July 20-26, 2014

Sunday:  Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

·          I helped hostess a baby shower this afternoon, and there were quite a few veggies leftover.  My friend, Dana, mentioned they would be great in a stir fry!  So, I grabbed a bag full of carrots, snap peas, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes and brought them home.  I had some rotisserie chicken in the freezer that I had already pulled off of the bone, so I took that out of the freezer to thaw.  Then, Chad did the rest of the work!

  I had some Asian-inspired sauces on hand from making slow cooker beef and broccoli a few weeks back.  Chad warmed the chicken in a skillet and poured in a small amount of Hoisin Sauce (a teaspoon-ish) and a little sesame oil.  Meanwhile, he sautéed the vegetables as well as thinly sliced apple with sesame oil and oyster sauce (2-3 tablespoons –ish).  He also added a brown rice and quinoa packet (that we buy from Costco) to the chicken after it was heated through with a splash of rice wine vinegar.  When it was time to serve, he put them side-by-side on our plates.  It was all so, so delicious!!  Adding the Asian sauces to it made it quite yummy.

Monday:  Chili’s To Go  J

·          I drove the boys over to Richardson to stay with Chad’s parents for the week and go to VBS, so when I arrived home, Chad pulled in right behind me with take out from Chili’s!  That’s 2 nights in a row he’s taken care of our dinner!

Tuesday:  Pioneer Woman Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Roasted Broccoli, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

Pioneer Woman Chicken Mozzarella Pasta

·          With the boys gone, I am taking the opportunity to potty train Payton.  So, we were a little low on groceries, but I wasn’t about to venture out to the store on day 1!  But, I took a look around at what I had, and then I went straight to Pioneer Woman’s site.  I saw this recipe and realized that I had everything on hand to make it…yay!  Not only was it super simple to prepare, but it is absolutely delicious.  Chad and I both loved it!  We had just a little broccoli, just a little asparagus, and just a few cherry tomatoes, so I tossed them all on a baking sheet together and roasted them until they were golden and yummy.  J

Wednesday:  Sautéed Duck with Orange Sauce, Rice, and Roasted Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

·          Chad still had some duck in the freezer from last season, so he thawed it and made something ridiculously delicious for dinner.  I have no idea what he did, but he made some kind of orange sauce and sautéed the duck in it.  I’ve only had duck once before, and I didn’t care for it, but this changed my mind about trying duck in the future.  Yum-o!

         I also had some frozen Brussels sprouts, which I’ve never tried roasting before.  It worked out!  I set the bag out on the counter for about 30 minutes to thaw just a bit.  Then I roasted them on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees with a little bit of cut up butter, salt, and pepper.  After the first 5 minutes, I tossed it around to make sure the melted butter was spread over all of the Brussels sprouts.  I roasted them for another 15 minutes or so, then I pulled them out and added a couple of small spoonfuls of brown sugar and some crushed walnuts.  I tossed that all around, then threw it back in the oven to roast and caramelize for another 7-8 minutes.  They were quite tasty!  It was completely different from a fresh Brussels sprout, but I really liked it.  They were also still good reheated the next day for lunch!

Thursday:  Leftover Night!

Friday:  Dinner at Grammy and DadDad’s

·          We drove over to pick up the boys after being with Chad’s parents all week, and they even made us dinner.  J

Saturday:  Pioneer Woman BBQ Chicken, Smashed Cauliflower, and Salad

Pioneer Woman BBQ Chicken

·          I’m a sucker for a Pioneer Woman recipe, and this one seemed easy enough!  It was definitely easy, although I will say HOT!  Having to open my oven 4 times to add more sauce made me work up a bit of a sweat on a 102 degree day.  But, we all enjoyed it!  My mom was over, so in addition to chicken thighs, I also made a chicken breast since she prefers white meat.  I just took it out of the oven sooner so it wouldn’t dry out.  J

Olive Oil, Garlic, and Romano Cheese Mashed Cauliflower

·          This recipe looked so yummy, I had to try it!  I’ve actually never mashed cauliflower before, but I know many people do all the time.  I must not have allowed mine to get quite tender enough because it didn’t really mash down to the right consistency.  It still tasted good, but it was more like cauliflower “rice.”  I’ll try again with another method!

July 13-19, 2014

Sunday:  Fish Sticks, Crab Cakes, and Roasted Green Beans

·          We had just returned home from a family reunion that weekend, so our dinner that evening was a simple one.  J

Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner:  Spinach and Feta Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and Fresh Banana Waffle Sticks

·         Chad was gone this evening, so I made the kids’ favorite!  To make me happy as well, I added spinach and feta cheese to our eggs.  I also made our waffle batter by adding an over-ripe banana.  I added a bit more milk than usual to make sure the batter wasn’t too thick.  It was delish!

