November 6 - 12, 2016

Sunday:  Leftover Night


Monday:  Chicken, Broccoli, & Quinoa Pasta with Marinara

  We needed a quick dinner, but I also wanted it to be healthy and filling.  I had some diced grilled chicken in the freezer from a previous meal.  I thawed the chicken a bit, and sauteed it with fresh broccoli, olive oil, garlic, and diced onions.  Next, I poured in some plain tomato sauce and added in some basil, salt, and pepper, and I let it all simmer together.  While that cooked together, I boiled some water and made some quinoa pasta.  Then I tossed it all together and sprinkled over some freshly grated Parmesan.  Voila!  Dinner was ready!


Tuesday:  Leftovers


Wednesday:  Sausage, Macaroni & Cheese, & Roasted Broccoli

  Chad was out of town, and I had a dinner with friends, so the kids enjoyed a night with their Aunt Amber!  I made them this easy, kid-pleasing dinner before I headed out.


Thursday:  Chicken Nuggets & Fruit
  Because Chad was still gone, and this meal made us all happy.  :-)


Friday:  Kids with Grammy & DadDad!


Saturday:  Breakfast for Dinner
  Homemade mini-waffles, bacon, scrambled eggs, & fruit!

October 30 - November 5, 2016

Sunday:  Trunk or Treat
  Our church's annual trunk or treat was this evening, and they even provided pizza!  Score!

Monday:  Pesto Ranch Crockpot Chicken Tacos
  Hooray for Halloween!!  Earlier in the day, I just threw some frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot with some jarred pesto, some ranch seasoning, and a little chicken broth.  Cook it on low for 6 hours or so (longer if you have full crockpot), then shred and eat!  It's a yummy chicken for tacos, nachos, and even on salads.  It also makes great leftovers!  I served ours on tortillas and also roasted Brussels sprouts and potatoes as sides.  It was a quick, easy meal that gave us all the energy we needed for some epic Trick-or-Treat time with the kids.  :-)

Tuesday:  Leftovers
  Chad was in California for work, so the kids and I had leftovers.  I love leftovers.


Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Asian Style Country Ribs with Brown Rice

Slow Cooker Asian Style Country Ribs
  This is a delicious recipe that I made once a million years ago, loved it, and then forgot to ever make it again.  It's so simple, yet it packs so much flavor.  Just like the first time I made it, I actually didn't marinate it overnight...I just threw everything in my crockpot and cooked it on low for 8-9 hours.  About an hour before dinner time, I placed fresh broccoli and snow peas in the crockpot and spooned a little of the juice over the top before placing the lid back on.  I made some brown rice on the stove, and dinner was ready!


Thursday:  Dinner at Studio Movie Grill
  The kids have been so excited to see the new movie "Trolls," so we made a fun evening out of it!


Friday:  Kids Staying with Nonnie
  Chad and I both had separate retreats, so the kids stayed at my mom's house.


Saturday:  Cheeseburgers with Spinach Salad and Fresh Fruit

  Chad is always willing to grill for us!

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

Summer Break Time

  Hi friends!  Summer time is family fun time, traveling time, camp time, and for us this year, MOVING time!  So, I'll be taking a little break from regular menu posts for a while.  But, once the dust settles from the move, I'll be back with new and regular menus!!

Have a wonderful summer!!

May 29 - June 4, 2016

Sunday:  Veggie Pasta with Rotisserie Chicken & Homemade Marinara, Roasted Broccoli, & Bread

  *  We had been out of town for 4 days, so for dinner that night, I pulled out a quart-sized bag of homemade marinara and rotisserie chicken from the freezer.  Then I boiled some veggie pasta, roasted some broccoli, and made some garlic bread, and dinner was all set!

Monday:  Memorial Day Cook Out

Tuesday:  Leftover Night

Wednesday:  Dinner Out to Celebrate My Mom's Retirement!!

Thursday:  Crockpot Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Tacos
  This is a flavorful, simple crockpot recipe that can be used for nachos, tacos, salads, or just alone!  It makes quite a bit, so it's good for a crowd, or for freezing some for later.  :-)  (Recipe courtesy of A Latte Food)

Friday:  Graduation Dinner with Family to Celebrate Our Niece, Addy

Saturday:  Cheeseburgers with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Fresh Pineapple
  *  Perfect for dinner on the porch!  I even made us all special juice drinks with orange pineapple juice and fresh fruit...the kids thought this was pretty special.