March 16-22, 2014

Sunday:  Grilled Chicken, Veggie, and Rice Bowls

·          The night before, Chad made a delicious dinner of grilled chicken (on the bone) and roasted veggies (zucchini, sweet potatoes, onion, & mushrooms).  We had enough leftovers to make lunch out of the next day.  He stayed home from church with Ranger who has been having some asthma flare ups, so Chad prepared lunch while I was at church with Callen and Payton.  J  He warmed up the chicken and veggies in a sauce pan on the stove and made some rice.  Then he just threw it all together in one big pot!  Yum!  The flavors from the chicken and veggies were so good, that nothing else was needed!

Monday:  Honey Barbeque Meatloaf, Spinach and Apple Salad, and Yeast Rolls

Honey Barbeque Meatloaf

·          If you’ve read this little food blog for any length of time, you’ve seen this recipe.  It’s our favorite meatloaf, and it’s a perfect quick, healthy dinner that we all really enjoy.  It only takes 5-10 minutes to put together and can be prepared ahead of time so that it’s ready to pop in the oven whenever you need it to be.  Yum!  I always substitute ground turkey for the ground beef and oatmeal for the bread crumbs.  I also add an egg.  Here’s the recipe as I make it (adapted from Can You Stay For Dinner.)

Honey Barbecue Meatloaf

1 lb lean ground turkey

2/3 cup oatmeal (old fashioned or instant is fine)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce, divided

2 tablespoons honey, divided

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix together the ground turkey, oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire sauce, the spicy brown mustard, 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, egg, salt, and black pepper.

Shape the mixture into a long, thick log and place in an oiled baking dish. Be careful not to pack the meat too tightly or you’ll end up with a very dense, tough loaf.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. Spread half of this mixture evenly all over the meatloaf. Reserve the other half for serving.

Bake for 45 minutes. Slice and drizzle with reserved honey barbecue sauce.

Tuesday:   Leftover Honey BBQ Meatloaf

·          I had a ladies night out with our church, and Chad took Ranger and Callen to tball practice while Mom watched Payton (we LOVE having a third set of hands close by!).  So, leftovers for dinner was a MUST!  That’s one of the reasons I made the honey barbeque turkey meatloaf last night…it’s an excellent leftover.  J

Wednesday:  Breakfast – Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Bacon, Eggs, & Strawberries

·          Per the usual, Chad wasn’t home on Wednesday night, so breakfast for dinner to the rescue!! 

Thursday:  Mooyah

·          Chad’s parents were with us all day, and they even offered to buy dinner!!  I had been taking care of sick kids for a week, so I happily said yes!

Friday:  Crock Pot BBQ Pork Sliders with Chips and Fruit Salad

·          I went to an essential oils class, so I wanted to have a dinner that would be easy for Chad to have with the kids that would still be good when I arrived back home later in the evening.  This is the simplest recipe ever. 

Buy a pork roast (a pork tenderloin would be fine too, but since it’s smaller, decrease your liquids and cooking time) and throw it in your crock pot.  Pour over a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce and a Coke and cook on low 8-10 hours.  The lower and slower the better for a pork roast!  When you are ready to eat it, shred it with 2 forks.  If it is a little tough, it needs to cook longer.  We served ours on whole wheat mini buns with chips and a fruit salad.  There was also plenty leftover for lunches for a few days.  Think pork BBQ nachos, quesadillas, burritos, sandwiches…whatever!  We actually think it tastes better the next day or two anyway.  J

Saturday:  Steak, Slow-Cooked Baked Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, & Bread

·          Our friend, Scott, was over for dinner, so Chad wanted to grill.  I’ve been wanting a delicious steak for a while, so this was perfect!  Chad took care of the meat, while I made the sides in the house.  I washed potatoes, poked holes in them with a fork, wrapped them in foil, and placed them in my crockpot for 8 hours on low, and they turned out perfectly!  I also roasted Brussels sprouts and sautéed mushrooms on the stove with olive oil, butter, and a little red wine.  Add in some warm, buttered bread and we were all STUFFED!!