Showing posts with label Menu Monday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Menu Monday. Show all posts

November 8, 2010

Mulligatawny Soup

So I had plans to post Menu Monday today but to be honest, I don't have a menu.  The past few days have been crazy and I have not had the time to create a menu, a list or go shopping.  I think grocery shopping is going to happen tomorrow!  We are in desperate need of some fresh veggies around here.  In lieu of Menu Monday I am going to give you one of my favorite recipes.  It is for Mulligatawny soup.  It is really easy to make and very filling.  Enjoy and have a wonderful week!

Mulligatawny Soup (I always double or triple this recipe because one batch is just not enough.) (I cannot take credit for this recipe ~ I got it off the interent somewhere and stupidly did not write down the source.  Sorry to the creator... I have adapted it from the original though.)
1/2 c. diced onion

1 diced carrot
2 stalks diced celery
1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. curry powder
4 c. chicken stock
1/4 c. tart apples, diced, peeled
1/2 c. steamed white coconut rice (recipe below)
1/2 c. diced, cooked chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/2 c. hot cream

In a rice steamer (or saute pan -however you make your rice) add rice then for the liquid add half coconut milk and half water.  Usually I do 2 cups of white rice, two cups of coconut milk (one can) and two cups of water.

While the rice is cooking...

Saute onion, carrot, celery and butter lightly, but do not brown. Stir in flour and curry powder; cook for 3 minutes. Pour in chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add apples, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15 minutes longer. Immediately before serving, stir in hot cream.

In a soup bowl place desired amount of rice in your bowl then ladle the hot soup over the rice.  I like to think of this as a type of stew.

** The recipe is great the way it is above but my preference is to have a little bit thicker soup since I am eating it over rice. I usually take about 1/2 cup of soup liquid out and mix 2Tlbs. cornstarch with it.  Then I add it back into the soup.  It thickens it enough for me.

November 1, 2010

Menu Monday 11.1.10

Here it is for this week!

Monday - Mulligatawny Soup  I first had this soup at a living nativity last year.  It was so yummy.  A combination of two of my favorite flavors - thyme and curry powder.  I will be posting the recipe next week!

Tuesday - Food Networks Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables

Wednesday - Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken Tacos with Red onion and gouda cheese

Thursday - Out to dinner

Friday - Chicken Florentine Ring

Saturday - Hominy loaf with a side salad

Sunday - My Mother-in-Laws Baked Ziti

October 25, 2010

I knew it

Last week when I posted for Menu Monday I had some hesitation.  I hesitated on putting Homeade chicken noodle soup on my menu.  When it came to mind I thought, "I hope this doesn't mean that I am going to be sick on the day I have this soup planned."  Then I thought, "Well that is silly, what are the chances?" "I haven't had this in a while and it is perfect soup weather so we are going to have it." "Just because I like it when I am sick doesn't mean I am going to be sick!"

Guess what?


I starting getting sick on the day I had the soup planned! 
The good thing is that I wasn't too sick to make it on the day planned. So we still had it and it hit the spot.

 I haven't been able to beat this bug.  Actually it got better then it was gone for a day then it came back and got worse and now I am still feeling pretty yucky.  Today is better than yesterday which was spent mostly on the couch.  So needless to say - I don't have a menu to post today.  I haven't felt like devoting the mental energy to creating one so this week we are going to fly by the seat of our pants!

By the way I have to tell you that Susie's To Die For Crock Pot Roast was so so, so yummy.  Actually I had some leftover roast today on some buttered toast for lunch!  I have never tasted meat so flavorful - especially a roast. It was also so juicy and tender, no dryness at all!

Do you want the recipe?  It is SO easy!  Let me ask Susie if I can post it or if she can on her blog and I will let you know.  Seriously this is THE best roast I have ever had! You've got to try it!

Have a joyful week!  In fact why not Feast on Joy this week?

October 18, 2010

Menu Monday 10.18.10

I love food!  God gave us such wonderful foods and I am so grateful for the variety we have and the abundance.  I do not take it for granted!  We prepared and ate everything planned last week except the veggie quesadillas.  I should of had those on Sunday but I ran out of steam.  It was a tough day.

