October 23-29, 2016

Sunday:  Zoe's Kitchen Take-Out
 
Healthy & Yummy!

Monday:  Leftover Night


Tuesday:  Honey BBQ Turkey Meatloaf with Steamed Green Beans & Fresh Apple Slices

  This meatloaf recipe is a family favorite. It's also ridiculously simple to throw together, which makes it perfect for a make-ahead meal or a quick week night meal.  I actually forgot to take a picture, but I've made it so many times, there's bound to be one on this blog somewhere!  (Recipe 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.

Wednesday:  Dinner Out

  A 4:30 baseball practice + a 7:20 baseball game + Daddy Out of Town = Drive Thru ;-)

Thursday:  Taco Night!

  I made this a bit more fun for the kids by just setting everything on the table and having a "Make your Own Taco Buffet."  They love anytime they are in charge of their own plates.  I tell them to grab something with each color, and they do a pretty good job making a healthy plate.

Friday:  Pizza Night

  I made our pizzas this night using Pioneer Woman's Pizza Crust and topping it with pepperonis, leftover taco meat and mozzarella (for the kids) and also adding spinach and basil (for the adults).  Easy and yummy!

Saturday:  Leftover Night

  It was our last triple-game Saturday for a few months, so it was nice to come home to leftovers and a movie. 

October 17-22, 2016

*  We took some time away to take a vacation to DisneyWorld with the kids...it was amazing!  But, we are home now, so it's back to cooking.  :-)  Well...it's sort of cooking.  We didn't eat out much, but nothing was really a made-from-scratch meal either.  Transitioning from DisneyWorld has been tough for me.  ;-)

Monday:  Frozen Lasagna, Steamed Broccoli, & Garlic Bread
  We had just flown back home that day, so I pulled a frozen lasagna from the freezer and served it with steamed (also from the freezer!) broccoli, & garlic bread.  It wasn't a made-from-scratch meal, but it was a meal eaten at home, which we all appreciated.

Tuesday:  Sandwiches
  Chad flew to California for work, and Callen had a baseball game, so I made sandwiches for the kids and a salad for me before the game.  Then of course, they had a snack when we arrived home from the game.

Wednesday:  Pepperoni Crescents with Fresh Fruit & Veggies

  Always a kid-favorite!  It's just mozzarella cheese and turkey pepperonis wrapped up in crescent rolls.  I serve ours with fresh fruits and veggies to round out the meal with a few healthy items.  ;-)  Everyone's plate looked a little different based on their favorite fruit or veggie choices.


Thursday:  To Each His Own :-)
  I had a ladies dinner with our church, so the kids had dinner with their aunt, uncle, & cousin and then Chad picked them up after he landed.

Friday:  Pizza & Movie Night

I took a picture to make myself feel better about my efforts for meals this week.  Ha!

Saturday:  Dinner at my Mom's
  My brother and his family were in town, so we picked up Zoe's Kitchen, which is a great, healthy take-out option.

September 2016

 *Ok...getting back into the habit after taking a summer off has been harder than I anticipated!  Yeesh!  But, we are feeling settled into our new home, and our homeschool life has fallen into a nice, flexible rhythm.  I do plan on posting weekly as I always have, but September just flew by for me, so here is the full month.  There is nothing gourmet or super special here.  We have baseball practice and games for 2 boys, Chad plays softball on Monday nights, we have small group on Tuesday, and Payton is playing soccer.  But, here is my attempt to have us eating at home and mostly healthy as much as we can.

So...welcome back everyone!  The kitchen is open...

Sunday, August 28 - Saturday, September 3
Sunday lunch:  Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Carrots, Potatoes, & Salad
Sunday dinner:  Breakfast
Monday:  Sandwich night
Tuesday:  Dinner at Nonnie's
Wednesday:  Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday:  Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, & Tomatoes with Salad
Friday:  Grilled Cheeseburgers & Family Movie Night
Saturday:  Date Night (Pizza for the kids)

Sunday, September 4 - Saturday, September 10
Sunday:  Chicken, Corn, & Black Beans with Salsa (Crockpot)
Monday:  Labor Day - leftovers!
Tuesday:  Pasta with Roasted Broccoli
Wednesday:  Hot Dogs with Fresh Veggies & Fruit
Thursday:  Venison Chili (Callen's Favorite for his 6th Birthday!!)
Friday:  Chili Dogs with Salad & Fruit (using all the leftovers!!)
Saturday:  Mommy OUT...Daddy & Kids - Pizza  :-)

Sunday, September 11 - Saturday, September 17
Sunday:  Grilled Venison Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Macaroni & Cheese, & Salad
Monday:  Sandwiches
Tuesday:  Crockpot Chicken Ranch Tacos (Chicken, Ranch Seasoning, Chicken Broth, Pesto - cooked on low in crock pot for 6-8 hours)
Wednesday:  Meatballs with Veggie Pasta & Roasted Broccoli

Thursday:  Dinner at a Birthday Party
Friday:  Date Night with Friends (Kids with Nonnie)
Saturday:  My Birthday!!  Dinner Out!!

Sunday, September 18 - Saturday, September 24
Sunday:  Breakfast for Dinner
Monday:  Basil & Butter Salmon (from Costco in the prepared foods), Salad & Bread
Tuesday:  Tacos/Quesadillas

Wednesday:  Dinner at Nonnie's
Thursday:  Rotisserie Chicken with Fresh Veggies & Fruit
Friday:  Pizza & Movie Night
Saturday:  Leftovers

Sunday, September 25 - Friday, September 30
Sunday lunch: Tortilla Crusted Tilapia (Costco) with Salad

Sunday dinner:  Grilled Venison, Roasted Broccoli, & Apple Slices

Monday:  6 Sisters Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas, Garlic Butter Brown Rice, & Fresh Veggies

Tuesday:  Dinner Out
Wednesday:  Hot Dogs with Chips & Fresh Fruit
Thursday:  Grilled "10 Chicken" with Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad & Bread
Friday:  Fried  Fish, Pioneer Woman's "Crash" Potatoes, Salad & Bread