September 8-14, 2013

This is a very kid-friendly menu this week, as Chad was gone for three evenings, and we had soccer on another.

Sunday:  Dinner with Small Group

Monday:  Fish Sticks, Tator Tots, & Apples

·          Ranger has soccer practice at 6pm on Monday evenings, so our meal has to be quick.  Chad usually works until it’s time to practice, so I actually don’t plan Monday’s meal with he or I in mind, particularly.  I ate with the kids, and then made Chad a grilled sandwich with fruit after practice (before he left to play a softball game!).  Our Mondays will be all about convenience for the next 6-7 weeks.  J

Tuesday:  Hot dogs, Macaroni & Cheese, & Spinach Salad

·          For some reason, my boys don’t complain about eating fresh spinach, so I’m always glad when I can add a spinach salad to a kid-friendly dinner.  I skipped out on the hot dogs and macaroni, and just made myself a large spinach salad with some leftover chicken, boiled egg, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and a little bit of olive oil and raspberry-infused balsamic vinegar.  Everyone was happy!

Wednesday:  Breakfast for Dinner!

·          You know us…if Chad isn’t home for dinner for 2-3 nights, the boys are going to request breakfast for dinner.  I’m usually happy to oblige since it’s quick, easy, & they eat it with no complaints.  J

Thursday:  Dinner Out

·          On the third night of being home with the kids for dinner without Chad, I decided we should go out.  I let Ranger choose since it was also his first day of preschool.  Mooyah was his choice!

Friday:  Chubby Chicken & Cream Cheese Taquitos with Black Beans

Chubby Chicken & Cream Cheese Taquitos

·          I saw this recipe on http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/ and thought it would be delicious and easy.  Both things turned out to be true!  I love any recipe that can be made with a rotisserie chicken.  I actually made the chicken mixture up earlier in the afternoon, so when it was time to cook, I just assembled the taquitos and cooked them on the stove.  They are really, really yummy!  The boys liked that they had veggies that they “can’t taste.”  J  I made 8 good-sized taquitos.

Saturday:  Leftover Taquitos and Black Beans

·          We had just enough to have one more meal!  Hooray!

September 1-7, 2013

Let me start out by saying, I didn’t intentionally set out to have such a carb-loaded, cheesy menu this week, but somehow that’s what happened.  When I planned our menu, I must have been craving some comfort foods.  You’ve been warned!

Sunday:  Chicken & Spinach Bake with Caesar Salad

Chicken & Spinach Bake

·          This was delicious, healthy, and quite easy to prepare.  Three things that make it a winner in our house!  I used a rotisserie chicken that I shredded, which made it even easier.  It’s a great way to add spinach to a meal without it being a stand-alone side.  It also made more than enough, so I portioned it out for leftovers and set some aside to take to my mom.  I didn’t make it ahead of time, but it is a great recipe for making in advance.  (http://www.savingmoneylivinglife.com/)

Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner!  Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, & Strawberries

Tuesday:  Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips, & Grapes

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

·          Ranger’s soccer practice was moved to Tuesday this week due to Labor Day, so my goal was to cook a healthy, quick dinner that the kids – especially Ranger – would eat without any complaint.  He needs all the energy he can possibly have to practice when it’s so ridiculously hot outside.  These chicken nuggets were quick and easy to prepare, and I felt good that we weren’t eating take out (which we absolutely do, but I just wanted to avoid it on this evening!).  I didn’t use homemade bread crumbs…mine were store-bought.  J  I’ll definitely make these again.  (http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/)

Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips

·         My kids have always enjoyed these, and this time, the boys helped me make them.  They had an absolute blast dipping the zucchini in the milk and tossing them into the bread crumb mixture for me.  Sure….it was a bit messy.  But, we all had a great time!  Plus, the boys always happily eat something if they’ve actually helped make it.  I baked ours for 15 minutes then flipped them and baked them for another 10.  They were perfect!  (www.food.com)

Wednesday:  Jamie’s Pasta Bake with Caesar Salad

Jamie’s Pasta Bake

·          This is my friend Jamie’s recipe, and it is DELISH!  I was reminded of it a few weeks ago when I made a Pioneer Woman pasta dish that is very similar.  I actually like this recipe a bit better because of the cream cheese.  I could actually just eat the noodle mixture all by itself!  All the kids ate their portions, and I loved having this for leftovers at lunch during the week.  Seriously…make this!

