February 16-22, 2014

Sunday:  Rudy’s BBQ

·          After church we picked up Rudy’s and took it home.  We ordered enough so we could also have some for dinner that evening after small group.

Monday:  Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Rice and Roasted Broccoli

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

·          I always like recipes from Six Sisters Stuff, and this one did not disappoint.  It’s very quick and easy to put together, especially since I used a rotisserie chicken.  We prefer corn tortillas with our enchiladas, so I heated some up in canola oil on the stove before rolling the enchiladas.  They were great, and I had leftover for lunch for a few days after.  J

Tuesday:  Grilled Trout with Zucchini Chips, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Toasted Garlic Bread

·          Chad received a cookbook all about cooking wild game and fish, so he’s been wanting to try out some of the recipes.  Our friend, Jeff, came over for dinner, so it was the perfect time!  Chad bought the trout whole with heads on!  I’m sad I didn’t take pictures of him cleaning them and making them “talk” to the boys…it was hilarious.  But, they were delish, and it was a fun experience for all of us to eat fish straight off the bone.  

      To go along with the meal, I made these zucchini chips and also some diced, roasted sweet potatoes.  Yum!

Wednesday:  Breakfast!

·          The kids and I were supposed to go eat with our friend, Sharon, and her two sweet babies.  But, as we were pulling up to her house, Payton got sick all over herself and her car seat.  L  So, we headed straight home, and the boys were so sweet and played patiently while I cleaned up Payton and the car.  Ranger requested breakfast, and I knew that was something I could whip up for them while holding Payton too.  A quick dinner of eggs, bacon, toast, & fruit hit the spot for the 3 of us who ate.  J

Thursday:  Pizza Night

Friday:  Oven Baked Ravioli with Roasted Green Beans

·          We still had a sick girl in our house, and I had a migraine earlier in the day.  But, I felt like I needed to make dinner for the boys and for Chad.  Chad had been in Houston for 3 days, and he eats out for every meal when he travels.  So, I put together this simple meal.  I really like the spinach ravioli from CostCo.  I placed the frozen ravioli in a dish and topped it with pasta sauce and sautéed chicken sausage (also from my freezer from a previous meal).  I sprinkled on a little cheese and covered the dish with foil and baked it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  I uncovered it and baked it for 5 minutes more to melt the cheese.  That’s it…dinner's done!

Saturday:  Britney’s “10 Chicken” in the Crock Pot with Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

·          My cousin Britney shared this recipe with me, and we’ve had it before off the grill and loved it.  Several weeks ago, I bought bone-in chicken thighs for another recipe and had some thighs that we didn’t need that night.  So I put them in a ziplock bag, then I poured in some soy sauce, Italian dressing, and garlic powder.  I mixed it all around a bit and stuck it in the freezer. 

We needed a good, home-cooked meal, but I wasn’t sure Chad would have time to grill.  So I pulled this chicken out of the freezer and decided to give it a try in the crock pot.  I put it in completely frozen (marinade and all!), skin side up, and cooked it on low for about 6-7 hours.  When it was time to eat, the chicken was PERFECT!  The skin was nice and crispy, and the meat just fell of the bone.  Thanks for this great recipe, Britney!  We love it on and off the grill!

…If chicken thighs aren’t your thing, by all means…use chicken breasts.  J  I will say, we have a new found love for chicken on the bone, though.

Shredded Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

·          I’ve made this salad a few times over the last month or so, and we’ve enjoyed it every time!  Be sure and make a little extra, as it is still amazing leftover!  (http://www.justataste.com/)

February 9-15, 2014

Sunday:  Turkey Meatballs with Quinoa and Roasted Veggies

·          This was actually leftovers from the night before that Chad made!  I was at a ladies retreat with our church, so he had the kids all day on Saturday.  He had spent the week out of town and was wanting a home-cooked meal rather than eating out.  So, he pulled some turkey meatballs out of the freezer and cooked them with quinoa and roasted kale, carrots, and celery.  Way to go dinner with Daddy!!!  There was enough for us to have for lunch on Sunday after church.  J

Monday:  Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Asparagus and Carrots

·          I actually purchased these already stuffed chicken breasts from Sprouts last week because they were on special.  I threw them in the freezer and planned to use them on a day when I needed a little dinner help.  Well, it didn’t take long for me to thaw them out and make them for dinner!  I had a fairly significant headache on Monday along with fighting off a bit of a cold, so an easy dinner was a MUST!  I did add some seasonings to the top of these, as well as a bit of butter about 15 minutes before I pulled them out of the oven.  This wasn’t our favorite chicken, but we did all eat it after I seasoned it up a bit more. 

For the roasted asparagus and carrots, I used Aunt Hosannah’s Balsamic Soy glaze on them, and the kids had their veggies eaten in a flash!  After roasting your veggies (I did mine for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees), pour on the mix of 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.  Yum!!