Tuesday:  Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce with Rice and Roasted Asparagus

Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce

·          The recipe is from a Kraft Foods magazine way back in 2006.  It’s always been one of our favorites.  It actually reminds me of cooking for just Chad and me when we were first married.  Awwwwww. 

2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

1 can (14 oz.)  chicken broth, divided

1/2 cup water

10   RITZ Crackers, finely crushed (about 1/4 cup)

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

2 tsp. oil

1/3 cup Chive & Onion Cream Cheese

3/4 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, steamed

Cook rice in 1-1/4 cups broth and 1/2 cup water as directed on package.

Meanwhile, mix cracker crumbs and Parmesan on plate. Rinse chicken with water; gently shake off excess water. Dip chicken in crumb mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides of each breast. Discard any remaining crumb mixture.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 min. on each side or until done (165°F). Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm. Add remaining broth and reduced-fat cream cheese to skillet; bring just to boil, stirring constantly. Cook 3 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently; spoon over chicken. Serve with rice and asparagus.

Wednesday:  Mahi Mahi with Citrus Vodka Sauce, Spinach Salad, and Bread

·          I discovered this recipe from Target.com a few years ago, and it’s pretty simple.  To made it even simpler, I asked Chad to grill the Mahi Mahi outside so that I didn’t have any fishy smells in the house.  Yay!

16 oz Mahi Mahi fillets (I bought mine frozen and thawed them)

1 jar vodka pasta sauce

1 tsp orange zest

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Prepare your Mahi Mahi however you like.  We grilled ours with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  At the same time, pour your vodka sauce in a saucepan and add the orange zest.  Heat over medium-low heat until hot.  When the Mahi Mahi is ready, pour the sauce over the fish and serve.  That’s it! 

Thursday:  Leftovers

·          Chad was out of town again, so I had leftovers while the kids had chicken.

Friday:  Cheeseburgers with Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

Saturday:  Pizza Night!

·         Chad and I went out for a friend’s birthday, so my mom watched the kids for us.  I ordered them a pizza.  J

June 29 - July 5, 2014

Sunday:  Rough Riders Baseball Game

Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner at Mom’s  J

Tuesday:  Tortilla Crusted Tilapia, Sautéed Zucchini, Carrots, and Onions, and Rice

·          Chad made dinner for us this night, and it was delicious!

Wednesday:  Pasta with Ground Turkey and Veggie Marinara Sauce, Spinach Salad, and Whole Wheat Garlic Toast

·          We swam and played with friends until almost 6:00, so I needed a quick dinner.  I had some cooked ground turkey and veggies frozen from the last time I made Meredith’s tacos, so I set it out earlier in the day to thaw.  When it was time to make dinner, I warmed it in a skillet with marinara sauce.  I made a combination of small shells and elbow macaroni because we didn’t quite have enough of either to feed all 5 of us.  J  I also made an easy spinach salad and whole wheat garlic toast.  Everyone was happy!

Thursday:  Chicken Tenders, Zucchini Muffins, and Fruit

·          We went to Hawaiian Falls water park after naps on this afternoon with my mom, and then she came home with us to stay with the kids while Chad and I went out to eat for our anniversary (which was the day before…9 years!).  While the kids took a bath, I made some Purdue Simply Smart chicken tenders.  I also warmed up some zucchini muffins that I like to make for my kids (and me).  My mom had some leftover pasta from the night before.  As the kids were finishing their dinner, Chad and I headed out on our date!

Friday:  July 4^th Cookout!  Ribeye Steaks, Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Diced Potatoes with Bell Peppers, Tomato and Avocado Salad

·          My mom came back over for July 4^th dinner with us!  Chad grilled some ribeyes that were scrumptious!  I roasted our veggies inside, and Mom prepared a yummy tomato and avocado salad that is perfect for summer.  Happy birthday America!

Saturday:  Hotdogs, Fruit, Chips, and Caprese Salad with Avocado

·          In keeping with our theme of being outside in the water every afternoon this week ;-), we had gone to the pool after naps.  When we came home, Chad grilled hot dogs for us (turkey dogs for the kids, jalapeño cheddar dogs for us).  We added fruit and chips, and I also made a quick Caprese salad with tomato, avocado, basil, mozzarella cheese, balsamic vinegar, and some pepper.  Yummy!

June 22-28, 2014

Sunday:  Dinner with Our Small Group

Monday:  Date Night!

