trying to think of other things that freeze well so any ideas send my way. That said, this is the weeks meals:

M - Crustless spinach quiche (thanks Sally for the idea)
T - Enchilada Casserole (with plenty to freeze)
W - Breakfast for dinner, my husband is cooking since dinner will be served at Enrichment. I figure he can decide what kind of breakfast he wants to conquer.
Th - Meatloaf (I think I will make 2 and freeze one) and Baked Sweet Potatoes (for Karissa & I) and regular for everyone else. If I'm not too tired I might do twice baked sweet potatoes.
F - My Anniversary so we will go out. The kids will probably get quesadillas.
S - Something not GF since Dad & Karissa will be at Daddy-Daughter Date. I will have to see what I am in the mood for.

Lasagna Casserole
2 lb dry spiral noodles
1 24-oz container cottage cheese
1 C fresh spinach, coarsely diced
2 Tbsp fresh basil or 2 tsp dried
1/2 C parmesan Cheese, grated
2 jars of spaghetti sauce*
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese, grated

1. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and basil.
3. Grease a 9x13 pan or line with foil and grease.
4. Layer 1/2 C sauce then 1/3 cooked pasta, then 1/2 cottage cheese mixture and then a couple handfuls of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 1/3 pasta, sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture and a couple handfuls of cheese. Then layer remaining pasta, sauce and mozzarella cheese.
5. Grease one side of tin foil large enough to cover casserole dish. Cover dish tightly and bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more.

* or your own equivalent

This Week

With Summer time here, I find myself being a little less structured even to my meal plan. I'll make the stuff I list, just usually on different days. So with that in mind, here's the meals for this week:
1. pasta salad
2. homemade pizza
3. chili
4. omelets
5. roast chicken
6. something with the picked off meat from the chicken that is left over
7. tacos

Dinner for the week.

I have been racking my brain for something to eat this week and so far I am not real excited for the options. I am excited, however, that the Richters from Nashville are moving to Providence (about 2 3 miles away) on Tuesday. We are so excited to have friends from Nashville close! That said, this is what we are having.

M - Lasagna casserole & Salad-- I have a bunch of spinach that needs to be used before more is ready in the garden. Any suggestions of other uses for spinach other than pasta and salad. I am going to freeze some also. I don't know what to do when the lettuce is ready.

T - Tacos - Brandon's night to cook

W- Hamburgers or Chicken on the grill with veggies and salad

Th - Gunge (rice, peas & hamburger mixed together with soy sauce over top)

F & Sat - Vacationing to Salt Lake

I AM STILL HERE AND STILL COOKING!!!

I apologized for being too lazy to enter new post here, but I been reading what you ladies have been having. I been slacking in making menu, but I am still cooking. Sean is in Philadelphia for a few days, so the kids and I have been cooking food that we like. Here is our menu for the week.

Mon.- Grill Hamburgers serve with salad

Tues. - Lasagna and garlic bread

Wed. - Achievement Dinner( Making 10 sandwiches to the church)

Thurs. - BBQ Korean Beef serve with rice

Fri. - Date Night (kids fixing their own dinner)

Sat. - Left over

Sun.- Pork Loins with veggies

Summer time

Not much new here. Just gearing up for the move and enjoying the grill. Here's what I have planned for the week:
M--hamburgers and fruit
T--tuna patties
W--pasta with garden veggies (really wish they were from my own) and hamburger
Th--tuna patties-I might try grilling them...might have to do it with tinfoil though...any suggestions/experience
F--homemade pizza and fruit
Sat--pot stickers

Great Cookbook

Hey friends,

There's a great cookbook called What's for Dinner by Jana Schofield that I just received as a gift. It gives 6 months of meals to make and it goes day-by-day with a meal for each day. Anyway, it's great and helpful. Just thought I'd pass it along.

MDibb:)

End of May

We are eating but without much planning. Now that school is out I am finding that we don't eat dinner until nearly 7pm.

Sunday-French toast with strubarb pie for dessert with homemade ice cream (a short video tutorial)
Monday-Spaghetti
Tuesday-Hamburgers with raw veggies and baked potatoes
Wednesday-Apple puff pancakes with fruit
Thursday-Ribs...I've had these in the freezer for longer than I should have. Hopefully we can make them tasty.
Friday-?
Saturday-?

Day to Day

I haven't (and probably won't) plan a menu for the week but here's what we're eating tonight:

1. Fajitas.

Maybe we'll have spaghetti tomorrow... maybe not. Maybe tomorrow I'll peruse past posts and get some good ideas (like Sally chocolate cake) to fill a few weeks of meals... maybe not.

sj

What to cook?

So I am 4 weeks from baby --yeah! and I am trying hard to stay motivated to cook. Brandon told me he wants to start cooking dinner on Tuesday if I will tell him what to cook. For those that remember -- BRANDON DOES NOT COOK -- much. He got a little better during the first part of my pregnancy when I could hardly move from morning sickness and then severe joint pain, but he still struggles. That said, I am now VERY motivated to have meals planned, now just to decide what sounds yummy, or easy as the case is usually.

M - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (we have family coming for lunch and it will probably be a big one so we are going light on dinner).
T - BBQ country style ribs in the crockpot with salad.
W - Grilled Chicken Salad
Th - Haystacks (thanks MMDD for the idea)
F - Tacos
S - out of town

Blah!

Not really into cooking. I've now used up all our 'easy' meals, so I actually have to plan stuff or we don't eat. It also means I need to spend more than a few minutes in a grocery store. For the past couple of weeks it's been milk, eggs, fresh veggies and fruit.
M--hot dogs and fruit
T--spaetzla and a good salad
W--something for the kids, I'm going out
Th--veggie soup and bread
F--leftovers
Sat--grilled chicken
Sun--?

Great Cake

I'm not a chocolate cake eater. I never really have liked them, just because they never taste like chocolate to me. I love brownies for that reason. However, the rest of my family likes chocolate cake so I like to try new recipes to find a better version of it. A couple years ago my mom gave me this old baking book "A World of Baking". Perfect for me, because I love to bake more than I love to cook. In it are some really old and sometimes odd recipes, with the stories behind them. This is a fun book. My 2 favorite recipes from this book are a really great homemade brownie recipe and this recipe for sour cream chocolate cake. It tastes like chocolate and is dense.
I made the cake for Phil's birthday on Th. I put a little effort into it and it turned out looking so nice that he asked where I bought the cake. It was a 9"round layer cake. I wish I would have taken a picture. Really it was the frosting job that made it look store bought and that's where I also tried something new. Phil likes marzipan (almond paste) so instead of vanilla in the chocolate buttercream frosting, I added almond flavoring. It gave it that marzipan taste, especially with the chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. To decorate I melted some chocolate chips and wrote out happy birthday and some swirls on freezer paper and put them on the cake after they hardened. I also used my cake decorating tool I got in my stocking for Christmas a couple years ago, the triangle with different edges that you drag along to make a cake a little fancy looking. Piped on some swirly things on the edge and voila (I have no idea how you spell that), you have a fancy looking cake.
So here is the recipe. If you like your cakes a little dense, this is for you. It also stays really moist for quite a long time (at least long enough for us to finish off a cake).

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

**Have everything but boiling water at room temp**

1/2 c cocoa

3/4 c boiling water

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp bkg soda

1 c sour cream

1/2 c butter, softened

2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 large egg whites

Dissolve cocoa in the water and set aside to cool. Sift the flour with the bkg soda and set aside. Stir the sour cream into the cooled cocoa mixture and blend. Cream the butter and gradually add the sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and blend. Now add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat until batter is smooth. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter last. Turn batter into a buttered and floured 9x13 pan and bake in 300*F oven for 1 hour, or until the cake tests done. Cool in the pan on a rack. (2 9" round pans took 40 minutes). This is a great chocolate cake that tastes like chocolate.

DibbDInner

M- Tacos
T- Hawaiian haystacks
W-Tilapia and rice pilaf
Th-French Toast & Eggs
F-Fajitas

Enough with the Rain

I think it has rained 90% of the days in May so far and I've had enough. I'm ready for some sunshine our way. I want to be able to do some grilling too.
Took inventory of what we had in the freezer/pantry and came up with a list of things that I can make to use everything up, so basically I'm choosing from that list and eating leftovers as needed until it's all gone. Our neighbor also had a surplus of salad greens from their CSA and gave us a bunch so I'm trying to use those up as well.
M--tuna patties and salad with the works
T--salad and chicken of some sort (might grill if I can get some propane)
W--Weblos cookout-hot dogs and s'mores and banana boats
Th--Phil's b-day so he will have to tell me what he wants, probably enchiladas
F--creamed tuna
Sat--leftovers

Spring might be here????!!!!

This week we are suppose to be in the 70's and have no rain. I am so excited! We are getting our garden planted and I am getting so excited for the grocery store in the backyard and produce that tastes DIVINE! I have been wanting to grill and eat all the things we eat in the summer from the garden, unfortunately we are still a few weeks away. The lettuce, spinach, radishes & peas are just beginning to pop their heads above ground. So I guess I will just get to keep waiting, and meanwhile stick with grilling as much as possible and when not, just eat outside, which we are doing most days for lunch.

M - Frito Pie, a family favorite.
T - Grilled Chicken Salad
W - Rice, Chicken Burgers, Veggie
Th - Navajo Tacos, I am tempted to grill the bread dough (on tin foil of course to avoid Glutenizing the grill), but wonder if that would be as yummy. Any thoughts?
F - Date night, the kids will probably get grilled cheese or something similar.

It's May!?

I have no idea where the past month has gone. I had hoped to get so much more accomplished. But we are all still alive and mostly well! I am really starting to worry about my memory. I have to look at the calendar to know what we have eaten.

