August 16-22, 2015

Sunday:  BBQ Turkey Meatballs with Salad

  I wanted a simple meal that would be ready when we arrived back home after church.  I put some frozen turkey meatballs from CostCo in my crock pot and poured over a good amount of BBQ sauce.  Then I just put the crock pot on low, and the meatballs warmed in the sauce for about 3 hours while we were gone.  That’s all!  I added a green salad, and lunch was ready in less than 10 minutes!  The meatballs are pretty big, so I only ate 2, although it doesn't look like much on my plate.

Monday:  Korean Grilled Chicken Breasts with Grilled Zucchini & Sweet Potatoes

Korean Grilled Chicken Breasts

  My friend Dana posted this chicken recipe on her blog from Skinny Taste.  Dana always feeds her family healthy food, and I’m usually game to try most recipes she blogs about.  J   These did not disappoint!  The marinade was so simple to throw together.  I made a double recipe and, as my chicken breasts were pretty big, I cut them in half before pounding them thinner.  I love any time I plan ahead and do meal prep once that can be used for multiple meals during the week!

Chad grilled these for us, and I also sliced some peeled sweet potatoes and zucchini lengthwise for him to grill outside as well.  He just spritzed them with olive oil and sprinkled on a little salt and pepper. I wanted to try and keep the house cool, so I didn’t want the oven on.  J

These are really delicious!  With the leftover chicken and veggies, I diced it all up and put it in the fridge to use in meals later in the week.

Tuesday:  Chicken, Cheese, & Veggie Quesadillas

Chicken, Cheese & Veggie Quesadillas

  I used the leftover chicken and vegetables from last night’s dinner that I had diced up and made quesadillas.  The flavor of the chicken and the yumminess of the grilled veggies made AMAZING quesadillas!  All 5 of us demolished our dinner!  Even after having the chicken again for dinner, there was still chicken left for me to have on salads a few lunches during the week.

Wednesday:  Fresh Tomato, Beef, and Rotini Pasta

Fresh Tomato, Beef and Rotini Pasta

  This is an easy and tasty recipe that is perfect for a hot, summer night.  I’ve posted the original recipe below.  For our dinner, I also added in some diced zucchini that I had so that our dinner was a one dish meal!

Fresh Tomato, Beef, Mushroom & Rotini Pasta

(You can easily decrease or increase this recipe.  It makes great leftovers!)

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 c chopped tomatoes (I use the sweet cherry tomatoes)

salt & pepper

1 1/2 c uncooked pasta

fresh basil

Parmesan cheese

sliced mushrooms (optional if you like them!)

- Brown beef, garlic & mushrooms, pour off drippings

- Stir in tomatoes, salt & pepper.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes

- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.  Toss beef mixture and basil with pasta.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Thursday:  Leftover Night

Friday:  Dinner at Mom’s!

  Chad was out of town, but the kids and I had a tasty meal at Mom’s house and watched a movie.  J

Saturday:  Chicken, Broccoli, & Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Pasta

Chicken, Broccoli, & Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce Pasta

  This meal is a family favorite, and it’s so easy to throw together!  All you need is any kind of chicken you have on hand (rotisserie, grilled, baked, sautéed), broccoli (fresh or frozen is fine), pasta, and alfredo sauce.  For this meal, I used the Creamy Cauliflower Sauce from Pinch of Yum.  It is so easy and so good!  But, we’ve also made this with store-bought alfredo and been just as happy, even if not quite as healthy.  J  This meal also freezes well, so if you make double and freeze half, you’ll have an easy meal that’s ready to go for a busy night.