·          Our kids stayed the night with their aunt, uncle, and cousins, so Chad and I had a random Monday date night.  J

Tuesday:  Pizza Night

Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli with Rice

Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli

·          I saw a different beef and broccoli recipe that looked amazing on Pinterest, but our week’s schedule changed on me a bit, so I found this one for the slow cooker instead.  I’ve made another recipe or two from this blog, so I felt confident it would be delicious.  It was!  This recipe was quick and simple to throw together, and we all enjoyed it.  I actually used flank steak since it’s a bit cheaper.  It’s a tougher cut of beef, so I cooked mine for about 6 hours instead of the 2 it recommends.  We ate every bite!

Thursday:  Garlic Butter Shrimp and Quinoa with Fresh Spinach Salad

Garlic Butter Shrimp and Quinoa

·          I always see recipes for shrimp and pin them on Pinterest, but I never actually try them!  J  This one from Pinch of Yum looked too tasty to pass up, and it looked pretty easy too.  I also really wanted the boys to try some shrimp now that they love to eat all kinds of fish.  This was so, so YUMMY!  Which, I suppose if you add enough garlic and butter to anything, it should be good.  J  Her method of cooking the quinoa is a little different and incredibly delicious.  The meal was a HUGE hit, and the boys both officially declared that they love shrimp!!  Yay!  One note…our house smelled of shrimp for 4 days, so we will be cooking shrimp outside on the grill from now on.

Friday:  Dinner at Mom’s

Saturday:  Pepperoni, Tomato, and Mushroom Pizzas on Pioneer Woman’s Pizza Crust

·          My favorite easy pizza crust is from Pioneer Woman.  It’s so good, and you can make it a day or two ahead of time, which means actually making dinner doesn’t take much time at all.  I topped ours with pepperoni, fresh tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and sliced fresh mozzarella.  It was perfect for our family movie night!

June 15-21, 2014

Sunday:  Leftovers from Saturday

·          We had some leftover grilled chicken and veggies from our big family party the night before.  They were a tasty and healthy dinner for all of us!

Monday:  Pizza Night

·          Our church’s VBS was this week, and on Monday we decorated the venue.  So, the kids and I went to Papa Murphy’s and brought home a pizza for a quick dinner we could all enjoy together.  I added fruit to the kids’ plates as well.

Tuesday:  Tortilla Crusted Tilapia, Roasted Broccoli and Carrots, and Fruit

·          This was night 1 of VBS, and we needed to leave our house at 4:30 to pick up a friend.  So, instead of a healthy family dinner, we had a family lunch!  I had some tilapia from Costco, and I roasted broccoli and carrots.  The kids were a little confused by “dinner” for lunch, but when I explained I wanted them to have their veggies so they were strong for VBS, they were all over it!  Then, for dinner they ate turkey, cheese, and fruit in the car on the way to pick up a buddy who was coming to VBS with us!  There was also a snack for the kids at VBS.

Wednesday:  Turkey Meatballs, Roasted Broccoli and Carrots, and Fruit

·          Same story, day 2.  J

Thursday:  Sliders with Roasted Okra and Oven French Fries

·          VBS was over, so we had dinner at our regular time again.  I made sliders on my cast iron skillet and roasted okra and French fries.  Chad and I love roasted okra…the kids not so much.  But, they tried 1 bite, and I didn’t make them eat any more.  I don’t remember liking okra either when I was a child, so I gave them a little leeway.  J

Friday:  Turkey tenderloin in the Crock Pot, Baked “Fried” Okra, Fruit, and Bread

·          I bought a rotisserie seasoned turkey loin at Aldi and thought we should give it a try!  We had a very busy day (and week!), so just opening the package and putting it in the crock pot was perfect.  It was delicious!  I had more okra that I had picked up at the farmer’s market, so I oven “fried” it hoping the kids would like it a little more.  Again, Chad and I thought it was great…the kids ate their 1 bite and moved on.  I’ll take it!

Saturday:  Jack’s Birthday Party!

·          We drove over to Crowley to celebrate our nephew, Jack, turning 2 years old!!

June 8-14, 2014

Sunday:  Crockpot Chicken, Black Beans, & Corn with Spinach Salad and Cornbread Muffins

·          I had this leftover chicken in the freezer from Payton’s birthday party a couple of weeks ago, so I pulled it out and put in in the crock pot on warm before we left for church.  When we arrived home, it was perfectly hot.  I made a spinach salad with apples, slivered almonds, feta, and tossed it with a dressing made of olive oil and raspberry balsamic vinaigrette.  I also had some cornbread muffins ready to go.  I love delicious, healthy meals that are easily thrown together on Sundays!