M-Grilled Cheese and tuna with raspberry milkshakes
T-Dinner at the PTO meeting (BBQ and hotdogs)
W-Hamburger soup with honey whole wheat bread
T-Pancakes
F-Something with rice, maybe chicken and veggie stir fry
S-Out so mac and cheese for the kids

Eames Meals May 4-May 9

I have to admit, I am actually in a cooking mood this week, or at least thus far. This is what I am planning for dinner.

M - Black Bean Salsa (Heather's) and Broccoli & cheese Quesadillas (should have had it T, but oh, well)
T - Enchilada Casserole in honor of Cinco de Mayo (Mexican 2 nights in a row, I am loving this week.
W - Spaghetti & Rosemary Bread
Th - Hamburgers on the grill with salad and something else, I might try a potato chip-like recipe my cousin gave me.
F - Shepherd's Pie (yes I'm copying, but it sounds so yummy!)
S - Breakfast

Swine Flu Holiday

Maybe you've all heard, maybe not but Matt and Miles have been out of school since last Thursday and won't go back until May 11th because of a confirmed case of swine flu in our school district. I've been thinking lots about Phil through all of this and imagining him being a spokes-person for the CDC on all the Sunday morning news shows. I would love to know if he is rolling his eyes about this whole thing or if he thinks it prudent to shut down a school system (and LDS church services btw) for over a week.

At any rate I have an unexpected house full all week long so we're trying to get some "summer time" stuff done. Matt spent the day building our "square foot garden" boxes and we're having some sort of harvest themed FHE tonight while we plant our garden although it's really cold and I might wimp out.

None of this has anything to do with what I'm planning for dinner but I thought you'd all like to know.

Here we go:

1. Shepherds Pie (I swear I thought of this before I saw it on Sally's post :))
2. Chicken and Cheese Ravioli (I got it from Costco because I succumbed to a coupon but I'm not sure what to do with it.)
3. German Pancakes
4. Dutch Oven Arroz con Pollo (I grabbed the recipe off the internet 2 minutes before posting this. I'm just need to practice using my dutch oven before summer camping trips.)
5. Who knows. I'm sure we'll be going to SL at least once this week... maybe hot dogs at Costco.

Happy Mother's Day to you all! I hope your kids do something fabulous for you and take you out to dinner. You all deserve it! I'm having an emotional week and miss all my Nashville friends...

Frustration Running High

So you know when you get stuck in a rut and then want to get out of it so you try new recipes...like really really good recipes (at least to you). Kind of like the people that feel ugly and go and buy a new outfit or you want to feel fit so you go run 5 miles. Well I did that the other night, the new recipe part, not the outfit or running, and boy did it bomb with the family. Okay, so only with Jakob and Sophia. Ethan put on a nice face for me, even though he didn't really like it. Phil liked it and so did Clara, at least the stuff I fed to her. The problem is, it's really good and easy and while a little pricey for every day use, it's do-able for a nice meal. Here's the recipe:
http://elise.com/recipes/archives/007434baked_shrimp_in_tomato_feta_sauce.php
Put together with a great spinach and strawberry salad with toasted sugared almonds and some really good bread. It was a great meal, if I do say so myself. So after getting really annoyed with the 2 (who really happen to be the most vocal and dramatic in our family), I really just want to take a week end night, put the kids to bed early after their dinner of raman and cook an amazing meal every once in a while. Heck, I would do it every weekend if Phil's schedule permitted it. While I like to eat out, I also really like to cook. This meal ran probably at about $15 total and fed 5 (all be it 3 were really small portions--they didn't like it after all), so it costs lots less than eating out and it would be fun to cook together with Phil. Whew! That's off my chest. But seriously, do you ever have times like that?
Here's the menu for the week:
S--cabbage salad
M--leftovers
T--chili
W--lasagna
Th--cream tuna
F--shepherds' pie
Sat--leftovers

I'm Here

I'm still here. Just finished checking my 100 emails from not having access for a week. Life has been interesting for us. Not really cooking that much this week, it being the end of the month and I'm just biding my time till payday. Plus there is a lot going on. Check out our blog for an update. Next week I'll be better.

Back from spring break

We actually got home last week but two days later Matt got on a plane for Memphis so it was a non-cooking week. But we're all home now so here we go:

1. Tuna Rice Casserole (I used to eat this all the time when I was kid but my family doesn't really like it. I'm not sure why I insist on making it.)
2. Taco Soup
3. Clam Chowder (It's still pretty chilly here so soup still sounds good. Snowed a couple of days ago and the ground was frozen this morning. Ya gotta love mountain living.)
4. Mixed Grain Casserole (Haven't tried this yet but I saw it again on Sally post)
5. Burritos
6. I'm looking for dutch-oven recipes in preparation for camping this summer...

Looking forward to spring...

Eames Meals Apr 27-May 2

This is what we are planning this week. The end of the week is a little iffy since we have 2 different things we are suppose to be at and don't know where we will be.

M - Crockpot Chicken & Potatoes with Green Salad
T - Ham & Biscuit Rolls with veggies
W - Grilled Chicken Burgers and Crashed Potatoes from the Pioneer Woman's Website with Veggies
Th - Sloppy Joes
F -????? Take Out?