Pasta Casserole

Ground Beef

Spaghetti Sauce

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

8 oz sour cream

Pasta of your choice

Mozzarella cheese

Make meat sauce how you typically make it and prepare pasta, any kind. After the pasta is cooked to al dente, combine cream cheese and sour cream, then mix the combined mixture with pasta. Pour pasta in an oven-safe dish and pour meat sauce over pasta, top with mozzarella cheese, cover, and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes to melt the mozzarella.  Enjoy!

Thursday:  Leftovers

Friday:  Outback Alice Springs Chicken with Kale Salad

Outback Alice Springs Chicken

·          I’ve made this once before, and we all enjoyed it.  It’s a simple recipe that packs quite a bit of flavor, and in keeping with my unintentional “theme” of the week, it has cheese in it.  J (http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/)  Callen helped me make a kale salad topped with slivered almonds, feta cheese, & balsamic vinaigrette to balance out the meal.

Saturday:  Callen’s 3^rd Birthday!!!

·          We celebrated Callen’s 3^rd birthday with family on this day.  CostCo helped us out with lunch that day, and we had enough for leftovers for dinner.  Ranger had his first soccer game on this Saturday as well, so we were all exhausted and happy to have food ready to go.  

August 25-31, 2013

Sunday:  Lake Day with Friends!

Monday:  Basil Lime Chicken with Roasted Green Beans & Carrots

Basil Lime Chicken

·          We had Ranger’s first soccer practice on this evening, so I wanted a healthy meal to give him some good energy that was also easy to prepare.  I actually used pork chops because I didn’t have any chicken on hand.  Chad was able to grill for me, and I roasted up the veggies inside.  The sauce that you make up to pour on the meat when you serve it really makes it delicious!  (http://goodenessgracious.com/)

Tuesday:  Dinner with My Mom!

Wednesday:  Cheesy Enchilada Stack with Kale Salad

Cheesy Enchilada Stack

·          I made this several months ago, and when I happened upon the recipe again this week, I was reminded how much we enjoyed it.  It is actually pretty easy to make, and after preparing it, I remembered how much food it actually makes.  It would have fed my family plus another very easily!  The kids all ate it, which is always a plus!  I served ours with a fresh kale salad topped with slivered almonds, feta cheese, & balsamic dressing.  Yum!  (http://www.chef-in-training.com/)

Thursday:  Leftovers

·          Clearly we had enough from the night before!  J

Friday:  Texas Rangers Game!

·          The kids stayed the night with my mom while Chad & I enjoyed a Rangers’ game with friends. 

Saturday:  Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Couscous & Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Sweet Chili Lime Chicken

·          This is one of my favorite recipes ever, and I’m not sure why I don’t make it more often.  I love the sweet-hot flavor alongside the crispness of the lime juice.  It’s a quick meal to put together, especially if you have your chicken cut up ahead of time.  I usually serve ours with roasted broccoli.  Couscous is a fun variation on rice or pasta, and it soaks up the sauce nicely.  The only downside is that Callen LOVES couscous, but his eating couscous ends up looking like he showered in couscous.  J  (http://www.grumpyshoneybunch.com)

August 18-24, 2013

Sunday:  Calzones & Broccoli Salad

·          We had a busy day, and CostCo came to the rescue for dinner!

Monday:  Spinach Artichoke Lasagna, Roasted Zucchini & Sweet Potatoes, & Whole Wheat Bread

·          On this evening I decided to pull a lasagna out of the freezer that I made a little while back.  It is one of my favorites.  I made the lasagna as usual, but added spinach and artichokes to the ricotta cheese mixture.  It’s a great addition to the lasagna, and it adds a few more vegetables to the meal.

Tuesday:  Breakfast for Dinner:  Waffles, Bacon, Eggs & Fruit

·          Ranger had again been asking for breakfast for dinner, so I obliged.  J

Wednesday:  Eat Out

·          Chad unexpectedly was not home for dinner, so the kids and I ran some errands and grabbed dinner out.