The best meal last week were the mini tacos.  Corbin ate FOUR of them!  They were so yummy.
Really they were simple.  It all started with the cute little mini tortillas I found at Costco.  These were smaller than fajita size.  Think street taco size.  What made these extra special good was that I toasted them on a griddle then I added cheese and let it melt.  Then I added the meat to that and folded them while they were still on the griddle.  I put all of them on a platter and then let everyone stuff them at the table with their own choice of fixins'.  The crunch of the outside of the tortilla and the melted cheese made them really different and tasty.  Everyone loved them!  I can't wait to make these again. It is so funny I am on this taco kick.

So here's the plan for this week:
Monday - Benihana Chicken Fried Rice from my cookbook "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" by Todd Wilbur
Tuesday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup I crave this when I am sick but the problem is that when I am sick I can't make it.  Awwh, poor me.  
Wednesday - Susie's To Die for Crockpot Roast with roasted potatoes and veggies
Thursday - Spaghetti and Meatballs with garlic bread
Friday - Homemade Pizza and a Caesar salad
Saturday - Dry Rub BBQ baby back Ribs with veggies and mashed potatoes
Sunday - My Homemade Minestrone Soup

October 11, 2010

Menu Monday 10.11.10

Happy Monday!
I managed to make everything I set out to make last week accept for Split Pea Soup.  For that night we ended up going out to Bj's Restaurant and Brewhouse.  We are not drinkers, we go there for their food which is excellent!  Steve an I enjoyed a deep dish pizza and we all had their tasty nachos for an appetizer.

Last week Paula's chicken pot pie turned out exceptional.  The crock pot beef stew was flavorful and the meat was tender. It was hearty and filling! I made the broccoli cheese soup and it wasn't my favorite.  The process which the soup was made was not right. You add the flour into the broth rather than make a roux to start with. It tasted good but the texture was off.  I will try a different recipe next time I make this.  I do love broccoli cheese soup and I want to find the most excellent recipe.

Here is this weeks menu:
Monday - Cheese Tortellini with Marinara sauce and a side Caesar salad
Tuesday - Bobby's goulash
Wednesday - Mini turkey tacos - I found these cute little mini tortillas at Costco last week and I can't wait to use them
Thursday - Rotisserie chicken, roasted red new potatoes, steamed cauliflower
Friday - Veggie Quesadillas
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Split Pea Soup with crusty bread

I am looking for new crockpot recipes.  I have been doing tacos a lot the past few weeks because there are so many variations that you can do am we like them. Soon I want to do a barbecue chicken taco just like the pizza but in a taco - you know gouda cheese, cilantro, red onion, etc.  Anyway, can you share with me your favorite crockpot recipe?  I am in need of some new ones that have been tried and liked.

Cheers to another week. Happy cooking!

October 4, 2010

Menu Monday 10.4.10

I was able to cook a bit more this week.  Here is a recap:
Monday - Spinach Lasagna with garlic bread and a side salad  We use a spinach souffle in this to make it creamier and add some vegetable to it. My mom made this and did a great job!

Tuesday - Chicken Florentine Ring (a yummy, easy recipe from my friend Reina) So easy and quick - I taught my Dad to make it this time.
Wednesday - Teriyaki Chicken Tacos (Island's Restaurant Style) These turned out really yummy.  Just like Islands Restaurant except the chicken was shredded instead of chunks.  MMM I wan't some more right now!
Here is the recipe:  Take 3-4 chicken breasts (depending on how many people you have to feed) and put them in your crock pot. Cover them with your favorite teriyaki sauce.  Add 1 chopped onion and about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of pineapple.  Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours.  Shred the chicken with a fork and serve with the following fixings:  Fajita Size tortillas (not soft taco - they are too big), monterey jack cheese that must be put on the bottom of the tortilla (under the chicken), lettuce, tomatoes, and more cut up pineapple that is not soaked with the teriyaki sauce. I am sorry I meant to take a picture but I got so excited about eating them that I forgot!
Thursday - Albondigas Soup It was a prefect day to have soup because it was raining.  Even my one year old ate this.
Friday - Chicken Pot Pie (probably Paula Deen style - comfort to the max) Didn't get to this we ate out instead
Saturday - Split Pea Soup and Crusty Bread (providing our weather is not 113 degrees!) Didn't to this because we had some family in town and I needed a casserole to serve more people.  I made the tamale pie instead. I just used the recipe from the back of the Albers Cornmeal Box.  It was different but good and really tasted like there were tamales in the chili. I would make this again.