My sister came up with this recipe and it sounds so yummy. She did it with roast, but I don't have leftover roast so I am using Ham. She also cooks GF so we both did & will make GF biscuits & regular and spread the meat mixture over both.

Ham & Biscuit Rolls
Leftover ham (or roast)
1 egg
1 C grated cheese
1 recipe BP biscuits

1. In a food processor grind meat until fine, add egg & cheese.
2. Make Biscuit Recipe and roll into a rectangle.
3. Spread meat mixture over dough and roll up. Cut into 1" slices and place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Bake at 400-degrees for about 12 minutes or until the biscuits are cooked.

On the Ball, Menu-wise

This is my first post on this blog, even though I've been a contributor for months now. Finally getting it together after morning sickness, and then gearing up normal life again.

For dinner this week:

1. Ravioli
2. Rosemary chicken with potatoes and probably a veggie
3. Taco salad
4. Marinated grilled pork and zucchini with rice
5. Mini pizzas on English muffins
6. Arepas with cheese, ham, and eggs (arepas are Venezuelan corn cakes that you stuff with whatever you want)
7. Leftovers or maybe even go out

I'm reticent to actually assign a meal to a day. I usually just go shopping for the week and then each night have whatever I'm in the mood for for dinner. Because I'm the one making dinner. :)

A menu change

So if I don't do this now I'll forget! I did forget to get the chicken out of the freezer so what to do...

Cue leftover turkey and lots of veggies to make stirfry. Then with lots of turkey still I made sour cream turkey enchiladas for the dinner tonight.

A little more sour cream done and leftover turkey gone.

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

A new recipe

I'm not anti-food but I haven't felt like cooking lately. Easter candy kind of threw off the food budget this week so I have to be creative.

M-Apple puff pancake (aka German pancakes with thinly sliced, peeled apples, use granny smith if you have them or another tart apple, and cinnamon)
T*-Veggie burgers with homemade buns and sweet potato chips
W-hot dogs with home made buns and smoothies (no spinach, which we love, but I do have mint which is great with pineapple and apples)
T-Rice and Roasted Chicken
F-dinner out--Kids get grilled cheese
S-Eggs in some form
S-Something tasty, maybe sweet and sour meatballs with veggies and rice

*So the kids didn't really like the burgers but they were a little dry and I didn't give them ketchup and mustard! We'll try again. I also topped the burgers with grated carrots, slice pickles, sauted mushrooms and zuchini. Super tasty. Oh and mozzarella. The seasoning was good, I don't think I added enough salt (too lazy to measure!) I think Tzatziki would be awesome on this. I just found a recipe for Edamae burgers. I'll have to try that one next.

The chips didn't crisp up as much as I wanted them too but they tasted good and the kids did like these. Less pepper though.

Week of plenty

So this week Phil has a pretty light schedule. Next week he's gone (to the conference and then he gets to find out/pick where we get to live the next 2 years--question is will anyone really want to visit us in Atlanta or are other places more appealing). After that week, it's back to the grind of residency and call nights and the such. So this week I plan on eating good since he'll be home for dinners. Next week will be kid-fare also know as ramen noodles and mac and cheese.
M--baked potato bar with the works--I think Clara ate more broccoli than Sophia or Phil, she actually would pick it over the peaches on her tray.
T--onion-chicken-egg stuff over rice (I really should learn the real name of that stuff-it's Japanese)
W--ravioli with a great salad and garlic bread
Th--mixed grain casserole with fruit salad
F--dinner with Phil's boss so the kids will probably get raman --their choice
Sat--cabbage salad with bread or rolls
Sun--leftovers

Hope you all had a lovely Easter!

Meals for the week

We are taking it very easy this week.

M - Leftover ham something, I'm thinking of hot stuffed potatoes with the ham
T - Eating out
W - Taco Soup
Th - Hot dogs
F - Ravioli (Plain GF pasta for K) with a tomato sauce. I'll either make one or just use one from the freezer, depend on the mood. Hopefully, I will get around to making Rosemary Peasant Bread.
S - BBQ chicken on the grill, weather permitting, with rice and veggies

I know Anne Marie has GF people in their house so I am passing along my Gluten-free version of Cynthia's Rosemary Peasant Bread. After searching and researching I finally adapted it for K. It turned out fabulous, my husband ate some not realizing it was GF and was suprised how good it tasted. Admittedly, so was I, since it was my first time adapting a yeast bread. Anyway, here is a link to my blog with the recipe.

Meals, Again

I am totally out of ideas for food lately, nothing sounds good but sugar. Anyway, this is what I am thinking for the week.

M - Tacos
T - Fried Rice with Chicken and sauce, haven't decided on the sauce
W - Crockpot Chili
Th - BBQ Chicken with Parmesean Noodles
F & S - Out of town for weekend to see my 2 new nephews. one more baby and its my turn!!!!!

What's for dinner, Mommy?