Thursday:  Chicken Parmesan Meatballs with Kale Salad & Bread

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

·          This recipe is delicious!  Ranger had been asking for meatballs, and I saw this one and knew we would enjoy it.  It’s an easy recipe, and I made them ahead of time, which made it even easier!  I plan to make these again, and double the recipe to add some to the freezer.  Yum!  (http://www.dinneralovestory.com/)

Kale Salad

·          I washed and chopped kale into bite-size pieces.  I added chopped up pecans, freshly-grated parmesan, & a dressing made of fresh lemon juice, olive oil, & fresh cracked pepper. 

Friday & Saturday:   Family Time

·          We were with family this weekend as Chad’s sister, Megan, & her sweet baby, Emily, were in town!

August 11-17, 2013

Sunday:  Pizza with Church Small Group

·          We were invited to a small group game night, and as a bonus, had a pizza dinner!

Monday:  Slow Cooker Brown Sugar & Garlic Chicken with Rice & Roasted Broccoli

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar & Garlic Chicken

·          I took the boys to Hawaiian Falls with my mom earlier in the day, so I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t be completely energized to cook dinner.  Slow cooking to the rescue!  I put this together and had it in the fridge.  Then, my sister-in-law (who was watching Payton for me), took it out and turned on the crock pot for me while we were gone.  Ta-da!  Dinner is (almost) ready!  This recipe is good, although it is pretty sweet.  The kids loved it, and Chad & I simply added some spice to ours to give it a kick.  There was quite of bit of this leftover, which worked well for my lunches during the week.  (http://kim-thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com/)

Tuesday:  Dinner with Another Family

·          A family from the church we’ve been visiting invited us over for dinner, and we happily accepted!

Wednesday:  Spaghetti, Diced & Roasted Zucchini & Sweet Potatoes, & Warm, Whole-Wheat Bread

·          In true 12-year-old form, I actually had braces put on this morning.  I’m definitely not loving them, but I know I will be glad when it’s all said and done.  This being the case, I needed something easy to eat that the family would also enjoy.  You can’t go wrong with spaghetti!  Adding in some small, diced vegetables that I roasted up rounded out the meal nicely.

Thursday:  Sprouts’ Dinner:  Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Twice Baked Potatoes, & Sauteed Spinach with Blue Cheese

·         My mouth has been pretty sore, so I truly didn’t feel much like preparing a meal.  So, it was off to Sprouts for some help.  J  I picked up their chicken and potatoes, as well as some frozen spinach that I prepared and flavored with butter & blue cheese.  (The boys even ate their spinach…but it took about 45 minutes.)

I didn’t really mean for us to consume quite that much cheese in one meal, but it looked good, and most-importantly, easy for me to eat.  Here’s hoping that this time next week I am able to eat a bit more normally.  J  On nights like these, I’m grateful to the grocery stores in our area that provide some tasty options for a quick dinner at home.

Friday:  Sliders with Oven-Baked French Fries

·          This meal has been so common this summer that I’m sure those of you looking for new meal ideas are pretty bored with it.  It just goes over so well with everyone in the family, we’ve had it in the rotation A LOT.  We had such nice, unseasonably cool weather this weekend that it seemed a shame not to fire up the grill and enjoy our dinner outside!  Still reeling from the braces, I ate my slider with a fork.  Lame…but still delish!

Saturday:  Grilled Orange-Soy Chicken, Roasted Green Beans & Carrots, & Warm, Whole Wheat Bread

Grilled Orange-Soy Chicken

·          I’m not kidding when I say that our weather this weekend was RIDICULOUS.  It was so much cooler than the typical August weekend here in Texas that we pretty much lived outside.  I tossed chicken in a ziplock bag and added, orange juice, soy sauce, minced garlic, pepper, & olive oil and let it sit in the fridge for about 3 hours.  Then, it was easy for Chad to grab and grill when we were ready for dinner.  I roasted up some green beans and thin-sliced carrots at 425 for about 20-25 minutes.  All 5 of us enjoyed a healthy and yummy dinner on the back porch!