Sunday - Tamale Pie We ended up getting Chinese take out.  Yummy!

So here is the plan for this week:
Monday - I think I am finally going to get to making Paula's Chicken Pot Pie.  I had this at her restaurant, The Lady and Sons in Savannah and it was to die for. I got to meet her sons Jamie and Bobby Deen too.  They were so nice and even held Corbin who had a poopy diaper at the time - nice timing! Here's the proof...

Tuesday -Split Pea Soup with Crusty Garlic Bread
Wednesday -Mom's Crock Pot Stew
Thursday - A version of Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday and Sunday - honestly I am not sure for Saturday and Sunday yet.  It has been such a crazy weekend with Cody's first birthday party and family coming into town that this is all I have for now.

Now the next goal is to get the shopping done for some of the ingredients that I am missing for this week!  Aggh! It will get done, it always does.
Have a wonderful week friends!

September 27, 2010

Menu Monday 9.27.10

Half of my menu from last week kind of, well, didn't happen.  My mom did make the chicken chile cheese casserole and I did make Pioneer Woman's BBQ meatballs.  They were both REALLY yummy and really comforting and I NEED comfort food now.  I think we all do here.  I also did make the chicken soft tacos in the crock pot.  They turned out very tasty and as always it was nice to come home to a dinner already cooked and just waiting to eat!  I used the leftover chicken from this recipe to make Jessica Seinfelds Tortilla Cigars from her cookbook Deceptively Delicious.  I own this cookbook and even though it is packed in storage right now I remembered this recipe to use for my leftover shredded chicken.  They look more orange because they have carrot puree in them.  That's the whole premise of her book is hiding veggies in food so that your children will eat them.
 
Tortilla Cigars (now personally I would rename this - especially since it is a meal made to be appealing to children. I do not want "cigars" to be appealing to my children.)




So we pick up half of last weeks menu to start this week.  This is kind of nice because it was a bit less planning for me and I already have a lot of the ingredients.

Monday - Spinach Lasagna with garlic bread and a side salad
Tuesday - Chicken Florentine Ring (a yummy, easy recipe from my friend Reina)
Wednesday - Teriyaki Chicken Tacos (Island's Restaurant Style)
Thursday - Albondigas Soup
Friday - Chicken Pot Pie (probably Paula Deen style - comfort to the max)
Saturday - Split Pea Soup and Crusty Bread (providing our weather is not 113 degrees!)
Sunday - Tamale Pie

September 20, 2010

Menu Monday 9.20.10

Monday - Chicken Chili Cheese Casserole (one of our family favorites)
Tuesday -  BBQ Meatballs by Pioneer Woman and Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday -  Chicken Soft Tacos  (a crock pot idea from my friend Tara!)
Thursday -  Lasagna with Garlic Bread and Salad
Friday  - Chicken Florentine Ring (a yummy, easy recipe from my friend Reina)
Saturday -  Albondigas Soup
Sunday -  Leftovers or get take out
Monday -  Chicken Pot Pie (probably a recipe by Paula Deen)
Tuesday - Tamale Pie

September 7, 2010

Menu "Monday"

I did it again!  I didn't post my menu on Monday.  I kept thinking yesterday was Sunday!  So sorry.

Well here it is for one week this time.  I have not had time to do a two week one
This week is a bit "off" because some activities are starting and it is my birthday!  Yay! 

Monday - we had a nice early birthday celebration at my in-laws with homemade hamburgers and coleslaw with a cupcake cake.  Yummy!

Tuesday - Remember that Rotisserie chicken my dad made?  Well we used the leftovers to make chicken fajita tacos with all the fixing's.  They turned out wonderful because the chicken was so tender.

Wednesday - Tostadas

Thursday - Out to dinner with my parents for a birthday celebration.  We are going to a Japanese steakhouse.  It has become a tradition. 

Friday - Off to one of my favorite cities with my boys - San Clemente.  One of the main reasons we go up there is for an out of this world Italian food restaurant named Sonny's.  They have the best gnocchi and garlic bread I have ever had.

Saturday - San Clemente (probably eating at one of my favorite Crepe places)

Sunday - San Clemente

So needless to say I am probably going to be tipping the scales when I start next week but it will all be worth it! Is there a problem with living to eat?