The question of the day at my house. What you fixing for dinner Mommy? After the tree fell on our house, I pretty much got busy doing house stuff. So menu planning went down the drain. But I still manage to fix meal every night. My hubby is still doing his Gluten Free diet. I don't mind it now, the kids and I are still eating our normal food and he just eat stuff that are Gluten Free. Menu planning helps me sometime, but I enjoy cooking without planning. I just open pantry, the fridge and freezer and I am able to cook healthy meal. I been cooking a lot of Filipino meals that are Gluten Free such as pancit by using rice noodles, adobo and etc...

For our Utah friends, I thought I would put pictures of Spring here in Nashville.



Menu for April 6 - April 13

Monday---- Chicken in a Pot with Veggies

Tuesday--- Beef Stragonoff (Gluten Free noodles)

Wednesday--- Chicken Enchilada(Made with Corn Tortillas)

Thursday ----Spinach Ravioli with spaghetti sauce

Friday ----Lumpia and Adobo

Saturday ----Left over(Every man for himself)

Sunday --- Easter Dinner ( Ham and the fixins) Friends over for dinner

Our time is dwindling

As I'm thinking about our meals, I keep thinking of the freezer/pantry full of food (by our standards, not a years supply standards) and wondering how I'm going to use it all up before we have to move. At least the perishables and most of the canned stuff. Right now our freezer has a lot of deer meat in it. Every time my mom comes down she brings us a lot of deer burger and this past time it was a lot. So that is what I'm trying to plan my meals around, which means not a lot of variety for the next 2 months (that is really how much longer we have here in Nashville. We are starting to get really sad.) Here it is:
M--chicken stir fry with rice
T--shepherd's pie
W--ravioli
Th--chili
F--We are going over to some friends house
Sat--tacos
Sun--hamburger soup
I really didn't stick to the menu last week because of some water problems in our apartment. We've had 4 fans/blowers and 1 dehumidifier going non stop for 3 days now and they make a lot of noise, so we tried to get out as much as possible.

Just checking in.

There is seriously something wrong with me. I can NOT get myself to plan a menu. I've been giving the kids a lot of eggs and toast and if I make something in the crock pot we eat it for three days. (Actually Matt bails after the 2nd night and eats cereal.)
I'm realizing that it has more to do with grocery shopping than cooking. I wonder, if it stopped snowing would I be more energized to get out and do stuff?
It made me sigh when I read Sally's post about the Nashville blooms being done. Our trees haven't even put on their spring buds.

Anyway, don't give up on me. I'm headed out of town next Wednesday so I probably won't post next week either but I'll be back on board when we return.

Meals Mar 30-April 4

I am late on the write, but this is what we have had are going to have.

M - Fajitas -- kind of -- we had leftover roast, rice, and refried beans that HAD to be eaten. So I took the roast and added peppers, onion, & tomatoes to it and seasoned it with garlic powder, chili pwder, cumin, oregano, & cilantro and we ate it with the refried beans and rice on tortillas. It was rather tasty.
T - Pizza -- I was worn out and my husband wanted pizza
W - Since it is April Fool's, we are having colored scrambled eggs, colored pears & applesauce and toast in funny shapes
Th - Pasta of some type
F - We are visiting friends for dinner and they are having chicken fajitas.
S - Don't know yet, we are still trying to figure out whether we are visiting family for the weekend or not.

April showers...

...hopefully bring May flowers. Everything seems to be done blooming here. I can't believe it is already April! That brings me to my question, does anybody do anything for April Fools? If so what and do you do anything in the food department? I'm trying to think of something fun, but not too over the top that would be hard to repeat from year to year. Any ideas?
That being said, here is my menu:
M-Costco chicken, rice and veggies
T-chicken, onion, egg stuff with rice and salad
W-maybe something for april fools, like meatloaf/mashed potato cupcakes
Th-fish of some sort, salad and couscous
F-raman and fruit salad
Sat-pasta salad and rhubarb pie (I love spring foods--if only I could get my family to love asparagus)
Sun-picnic in between sessions of conference. This tradition started when we had to go to the stake center to see conference about 30 minutes away(in those days we didn't have fast enough Internet and our building didn't have the satellite). We would go and have a picnic on the lawn outside and usually get fun things like good rolls, deli meat and cheese and pringles. It was really nice because Spring time in TN is beautiful as well as the Fall and we got to sit by the temple. Well now we only have to go to our building 3 miles away, but the kids look forward to the traditional picnic, so we still do it and usually have friends join us. We've also added a bag of Easter candy to the must haves of the picnic (in the spring at least) and if the kids can answer questions about conference they get some. It's become a nice tradition and makes me kind of never want to move to a place where we get it on tv (I don't think we will ever have cable).
Have a wonderful week!!!

Eames Meals March 16-21

So this is what I am thinking this week:

M - Chicken Enchiladas based on a recipe from allrecipes.com and sour cream cornbread (recipe below)
T - Meatloaf and green Mashed Potatoes with green beans or broccoli -- kind of St. Patrick'sy
W - Almond Meal coated Chicken Breasts with Rice Pilaf
Th - Cream of Vegetable soup with ham --Been craving this like crazy lately.
F - Breakfast for dinner

I got this from my Gluten-free recipe swap but it is fantastic and insanely easy to mix up. I actually made 2 batches tonight since I realized the first one wasn't going to be enough. I made muffins and they taste so yummy! I used sour cream and oil.