August 4-10, 2013

Sunday:  Papa Murphy’s Pizza Night!  J

Monday:  Lemon Chicken Romano with Rice & Roasted Asparagus

Lemon Chicken Romano

·          I saw this recipe on Pinterest and thought it looked delicious.  We all really enjoyed it!  All the kids ate this chicken without hesitation or negotiation, which pretty much automatically makes it a repeat recipe in my house.  We served ours with rice and roasted asparagus for a tasty and complete meal.  (Recipe courtesy of http://www.cookingclassy.com/)

Tuesday:  Cheeseburger Quesadillas & Spinach Salad

Cheeseburger Quesadillas

·          We had some ground beef and tortillas that needed to be used, so we had cheeseburger quesadillas for dinner.  I added a spinach salad topped with apples, feta, and dried cranberries with a fresh raspberry balsamic dressing for a complete meal.

Wednesday:  Chicken Gloria with Rice, Roasted Broccoli, & Carrots

Chicken Gloria

·          I really wanted to love this recipe.  It sounds so delicious, and the pictures made it look ridiculously good.  But, I didn’t have sherry wine, so I used red cooking wine instead.  I think it added a bit of the wrong flavor to the mushrooms.  Nevertheless, we all ate it, but we didn’t love it.  I’ll try it again sometime and use a better wine.  (Recipe courtesy of http://www.cookingwithsugar.com/)

Thursday:  Mooyah!

·          My mom and I took the boys to Jump Zone! to play after naps, so we decided that Mooyah would be the perfect ending to our fun afternoon.

Friday:  Breakfast!  Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with Sliced Strawberries, Scrambled Eggs, & Bacon

·          Breakfast for dinner is a major fave around here, and it had been a while, so we all pretty much stuffed ourselves.  Delish!

Saturday:  Hot Dogs, Chips, & Fruit

·          Some friends came over to play and have a movie night!

July 28 - August 3, 2013

Sunday:  Dinner with my Mom  J

Monday:  Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Noodle Bake, Spinach Salad, & Bread

Pioneer Woman’s Sour Cream Noodle Bake

·          I’m a fan of almost anything from Pioneer Woman, and this recipe is so simple, it was easy to tell that we would enjoy it.  It’s really similar to another pasta dish recipe that my friend, Jamie, makes.  The egg noodles change this one up a bit.  I made it earlier in the afternoon and threw it in the oven before dinner.  Yum!

Tuesday:  Leftover Pioneer Woman Noodle Bake, Roasted Zucchini & Sweet Potatoes, & Bread

·          The noodle bake made more than enough for us, so we had it again the next night with some delicious roasted veggies and more warm, whole wheat bread. 

Wednesday:  Girls Dinner!

·          On very rare occasions, I actually go out and eat with my girlfriends!  The boys were staying the night with their Grammy & DadDad, so Chad & Payton took care of their own dinner.

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Sliced Avocado & Chips

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

·          I knew that this day was going to be a little busy, and that we would want a hearty and delicious dinner.  The crock pot is perfect for these kinds of days!  I had pinned this recipe on Pinterest several weeks ago, and I am SO HAPPY I did.  These shredded beef tacos are ridiculously good.  Searing the spices on the roast before placing it in the slow cooker ensures that all the spices stay on the meat.  They may have been a little too spicy for the boys, but it wasn’t a problem as they were still with Chad’s parents for the night. 

I served ours with fresh tortillas I bought from Taco Cabana (I love their tortillas!), cheese, sour cream & tomatoes.  I sliced up avocados and we just ate them plain.  With chips & salsa, we had a perfect little feast!

This beef made delicious leftovers as well.  We had them for lunch the next day, and even as quesadillas a few days later.  Yummo!  (Thanks http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/)

Friday:  A friend brought dinner!

·          A friend of ours brought over dinner knowing that our weekend was going to be crazy and Chad wasn’t feeling very well.  We are so blessed by our friendships here.  J

Saturday:  Honey Siracha Chicken with Roasted Green Beans & Macaroni-n-Cheese

Honey Siracha Chicken

·          Chad really likes Siracha sauce, so I thought I would give this recipe a try.  After making it, we decided that I should add more siracha the next time, as we really couldn’t taste it in the marinade.  I also baked ours because Chad wasn’t feeling well, and the grill is definitely his domain…I don’t even know how to turn the thing on.  Still, we enjoyed it, as did the boys, so it’s a keeper!  (http://www.zagleft.com/)