Remember Goliath?
He ended up making four loaves of Zucchini Bread and also getting cut up for the Grilled Chicken kabobs last week.  Wow!  I will say thought that the bigger a zucchini gets the more it starts to to resemble a pumpkin.  The skin is very tough (you can't use it) and there are a lot of seeds.  Even with that being said it still help make a lot of yummy dishes.

September 5, 2010

Where I have been and Menu Monday Recap

Hello my friends.  I have been a bit absent the past week.  I am sure this will happen from time to time.  Although I would love to be able to post every day I just can't do it.  Life just happens.  Last week was up and down and all around.  We started to get into a routine with school and then we had a homeschool outing planned which was nice but made things a bit more chaotic.  I suppose this is something I will eventually get used to in future years of homeschooling.  God is teaching me one of the character qualities we are learning about in Corbin's school - flexibility.  There were times at night last week where I just wanted to curl up on the couch and just watch my TV shows too.  And I did (when the kids are sleeping of course.)  Now I don't normally do this but I was physically and mentally drained last week and just zoned out for a bit. Night time is normally a time when I would blog. Anyway that is in a nutshell where I have been.

Here is my menu recap for the past two weeks with some pictures and recipes. This is different from my original post (two weeks ago) because I had to be flexible on a few nights and change it up. If you try any of these or would like a recipe to any of these let me know!

Monday - Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with marinara sauce, garlic bread and salad  I use the Costco raviolis and Ragu sauce.  This is a simple easy meal.  If I don't make it with marinara then sometimes I make a creamy pesto sauce with walnuts.  I will post about that sometime.

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs with rice  I love grilled veggies and chicken with buttered white rice.  The grill brings out wonderful aromatic flavors that taste so good.  I marinated these in a Lawry's marinade and I always put pineapple on my kabobs.  There is nothing better.
Wednesday - Mini Meatloaves, mashed potatoes, and corn This is a family favorite and feeds a lot.  It is a unique way of making meatloaves and they are full of flavor and have a great texture. I use BBQ sauce for all of them except in two which I use ketchup for guess who? Corbin! The crispiness of the cheese on top is yummy!  I have the recipe for you here.  BTW - this is a Kraft recipe. I am sure you can find it on the Kraft website.




Thursday - Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with a side salad I had this on a visit to my Uncle and Aunt's house recently and it was so comforting, creamy and cheesy. 
  
Friday - Homemade Meatball sandwiches An easy "go-to" recipe for me to make.  Trader Joe's meatballs, some Hoagie buns or Hot Dog buns, your favorite marinara sauce and lots of Mozzarella.  We don't usually have left overs with this which is why I made it on a Friday because I don't need leftovers for Steve's lunch the next day.


Saturday - Out

Sunday - Mom's Crockpot pork chops with white rice and a salad  Now let me say - I don't generally like pork.  It just has a "porky" taste.  However my Mom makes these pork chops and they don't have that "porky" taste and they end up really tender.  She uses boneless pork chops. She does a great job.

Monday - Bobby's Goulash (as in Bobby Deen, Paula Deen's son) with Garlic Bread  Well, in my opinion, anything Paula Deen makes needs no explanation, it is always just plain good.  This is a winner.  If you have a smaller family or smaller eaters then make a half recipe because a full recipe will yield a lot of food.  It makes really good leftovers though.  One of those dishes that is even better the next day.

Tuesday - Chinese Chicken Salad  I love this salad.  The first time I had it was when it was brought to us for a meal after I had Corbin.  It is filling and the dressing has a sweet tangy taste.  You make your own dressing for this and I love that because you don't have all the preservatives that most store bought dressings have.  The recipe comes from Todd Wilbur's book - Top Secret Restaurant Recipes and it is "Applebee's Chinese Chicken Salad."


Wednesday - Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (a recipe by Campbell's) with homemade refried beans and Spanish rice Our all time favorite enchilada recipe at our house.  This is a dish I bring to friends who have had babies and more often then not they ask me for the recipe.  Everyone seems to like it. I like it because it uses chicken and not ground beef.  Personally if I prefer shredded beef in beef enchiladas rather that ground beef.  I like all of the above but that is just a personal preference.
Thursday - Out

Friday - Out (I had such a hectic day that I really did not feel like cooking dinner.  We are blessed we were able to eat out again.)