Nancy's Sour Cream Cornbread
1 cup of cornmeal
1 cup of buttermilk of light sour cream (I like to use the sour cream)
1/4 cup oil or bacon grease
1/4 t salt
1/8 t sugar, if desired
1/4 tsp each baking soda and baking powder
1 egg or equivalent of "egg beaters" or other substitute.

Mix up and bake at 425 till brown and risen. Time depends on whether you do muffins or a "cake".

This is Nancy's note with the recipe:
light as feathers!!!!
I like to cook this up in my "mini-muffins" pan..bakes really fast.

Menu for last week (I can only look back right now!)

Sun-dried tomato pesto! YUM! We made pizza two nights ago and I added the pesto to the sauce. Very tasty. I also put some on a slice sour dough bread and topped it with mozzerella cheese and broiled it. Tasty. I picked it up at Aldi's for $1.99/6oz. I just saw a recipe for oven-dried tomatoes so we could probably make this at home.



I need some help. I have a 5# tub of sour cream. What can I make????




M-Fajitas (recpie to follow)

T-Pizza with raw veggies

W-French Toast (recipe following)

T-Breaded fish with asparagus (lots and lots), carrots and rice

F-?

S-Omelets

S-Chicken Pesto Pasta


From Alton Brown (I love him!) This has more steps than I really like but it is SO good. I will just add cinnamon next time like I do with regular french toast.

French Toast
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 24 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 cup half-and-half (I used heavy cream because that's what I had)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread (do let it dry)
4 tablespoons butter

Directions
In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.


I've never been super successful with fajitas. Always turned out a little dry and lacking the depth of flavor you get in restaurants. I finally thought far enough ahead to marinade. I think I only let it marinade for 30minutes and it made a HUGE difference. I added fresh lime zest and juice while the meat cooked too.

Chicken Fajita Marinade
1/4 cup beer (not lite beer) ==I obviously omitted this and didn't replace it (may have added more oil.)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (skipped this too)
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour marinade over chicken in shallow glass, plastic or other non-reactive container (a 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag works well). Refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. Makes enough for 1 to 1-1/2 pounds of chicken (4 servings).

It's vacation time

Tomorrow is the day to clean out the fridge and eat all leftovers and perishables, because we are headed to UT on Tues. Everyone is really excited. It should be fun. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we make it on the plane. You see, I thought I'd 'buy' us an extra day of vacation by leaving right after Phil got off on Tues (6:20 flight) vs taking the same flight on Wednesday. Now he's telling me they have a full service and he's really hoping he'll get out on time. Like he has a choice...keep your fingers crossed.
Hope everyone has a good week!

I hear you Cynthia!

Um. So I haven't been planning anything lately. I have a few recipes that float around in my head always and I've been just doing that. Burritos, pizza, spaghetti etc...

I find that I need to just take a break from it all for a couple of weeks once in awhile so I don't lose it.

I feel bad about not contributing but it sure helps to read your posts.

I'm definitely going to try Sally's mixed grain casserole. Tomorrow morning I should be back to my semi-organized self!

It's a hit!

So the mixed grains casserole was a hit. I'm trying to find/try more recipes that use beans and grains vs meat. I thought this one was really good and even the boys said it was tasty. I did change it a little bit and I think it has a lot of possibilities. Here's the basic recipe:
Mixed Grain Casserole
2 medium carrots halved and thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 cup fresh small mushrooms, quartered
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 8 3/4 oz can whole kernel corn, drained, or 1 cup frozen corn
1 cup broth
1/2 c pearl barley
1/3 c snipped parsley
1/4 c bulgur
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 c shredded chedder cheese
Combine everything but the cheese in 1 1/2 qt casserole dish, bake, covered in 350* oven for 1 hour. Stir once half way through. Sprinkle with cheese, let melt and serve.

You can find the bulgar (loved the nutty taste) in the organic/natural section.

So here's how I changed it: Left out the mushrooms to Jakob's relief (didn't have any), but I think it would taste really good with GOOD mushrooms ie shitake(is that how you spell that?). I used the whole can of black beans and a 15 oz can of corn, so I put it in a 2qt dish and made everything else heaping measurements to add a little more of everything. I also didn't have parsley fresh or dried, so add about 5 shakes of cumin and some ground pepper. It made it more mexican tasting. I think you could play with the spices and come up with different tastes. I also sliced some olives to add as a topping, which tasted good. It made up for the lack of mushrooms. I got this out of the Better Homes and Garden cook book, so they might have some more suggestions. Enjoy!