Tuesday:  Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes

·        I marinated tilapia in lime juice, honey, olive oil, and garlic powder in a bag in the fridge for a few hours.  Then, I dredged them in a little whole wheat flour seasoned with salt and pepper.  I shook off the excess flour before putting the fish in my pan.  After heating olive oil in a hot pan, I sautéed the tilapia on each side for about 4-5 minutes until the fish flaked easily with a fork.  Be sure to leave your fish alone while it’s cooking…that ensures a nice brown crust all around. 

Then, I shredded it just a bit with a couple of forks.  We had ours inside corn tortillas with mango salsa (left over from Super Bowl two Sundays ago!), sour cream, and avocados.  I roasted baby Brussels sprouts and diced sweet potatoes with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  This meal was a big hit with everyone in the family, and it was incredibly easy to prepare!

Wednesday:  Dinner with Mom

Thursday:  Date Night!!

·       The kids were staying 2 nights with Grammy & DadDad, so Chad and I planned a date night with some friends.  Yay!

Friday:  Another Date Night!!

·       This was actually Valentine’s Day, and the kids were still with Chad’s parents, so Chad and I spent the whole day together.  We actually picked up Thai food and ate it at home while watching the latest Mission Impossible movie on Netflix.  J

Saturday:  Family Dinner for Daddy’s Birthday

·          My Daddy would have been 58 years old today, and as a family we still like to celebrate his birthday together.  We drove over to Crowley for dinner with Mom and my brother’s family.

January 26 - February 2, 2014

·          Hi everyone!  Thanks for taking a look at my little blog!  Just a heads up that there will be no menu posted next Sunday.  I should be back to the blog the week after that.  Happy meal planning!

Sunday:  Pizza Night!

Monday:  Dinner at Mom’s – One Pot Ziti

One Pot Ziti

·          We ate dinner with my mom, and she made this delicious dish!  I love one pot meals, and this one did not disappoint.  She didn’t put quite as many red pepper flakes in the recipe since the kids were eating this too.  But Chad, Mom, & I just added more red pepper to ours before we ate it.  Everyone cleaned their plates!!  This makes quite a bit, so there was enough for all 3 adults to have leftovers for lunch the next day.  J

Tuesday:  BBQ Turkey Meatloaf, Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts, & Warm, Buttered Bread

Honey BBQ Meatloaf

·         This is a family favorite!  I actually pulled this one out of the freezer, which made it even easier, but it’s a simple recipe even if you are making it fresh.  I always double it so I can have one in the freezer ready to go!  Yum!  I substituted turkey for the ground beef and oatmeal for the breadcrumbs.  (http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/)

Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

·          I had some Brussels sprouts, which we always really enjoy cut up and roasted with just olive oil, salt, and pepper.  But, having tried our Aunt Suzanne’s balsamic/soy asparagus last week and loving it, I thought I would give the same finish to the Brussels sprouts to see if it was just as tasty. 

Guess what…it was!  I cored and halved the Brussels sprouts and placed them in a ziplock bag with the olive oil, salt, and pepper; this sat for about 30 minutes on the counter.  Then I roasted them on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  I tossed them around, and roasted them again for another 10 minutes or so, just until they started turning golden.  Right before serving them, I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and mixed that with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.  I poured that on top of the roasted Brussels sprouts, and everything was ready to go!  We ate every last ONE!

Wednesday:  Breakfast for Dinner!

·          This is always the boys’ favorite dinner.  This time we had egg and cheese omelets, bacon, biscuits with honey, and strawberries.  Delish!  Also…do you know the tip of baking your bacon?  If not, you really should try it.  It’s fast, easy, and so much less messy and smelly than frying it up in a pan on your stovetop.

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place your bacon strips on the foil.  Then put in a cold oven.  Turn on the oven to 375 – 425 degrees (the temperature really just depends on whether or not you are baking something else at the same time and don’t have a double oven…oh how I wish I had a double oven).  I was also using my oven for biscuits, so I needed the oven hotter.  Just keep your eye on your bacon until it reaches your desired crispness!  Since my oven was on 425 tonight, the bacon was done in about 14 minutes or so.  The best part?  While you are enjoying your scrumptious bacon, the grease solidifies on the foil so that all you have to do when it’s time to clean up is pick up your foil and throw it in the trash!  Voila!!  (And, you’re welcome.)

Thursday:  Fish Sticks, Macaroni & Cheese, & Roasted Broccoli

·          Chad was at a conference in Dallas this week, which meant we were on our own for dinner again.  I made a simple dinner of some yummy CostCo fish sticks with sides of Annie’s macaroni & cheese and roasted broccoli.  My dinner was almost the same, except I had a crab cake from CostCo instead.  J  Three cheers for Mommy and Kid nights!

Friday:  Dinner Out with Mom

Saturday:  Chicken Parmesan Meatballs, Roasted Broccoli & Sweet Potatoes, & Bread

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

·          I made these a few months back, and we all enjoyed them, so I was happy to make them again!  I used whole oats instead of breadcrumbs.  I think I will add a bit of basil or other Italian seasonings to the chicken before making the meatballs the next time, just to flavor it up even more.  Still, these are delicious and a great way to change up the meatball a bit.  We had enough leftover that we had them for lunch the next day with ziti pasta and more pasta sauce!  (http://www.dinneralovestory.com/)