Saturday - Turkey hot dish  I got this recipe from on of my favorite recipe websites - www.tastykitchen.com. I did adapt this recipe a bit because I don't know what "veg-all" is so I just added some red bell pepper.  You could put any veggies you like in it.  I also did not have tater tots but I had the flat hashbrown patties.  I cooked these halfway and crushed them up for the top. 

Sunday - My Dad got a new rotisserie for his grill so he is testing it out as I type.  He is making rotisserie chicken and we are making Aarti's roasted new potatoes with thyme (one of my favorite herbs).  We are also roasting carrots, asparagus and onions.  Yummers!

Hope to see you here tomorrow for the next one or two week menu plan.
Happy Labor Day!

August 30, 2010

Menu Monday 8.30.10

Here is an update for this week.  I will do a two week recap next Sunday or Monday.
(A bit has changed for this week)

Sunday - Mom's Crockpot pork chops with white rice and a salad
Monday - Bobby's Goulash (as in Bobby Deen, Paula Deen's son) with Garlic Bread
Tuesday - Chinese Chicken Salad
Wednesday - Pioneer Womans BBQ meatballs with mashed potatoes and a side veggie
Thursday - Out
Friday - Chicken, chili, cheese casserole
Saturday - Turkey hot dish
Sunday - Creamy Chicken enchiladas

August 23, 2010

Menu Monday 8.23.10

Happy Monday to you!

Here is our planned menu for the next two weeks.

Monday - Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with marinara sauce, garlic bread and salad

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken and Veggie Kabobs with rice

Wednesday - Mini Meatloaves, mashed potatoes, and corn

Thursday - Homeade Macaroni and Cheese with a side salad

Friday - The BEST veggie quesadillas with BBQ mustard dipping sauce

Saturday - Out

Sunday - Chicken, chili, cheese casserole

Monday - Mom's Crockpot pork chops with white rice and roasted veggies

Tuesday - Bobby's Goulash (as in Bobby Deen, Paula Deen's son)

Wednesday - Chinese Chicken Salad

Thursday - Pioneer Womans BBQ meatballs with mashed potatoes and a side veggie

Friday - Out

Saturday - Creamy Chicken enchiladas

Sunday - Turkey hot dish

Whew!  That is a tall order but this menu will provide us with hearty meals and a lot of left overs.  Most of these are family favorites. 

August 22, 2010

Menu Monday Recipe Recap

This week was a success.  I actually made every recipe I set out to make.  It was fun because I got to try new recipes and use my family as Guinea pigs.  They loved it. All the recipes were very easy to make as well.  I did forget to take a picture of the crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili. That was a crazy day.  I wouldn't make it again anyway because I have had better White chili and the recipe did not make that much. I should say that all recipes posted here are from my cookbook Slow Cooker Casseroles and More by Publications International, LTD.

Recap:

This is not a new recipe and I do not follow a recipe for this.  I buy potstickers and Sweet Chili Sauce from Trader Joe's .  The sweet chili sauce is a MUST.  It is so good to dip the potstickers in. I cook the potstickers according to their package.  Then I just put my own mix of fresh veggies in a saute pan and add whatever sauce I like.  This particular night it was coconut oil with some Hoisin sauce.  *Be careful with Hoisin sauce though because it is extremely high in sodium.  My family really enjoyed this dish Steve even got seconds on veggies.




Chicken and Biscuits
¼ cup butter
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into half inch pieces
½ cup chopped onion
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 14 oz can chicken broth, divided
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 pkg. frozen peas and carrots (I did not use frozen because I don't like frozen carrots)
1 (12 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, thyme, paprika and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Combine ¼ cup chicken broth with flour. Stir until smooth. Set aside. Add remaining chicken broth to skillet; bring to a boil.  Gradually add flour mixture; stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Simmer 5 minutes. Add peas and carrots; continue cooking 2 minutes (I cooked this longer since I used fresh carrots.) Transfer to 1.5 quart baking dish. Top with biscuits. Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Makes 4-6 servings (If I make this again I would add some heavy cream to the filling.)


