September 6-12, 2015

  ** There will be no weekly menu next week or the next as we have some out of town adventures planned.  A new menu should be posted on October 4^th!   J

Sunday:  Make Our Own Pizza Night

  Chad was gone on a hunting trip, so the kids and I made our own pizzas on whole wheat sandwich thins and had a bonus movie night since Monday was a holiday.

Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner

  One more no-Daddy night as he was at his fantasy football draft, so the kids and I had breakfast burritos with eggs, sausage, and cheese and a side of fruit.

Tuesday:  Callen’s Birthday Dinner!!!

  We always let our kids choose what they want to eat on their birthdays, and for his 5^th birthday, Callen chose Papa Murphy’s Pizza!  Easy for me…tasty for everyone!

Wednesday:  Dinner at Mom’s

Thursday:  Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Fresh Fruit & Veggies

  Chad out of town + Ranger’s baseball practice at 4:30 + Callen’s soccer practice at 6:30 = Kid Friendly Dinner of grilled cheese  J

Friday:  Grilled Turkey Dogs & Chicken Sausage, Mac-n-Cheese, & Roasted Green Beans

  Chad grilled turkey dogs and chicken sausage while I made roasted green beans and mac-n-cheese for sides.  I used a tip from my sister-in-law and used plain Greek yogurt in the place of milk in the mac-n-cheese.  It’s delish!  It’s also thicker, so it’s less messy for kids…win/win!  This is a perfect Family Movie Night meal!

Saturday:  Grilled Venison Kabobs with Roasted Zucchini & Carrots & Leftover Mac-n-Cheese

  It was an absolutely gorgeous evening…perfect for dinner al fresco!!  Chad added large cherry tomatoes and thick-sliced zucchini to the kabobs, but I also roasted some smaller, diced zucchini with baby carrots inside because the kids prefer the smaller veggies.

*I’ll have a new menu in a couple of weeks!! 

August 30 - September 5, 2015

Sunday:  Dinner out with Church

Monday:  Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Burritos with Roasted Green Beans & Apples

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Burritos

  We had some leftover diced Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken in the freezer from a few weeks back.  I pulled it out earlier in the day to let it thaw a bit, then warmed it in a skillet on the stove.  I made some tortillas, and with a little shredded cheese, chicken burritos were ready in a jiffy!  I roasted some frozen green beans in a little olive oil, salt & pepper at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes and also sliced some apples to round out our meal.  Everyone ate and was happy!  (I put the chicken, cheese, and tortillas separately on the kids' plates and let them make their own burritos, or choose to eat it all individually.)

Tuesday:  Best Baked Fried Chicken, Ranch Mashed Potatoes, & Fresh Broccoli

Best Baked Fried Chicken

 This recipe from Carlsbad Cravings turned out really well, despite some of my pantry shortcomings!  I didn’t have any panko or cornmeal, which I thought I did.  So, I subbed regular bread crumbs and cornflake crumbs (which I randomly did have…ha!).  These were still delish, and tasted as good as any fried chicken tender.  I actually doubled the recipe so that we could use the chicken in another meal this week, as well as so I could have some chicken to put with salads for my lunches.  J

Wednesday:  Crispy Chicken Salad Bar…Make Our Own!

  I was inspired by my friend Dana and her blog Real Food, Real Family.  She often sets out a variety of foods and allows her boys to help prepare their own meals and plates.  So, I warmed and broiled the chicken from the night before to heat it through and make it crispy again.  Then I diced it up, along with red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes.  I also added a bowl of blueberries and sunflower seeds and set out the spring mix salad container. 

  I told the kids that they were responsible for their own bowls and needed to make a healthy dinner for themselves.  They loved it!  I gave them the guideline that they were to grab something of every color and enough chicken to have good protein to keep their bellies full.  They knew that at the end of dinner, if they were hungry, it was their own doing, and not mine.  So, while they may not have had huge bowls piled with food, they ate a healthy dinner of their own choosing with a variety of different textures and flavors.

Thursday:  Ham & Swiss Sliders (“Hammy Sammies”)  J with Fresh Fruit & Veggies

“Hammy Sammies”

  My friend, Meredith, makes these for her family often, especially on a busy evening.  Ranger and Chad have baseball practice on Thursdays, and now Callen has started soccer practice as well.  These little sandwiches make a tasty, easy dinner for kids and adults.  I set out bowls of fresh veggies and fresh pineapple for another, “make your own plate” night.  On the advice of Meredith, I also put the sauce inside the rolls, instead of over the top, to make it less messy for little hands.  These worked out perfectly!  Chad even had the leftovers with an egg for breakfast the next morning.  J

Friday:  Cheeseburgers, Fries, Fresh Veggies, & Peaches

  Family movie night!!

Saturday:  Grilled Venison with a Spinach, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts Salad and Buttered Toast

  I am a little spoiled that Chad provides meat for our dinners and grills it almost on a weekly basis.  Almost every weekend, he takes care of dinner at least one night for me.  For this meal, I added a salad and some buttered toast made from our leftover hamburger buns.