Eames Meals Mar 8-14

This week my husband has had spring Break at Utah State and the University was "kind" enough to shut the entire school down and force everyone to take an unpaid vacation. Got to love budget cuts. That said, he has been very available so we have been painting and dinner has been somewhat thrown together. This is what we have had and are going to have:

M - Pineapple BBQ Chicken with Almond-Rice Pilaf -- sounds fancy but insanely easy.
T - Taco Salad
W - We went to the Draper Temple Open House and had Arctic Circle for dinner. Just found out they have GF options including fries YEAH!!!
Th - Heather's Black Bean Salsa
F - Date Night, we will probably give the kids leftovers and we will eat out, or have leftovers with them -- depends on how the painting comes
S - Crockpot Roast

Pineapple BBQ Chicken
4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts cut in half so you have 8 smaller pieces*
1 Bottle BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits drained

In a large oven proof pan (about 11x7) lay chicken breast pieces out. Pour about 3/4 bottle of BBQ sauce over the top. Dump drained pineapple over them. Cook in a 350-degree oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours (depending on when the chicken is ready to eat and you are ready to eat it).

Almond-Rice Pilaf
4 C water*
4 bouillon cubes*
2 C basmati brown rice
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/3 C slivered almonds

Bring water and bouillon cubes to boil. Add rice and parsley. Reduce heat and cook for about 50 minutes. (I reduced to simmer so it didnt' burn like it did last time since I was busy painting and didn't want to forget about it and it took about 1-1/2 hours - so don't reduce too low if you are on a time crunch) When cooked, remove from heat, toast almonds and stir into rice.
*or 1 quart broth

I'm back!!!

Life without a computer=disconnect with the world. I haven't forgotten you all though. Without a computer I had a lot more time though and I think I got a lot done. Lesson learned though, always back up your files!
Menu for this week:
M-picnic to celebrate SPRING! rolls, deli meat, cheese, cantelope and cheetos (sorry you UT folk, it was 80 degrees here)
T-fish sticks and homefries
W-mixed grain casserole and fruit salad (I'll let you know how it is received and tastes, it's a recipe from BHG and if it turns out I'll post the recipe)
Th-roast chicken
F-chicken noodle soup
Sat-pot stickers
Sun-baked potato bar
OK, now I need to get back to installing/restoring more data.

Are we supposed to be eating?

Seriously, I think I've given up on food for now. I haven't made a meal plan in two weeks and I'm just kind of flying by the seat of my pants. This means that last night we had Quiche because I was out shopping (fabric and shoes:) and it was still frozen when the family wanted to eat. Oops. We had chicken soup two days in a row because it was easy. I think my family is getting the necessary nutrition but maybe not. I know we aren't getting all the food groups according to the pyramid.

M-Quiche with grilled cheese and carrot and celery sticks
T-Spaghetti with rosemary bread
W-Rice with something!

That's as far as I seem to be able to get. Anyone else feeling the same way? Maybe it's the longing for fresh produce that isn't trucked in from far away. I'm in a starchy rut. Sigh.

hole mole-y

seriuosly ya'll are good! i'm reading these old posts and am quite impressed. i haven't a clue what's for dinner any day of the week nevermind a week in advance- hmmm, that's something to ponder. cynthia has been trying to get me to plan this stuff for years- and mostly i'm surprised that each day i have to feed my family AGAIN!

great stuff- sally, thanks for letting me be an eavesdropper even if i don't post-- because really who wants to know how much take out we actually consume (said while eating leftover vindaloo chicken from Sitar - last night's dinner)

Nagel Feb 23rd - March 1st

I feel like the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Frantically hopping around without getting much accomplished.

1. Chicken Stir-fry
2. Chicken Fajitas with beans and rice
3. Corn Chowder and french bread
4. Spaghetti and salad
5. Spinach, Artichoke Pizza

Eames Meals Feb 23-28

So I know this is really early compared to other posts, but someone just suggested a dinner on my GF recipe swap group that I must make next week and I didn't want to forget. So this is what I am planning -- subject to change, of course.

M - Salisbury Steak, buttered noodles & veggie (doesn't that sound yummy!)
T - White Chili & (hopefully) cornbread
W - Shepherd's Pie -- I have Activity Days and I can prepare this ahead of time, now just to do it.
T - Pigs in a Blanket -- saw this on one of Sara's posts and it sounds so good right now
F - Fondue Night (I think) with cheese, broth/oil and chocolate courses -- we have a tentative Fondue night planned with two other families. We did this several weeks ago with one of the families and had such an enjoyable time we are doing it again and adding another family that loves fondue.
S - Leftovers

Eating and batch cooking

I don't have anything actually planned for the first 3 days of the week but I do have food planned for my sisters visit. So let's see where to start...



M-Tacos

T-Probably chicken soup with homemade bread (the wheat grinder just came in!)

W-Mac and cheese (I have to teach the youth dinner etiquette--way too much prep)

T-Tortilla Pie with rice and salad

F- Lasagne with Rosemary bread

Sa-Eating out

Su-Turkey dinner!

Eames food for the week

So I'm in a better cooking mood but not much. I swear this pregnancy is going to kill me -- Or at least cripple me. Oh, yeah, already does that most days. :) Anyway, this is the plan.