Lentil Stew over couscous
1 Cup dried lentils
2 Tlbs. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium ribs celery, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, sliced (I used a yellow, I am not to fond of green ones.)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup canned tomato puree (I used canned tomato sauce)
1/2 cup water (ended up adding more towards the end)
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cups - 2 cups hot cooked couscous
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (didn't use this)

Rinse lentils thoroughly in colander under cold water, picking out any debris or blemished lentils; set aside.
Heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion; cook until tender. Add celery, bell pepper, lentils, chicken broth, tomato puree, water, marjoram, salt and pepper to onion.  Bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally,  Add addt'l water if lentils are not tender and mixture becomes dry.
Serve over couscous and top with cheese if desired.
(I had to double this recipe for our family)


Fiesta Beef Enchiladas
8 oz. ground beef (I used grass fed, organic)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (left these out, my Dad doesn't like them)
2 tsp. fresh minced garlic
1 cup cold cooked white rice (I made Spanish rice instead and used this)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato, divided
3/4 cup frozen corn (I used a leftover ear of corn and cut the kernels off)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I used more)
1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce
12 corn tortillas
1 10oz. can enchilada sauce (I used almost the a whole big can of this)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook ground beef in medium skillet over medium heat.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add green onions and garlic.(Instead of this I added yellow onions to my Spanish rice recipe and cooked them with the rice.)  Combine meat mixture, rice, 1 cups tomato, corn, 1/2 cup cheese (I used more,) and salsa; mix well.  Spoon mixture down the center of tortillas.  Roll up; place seam side down in 13x9 inch pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Spoon enchilada sauce over enchiladas.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until hot.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Take out of oven and top with last 1/2 cup of tomato.
(I am not sure if I just used more of each ingredient or what but this recipe made more than a 9x13 pan for me.  I also made a 8x8 dish filled with them too.  It was good to have more because my family polished off the 9x13 and then started in on the 8x8.  They loved these enchiladas.)

Spanish Rice recipe from my friend Reina
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.


For future Menu Monday posts I will not be posting the full recipe of everything I cook.  I will choose my favorites of the week.  If you have any recipe in particular that you want to hear about and see, let me know and I will do my best to post a picture and recipe of your request. This is a lot of fun and as I said before it helps me to stick with my plan of having a Menu for the week and sticking to it.  Have a great week!  See you tomorrow for the Menu plan for the week of the 23rd.  Oh, let me know if you try any of these and what you think of them.


August 16, 2010

Menu Monday 8.16.10

Good Afternoon - it's THAT day again.  Monday!  I am so happy that I am actually posting Menu Monday on Monday.
Since last week I posted two weeks of menu plans, I am going to give you a recap of last week and update you on this week. This has been fun and has helped me stay accountable.
So here was the plan new comments are in red:

Menu for last week and this week:

Monday (Crockpot) Baked Potato Cheese Soup with crusty bread (I missed this so I will work it into the rotation on another day)
Tuesday Tacos in Pasta Shells (This was very good.  It has gone into our repertoire of recipes as a keeper.)
Wednesday New Orleans Sausage and Rice (This was also very good - in fact Corbin has some as a snack later in the night.  He has never done this before.)
Thursday Dinner plans - no cooking
Friday Potstickers and stir fry veggies (Ended up having unexpected dinner plans at Dalton's Roadhouse.)
Saturday Out of town (Had some wonderful homecooked food with family.  I will be posting recipes eventually.)
Sunday Out of town
Monday Chicken and Biscuits
Tuesday Lentil Stew over couscous
Wednesday (Crockpot) White Bean Chili
Thursday Dinner plans - no cooking
Friday Fiesta Beef Enchilada

So as you can see last week I really only made two recipes.  Both which were new to me and I would make again. Since we loved both new recipes I will be posting one today and one later in the week (maybe even later today.)

I will share Tacos in Pasta Shells first. This was unexpectedly good and easy.  I mean I thought it would be good or I wouldn't have chosen it but I really liked it more than I thought I would.  I even forgot the sour cream and green onions  and still loved it. I also thought stuffing the shells would be a chore but it was not.

Tacos in Pasta Shells:
(Recipe adapted from Slow Cooker Casseroles and More cookbook (Favorite Brand name by Publications International, LTD.)

