November 8-14, 2015

Sunday:  Dino Chicken, Apples, & Fresh Veggies

  Because Daddy was hunting… J  I was also sick…L

Monday:  Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken Sliders with Fresh Fruit and Veggies

Slow Cooker Pesto Ranch Chicken Sliders

  This chicken is so full of flavor, and also so easy!  I used frozen chicken breasts, jarred pesto, some homemade Ranch seasoning a friend gave me, and only about 2 cups of chicken broth.  I served ours on King’s Hawaiian Rolls with fresh fruit and veggies for a quick meal before Ranger’s baseball game.  These were also great because anyone who was still hungry when we arrived back home after the game could make another slider or two.  I just kept the chicken on warm in the crock pot.  (Recipe from Week99er.com)

Tuesday:  Pesto Ranch Chicken Nachos

  A great way to have the yummy chicken again!  I also sautéed zucchini and cherry tomatoes as a healthy side.  (This picture isn't very appetizing, but it really was tasty.)  Chad was working on processing the deer he shot over the weekend (yay!), so he ate later than the kids and I did.  He actually made a sort of “stack” with his chips, chicken, and veggies and said it was delicious that way too.

Wednesday:  Ground Venison Tacos with Flour Tortillas

  I asked Chad to leave out a pound of the ground venison (he froze the rest) because tacos were the perfect, quick meal for a night with another baseball game (the last one L).  I tossed in some more freshly diced zucchini and tomatoes so that it was basically a one pan dinner. 

Thursday:  Cheese Tortellini with Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese Sauce

  This is a wonderful recipe from our Uncle Jerry and Aunt Suzanne in Florida.  It is simple to put together, but after it simmers and the flavors meld together, it is so, so good!  I called an audible though, and instead of using ground beef, I used the already cooked pesto ranch chicken and a little bit of ground venison I had left in the fridge from our meals earlier in the week.  Seriously, I pulled out what we had and threw it in the sauce.  Since the chicken already had so much basil flavor because of the pesto, I didn’t add as much basil as the recipe calls for.  Still, it was so wonderful, and I used what I had instead of throwing leftovers away.  J  Just one of the little things I’ve learned helps when you are really trying to stick to a grocery budget!

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Salt and pepper

¼ cups freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, add olive oil.  When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the celery and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes.  Raise heat to high and add the ground beef.  Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, parsley, and basil and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about ½ hour.  Finish Bolognese with cheese.  Check for seasoning and serve hot.

Friday:  Pizza & Movie Night!

  I jazzed up some frozen Costco pizzas with added veggies and seasonings.  It’s economical, and it was perfect for our family night in.

Saturday:  Boys Night

  Payton and I were at my niece’s birthday party, and Chad and the boys had a fun boys’ day and night.  Word on the street is, dinner was greasy bacon and eggs.