Monday:  Oven Baked Ravioli with Roasted Broccoli and Whole Wheat Garlic Toast

Oven Baked Ravioli

This is an incredibly easy recipe that can be thrown together in about 5 minutes before baking in the oven for 45 minutes.  It is one of the keepers from when I used Emeals a few years ago.  I added the browned meat to ours to amp up the protein a bit.

-          1 package frozen ravioli, any kind (I used spinach and mozzarella from Costco)

-          1 jar spaghetti sauce

-          ½ pound browned ground beef, turkey, or chicken

-          Cheese of your choice

Spray an oven-safe pan, then pour in the frozen ravioli in a single layer.  Sprinkle on the cooked ground beef, chicken, or turkey.  Then, pour the spaghetti sauce over that and sprinkle with whatever cheese you choose.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover, then bake for 5 more minutes to let the cheese melt. 

Tuesday:  Ground Turkey and Veggie Tacos with Fresh Avocado and Bell Pepper Slices

 Meredith’s Ground Chicken and Veggie Tacos

A favorite, often-repeated recipe in our house.  Go to this post to see the recipe and pictures.  This time I actually used ground turkey instead of chicken.  Still delish!  J

Wednesday:  Dinner with Mom

We love having dinner at my mom’s house!  She ran to Sprouts and grabbed a “Baby Chicken” (rotisserie chicken), broccoli, and potatoes.  She roasted the broccoli and potatoes in small bites…just how my kids like it!  Easy and healthy!

Thursday:  Breakfast for Dinner:  Egg and Spinach Scramble, Bacon, Whole Wheat Toast, Apples, and Blueberries

Yes, I added cut up spinach to our eggs, topped it with a little cheese, and the kids devoured it!  We hadn’t been home much that day, so I hadn’t fed my kids any vegetables AT ALL.  This was a perfectly easy way for us to get a few greens in.  J

Friday:  Dinner at the Pool Neighborhood Party

Saturday:  Grilled Chicken, Grilled Veggie and Pineapple Skewers, and Bread

Ranger played his last t-ball game of the season at 5:00 that evening, so after, we had family over for dinner.  It was also a celebration for our niece Addy turning 16 and an early Father’s Day meal!  We grilled chicken (I had marinated it earlier in the day), vegetable and pineapple skewers (onions, zucchini, pineapple, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper), and I made bread inside.  Everyone had plenty to eat, and we topped off our meal with a Red Velvet Bundt Cake!  It was a yummy celebration!!

June 1-7, 2014

Sunday:  Breakfast for Dinner

·          Ranger had been sick most of the weekend L, so we made his favorite dinner…breakfast!  We were happy to feed him anything that he actually wanted to eat. 

Monday:  Alli’s Angel Chicken with Steamed Veggies and Bread

Alli’s Angel Chicken

·          This recipe is from my sweet friend, Alli.  I haven’t made it in a long time, but it’s quite delicious!  I actually forgot that it needed to bake in the oven for 60 minutes, so I actually made mine on the stovetop in about 25 minutes.  I just browned my thin-sliced chicken breasts on both sides, then poured over the sauce.  I put the lid on the pan and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.  It was great!

6 chicken breasts                                                                            

1 can golden mushroom soup
1/4 cup butter                                                                                          
4 oz cream cheese w/ chives

1 (7-oz) package Italian dressing mix                                      

1 lb angel hair pasta

½ C white wine

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat.  Stir in package of Italian dressing mix.  Blend in wine & soup.  Mix in cream cheese & stir until smooth.  Heat through but don’t boil.  Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in a 9x13 dish.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Bake for 60 minutes.  During last 20 minutes of baking, cook angel hair pasta.

Tuesday:  Chicken Tenders, Zucchini Fritters, & Roasted Carrots

·          Ranger and Chad were at t-ball practice from 5:00 – 6:30, and then Chad had to run to a meeting at 7:00.  So, I made a quick and easy-to-eat dinner using Purdue Simply Smart chicken tenders.  I added a yummy recipe for zucchini fritters that I found on Pinterest, plus a kid-fave, roasted carrots.  Yum!

Wednesday:  Dinner Out with Mom  J

Thursday:  Date Night with Chad!!

·          The kids stayed with Chad’s parents for 2 nights, so we had 2 dates!!  Yay!!

Friday:  Date Night #2!

Saturday:  Hamburger, Spinach, and Garlic Pizza

·          I had a Pioneer Woman Pizza Crust in my freezer from making a big batch of dough a couple of months ago.  I thawed it out all day, then topped it with tomato sauce, some browned and seasoned hamburger meat, lots of fresh spinach, and a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.  (Chad added fresh jalapeños to his portion).  It was really delicious!!