1/4pkg. cream cheese (I used half the package)
18 jumbo pasta shells (I put in a few more in case one of them tore while boiling.)
1 1/4lb. ground beef (I used 1 lb. ground turkey)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tlbs. butter, melted
1 cup salsa or taco sauce (I used Pace Picante Sauce)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I just eyeballed it)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (I just eyeballed it)
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (I just eyeballed it)
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions, chopped

Cut the cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes. Let stand at room temperature until softened. (I didn't let it soften.) Cook pasta according to package directions. Place in colander and rinse under warm running water (forgot to rinse.) Drain well. Return to saucepan.

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 9x13 pan. Cook turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat until brown, stirring to separate meat; drain drippings. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cream cheese, salt, and chili powder; simmer 5 minutes.Toss shells with butter. Fill shells with turkey mixture using spoon. Arrange shells in prepared pan. Pour taco sauce over each shell.

Cover with foil.Bake 15 minutes.


Uncover; top with cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese and chips.
Bake 15 minutes more until bubbly.


Top with sour cream and onions. (Forgot to do this!)

This was all we had left after dinner.  Enough for Steve to have a couple lunches from it.  It was a hit!

Here is the menu for the next five days (a bit has changed):
Monday Potstickers and Stir Fry veggies
Tuesday Chicken and Biscuits
Wednesday Lentil Stew over couscous
Thursday (Crockpot) White Bean Chili (unless we stick with our original dinner plans -out)
Friday Fiesta Beef Enchilidas
Saturday Our Six year anniversary - you can bet I am not cooking!
Sunday May still be celebrating our anniversary.

I love new recipes so if you have any to share post them in a comment or if you have a blog with a new recipe on it share the link in the comments section.


August 10, 2010

Menu Monday

Oh wait.... it's Tuesday!
Seriously I had all the intentions of posting this yesterday but I am being pulled in so many directions lately that unfortunately this fell to the bottom of the list.  So even though I am posting this on Tuesday I am still calling it Menu Monday - because I can.


I used to be really good about creating a weekly menu and grocery list.  It has been almost a year since I have created a menu and a plan so I wanted to start it up again.  I need a plan so I don't keep going to the fridge at 4:00 and trying to figure out what I am going to cook for dinner. It is frustrating and makes me feel like a failure. I don't like feeling like a failure.


I will be posting my Menu/Meal plan for you on Mondays.  I think it will help hold me accountable to actually doing a menu because I know I want to share it with you guys.


Each week I will probably use some staple recipes that I use often, interspersed with some new ones I am going to try.  After I make the new ones I will be chronically whether I liked them or not and why or why not. It should be fun! I will include as many pictures as I can. 


So to start I will share with you my menu for the next two weeks.  Now I will have you know that I am already off one day because yesterday was nutty but it's OK - I have learned to be flexible.


Menu for the next two weeks:
Monday (Crockpot) Baked Potato Cheese Soup with crusty bread (I missed this so I will work it into the rotation on another day)
Tuesday Tacos in Pasta Shells
Wednesday New Orleans Sausage and Rice
Thursday Dinner plans - no cooking
Friday Potstickers and stir fry veggies
Saturday Out of town
Sunday Out of town
Monday Chicken and Biscuits
Tuesday Lentil Stew over couscous
Wednesday (Crockpot) White Bean Chili
Thursday Dinner plans - no cooking
Friday Fiesta Beef Enchilada


I realize some of these recipes are more "fall" style recipes but when I am making my menu I usually put on the list what sounds good at the time regardless of the weather.  I also have four hungry boys to feed so it is important to have something pretty hearty and a large quantity.  I also always need leftovers in my meals because it is what Steve takes to work for lunch.


So here we go!  Join me on my Menu Monday adventure.  Maybe you'll find some new recipes here and get inspired to make your own menu and meal plan.


** I will post for you what we eat for brekafast and lunch in a future post. I don't usually follow recipes for (weekday) breakfasts and lunches because we are on the run and we generally rotate some old favorites.**

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For any and all health advice/suggestions and/or posts on this blog, I do not assume any liability for you. The posts and comments on this blog are not meant to be a substitute for your own practicing physician's care in your life. These posts are based on my experience and research in my own healing journey and are placed here to encourage and help those ailing with their health. We are all individuals and there is not ONE pat answer or resolution that applies to everyone across the board.