M - Frito Pie
T - Taking my MIL out to eat
W - Crockpot pork roast or something else in the crockpot-- we have class party, parent-teacher conferences, and book club. I was suppose to do Activity Days too but since there was a Primary Activity that got canceled. YEAH for small miracles.
Th - Pasta and Cynthia's Rosemary Bread. I am hoping to get a GF version made as well.
F - Valentine's Date kids get leftovers
S - German Pancakes

February Already?!

Okay, so I thought I had meals all planned out but they've changed. Shocking but true. Also my sister and her family are coming next week and so I need to adjust the plan and make some bulk food this week so we have more time to play. I'm trying not to stress about "entertaining" them. But that is another post that has nothing to do with food. On to the menu for this week (which I just noticed is half over. OY!)

M-I can't remember...and no leftovers. Hmmm...
T-Grilled cheese and tomato soup (made with a can of diced and a can of stewed tomatoes blended with milk added at the end. The boys liked it)
W- Spaghetti with rosemary bread (maybe)
Th-Pizza (haven't made it yet)
F-Fish (didn't make that either)

That's as far as I got this week.

What day is it? Nagel Feb 2 - Feb 8

First, I will tell you a story.

I was working on the computer trying to get my taxes started when the "bus alarm" on my cell phone went off. The bus alarm goes off at 11:38 telling me that I need to put Owen's coat on him grab his back pack and walk out the door.
The alarm startled me. Owen had just gotten out of the bathtub, I had not made lunch, I had no idea where his back pack was and the bus was coming.
I miraculously got him on the bus in time without him collapsing into a tearful fit but that's not the point.
The point is, I completely forgot it was Monday. Who does that? What kind of mother forgets that her kid goes to school? I'm seriously losing it.

1. Baked Zete
2. Orange Almond Chicken
3. Papa John's pizza from a fund raiser
4. Burritos
5. Meat loaf and roasted veggies

I have 4 more days before my credit card cycles... I'm anxious to replenish my fruit bowl.

Eames family menu

So I am having a "Why do I have come up with something and then cook it every night" week. I am so NOT in the mood to cook. I know, whine, whine, whine. That said this is what we are having -- I think.

Mon -- Tacos
Tues -- Shepherd's Pie, I'm going to attempt in the crockpot. I am too tired to cook now, I know it will only be worse by tonight. Don't you love pregnancy!
Wed -- 4 Cheese Pasta Bake, I have some cottage cheese that froze in the back of the freezer so it has a wierd texture. I am hoping baking it will solve the problem.
Thurs -- Going out, the kids will get leftovers or quesadillas
Fri -- amd's Chicken Adobo, but I am going to do it in a crockpot. I think it should work. The Crockpot Lady has a chicken adobo on her site, but I am sticking with the one I already love!

New Month means grocery shopping today

Sun--lasagna and salad
Mon-left overs
Tues--luku (Jakob's turn to help and he picked something out of an east african cook book from the library)
Wed--lentil soup
Th--chicken and black bean crockpot recipe
Fri--mac and cheese for kids, Phil and I are hopefully going out
Sat--pizza

Determined to NOT go to the grocery store. Nagel dinners Jan 26th - Feb 1st

1. Stroganoff
2. Pizza
3. Chicken Tortilla Soup (recipe below)
4. Pigs in a Blanket
5. Meatloaf and Roasted Veggies

Man, if my budget rolled over the 1st of the month I'd be in great shape BUT my budget follows my credit card cycle. Which means I have to stretch my remaining pennies until the 6th of February. A super large Costco trip at the beginning of the month is making it especially difficult to stay within budget.
Amazingly, the only things I need for this week's menu are an avocado and tortilla chips. Next week? We'll see.


Chicken Tortilla Soup
from the cookbook "Favorites"

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 c water or chicken broth
2 T sugar
3 t chili powder
1 t salt
1/2 t oregano
1 4 oz can diced green chilies
2 c cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

Combine in large saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes.

serve with:
sour cream
chopped avocado
sliced olives
grated cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

Yes, the end of the month

January is always a slim month for us yet I never seem to plan for it. I was going to cook a roast last night so we could have fajitas tonight but I finally made sushi instead. So what to make with what's in the house...



M--Beef Vegetable Soup with biscuits (didn't make it last week)

T--Sheppard's Pie (need to use some potatoes)

W--Hamburgers with home fries

T--Chicken noodle soup with bread

F--Spaghetti

Sa--Pizza

Su--Mystery meal (meaning I have NO idea right now!)

It's the end of the month...

...And that means the bare minimum when it comes to dinners.
Here it is for this week-
Sun--German pancakes and cut up strawberries-Kroger had them for 99c a quart.
Mon--homemade pizza
Tues--roasted chicken and potatoes
Wed--spaghetti
Th--chicken noodle soup and bread
F--left overs
Sat--chicken butternut squash soup--recipe I found in the current issue of Better Homes and Gardens It probably won't be a big hit with the kids, but I thought it sounded good.

Here's my dilemma, I need packed lunch ideas. The kids are about to rebel with the mundane lunches I pack. What do you do for lunch?

Eames Meals Jan 26-31