February 15-21, 2015

Sunday:  Dinner with Family

Monday:  Chad’s Venison Chili

·          Chad made some amazing chili with some ground venison from the freezer.  J

Tuesday:  Crockpot Bacon-Wrapped Apple Pork Chops with Rice and Salad

Crockpot Bacon-Wrapped Apple Pork Chops

·          My sister-in-law shared this recipe from Chef in Training with me, but it is originally for chicken.  I had everything to make this already on hand, except I used thick-cut pork chops instead of chicken.  We thought it was delicious with pork, and I’m sure it is with chicken as well.  Just like any pork recipe in the crock pot, I always think it’s better the next day, so the leftovers were wonderful.  J

Wednesday:  Breakfast for Dinner!  Eggs, Toast, Spinach Salad

·          The kids wanted breakfast for dinner, and I added a spinach salad with blueberries and fresh bell peppers to make sure they took in some healthy veggies too.

Thursday:  Cheeseburgers, Roasted Potatoes, & Spinach Salad

Friday:  Dinner with a Friend

Saturday:  Bolognese Baked Pasta, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, & Warm, Sourdough Bread

·          Our friend, Jeff, made dinner for us the night before and we had leftover pasta Bolognese.  I decided to put the pasta and sauce in a casserole dish and topped it with a bit more fresh parmesan.  I covered it and warmed it in a 400 degree oven until heated through.  I uncovered it for about 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.  This is a good way to eat leftover pasta without it drying out. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I found some shaved Brussels sprouts at Target, which I grabbed happily.  The hardest part of making Brussels sprouts in cutting them!  J  I tossed them with a little avocado oil, salt, & pepper and roasted them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Then I stirred them around a bit, and roasted them for another 7 minutes.  After I pulled them out of the oven, I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and mixed that with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.  Our Aunt Hosannah makes this balsamic soy mixture for her vegetables.   I poured that over the Brussels sprouts and tossed it all together.  They were delicious!

February 8-14, 2015

Sunday:  Chicken & Veggie Burritos on Homemade, Whole Wheat Tortillas

·          One of the kids had been sick, so I didn’t want to take time to make a big dinner not knowing who would eat it or how everyone would feel.  Thankfully I had some rotisserie chicken on hand, and also some fresh veggies.  I made a batch of homemade, whole wheat tortillas and dinner was ready in no time.

Monday:  Ginger, Beef, Mushroom & Kale Stir Fry

Ginger, Beef, Mushroom,  Kale Stir Fry

·          I found this on Pinterest, and it’s amazing!  It’s also amazingly easy, which makes it one of my favorite new recipes.  The recipe says to marinate the beef for 15 minutes or so, but to save some time in the evening before dinner, I actually cut my thin sirloin and marinated it around 12:30 that afternoon.  So, my meat marinated for about 5 hours.  This meal was thrown together so quickly, I almost couldn’t believe it.  I made some quick brown rice with quinoa that I buy from Costco.  Chad and I both LOVED this!  I didn’t even have any ginger, so I used an all-purpose house seasoning that had ginger in it.  (Recipe courtesy of http://www.gimmesomeoven.com ).

Tuesday:  Easy Garlic Chicken with Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Feta

Easy Garlic Chicken

·          Another great (and easy!) Pinterest make!  We all loved this…even the kids gobbled it right up.  It’s super simple to make.  (www.food.com)

Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Feta

·          After the chicken was in the oven, I used the same sauce pan to make the garlic and olive oil drizzle for the asparagus…2 recipes, 1 pan equals a win for me.  J  This was definitely a tasty way to have asparagus.  (http://www.gonnawantseconds.com )

Wednesday:  Dinner at Mom’s  J

Thursday:  Tortilla Crusted Tilapia, Rice, & Roasted Broccoli

·          I pretty much have Costco to thank for this meal.  We had a busy end of our week, but it was nice to have the tortilla crusted tilapia from Costco in the freezer for a quick meal instead of eating out.  Rice and roasted broccoli are always favorites for my kids.

Friday:  Date Night with Chad!

·          My mom offered to keep the kids so Chad and I could go on a date.  We said yes, of course.  J

Saturday:  Pasta with Venison Marinara Sauce, Kale Salad, and Garlic Cheese Biscuits

·          We had a wonderful, little family Valentines meal at home.  Our nephew even joined us, much to the delight of my kids.  I thawed some ground venison and used that to make a sauce with some marinara I already had in the fridge.  I made a simple kale salad topped with cranberries and sunflower seeds and also a package of Bisquick Garlic Cheese biscuits.  It was a tasty meal that we all enjoyed together.

January 25 - February 1, 2015

*This menu has a bonus day at the end.  J  I won’t be posting a menu next weekend, but I should be back the week after!

Sunday:  Leftovers

Monday:  Ranger’s Birthday!  Mooyah…at his request.  J

Tuesday:  Whole Wheat Banana Waffle Sticks, Scrambled Eggs, & Fruit

·          Chad was out of town, so breakfast for dinner was a must.  To make our waffles a bit healthier, I sometimes make them from scratch using whole wheat flour.  This time I also added some mashed bananas and ground flax seeds.  The kids love them!

Wednesday:  One Pot Ziti with Caesar Salad & Bread

One Pot Ziti

·          My mom made this recipe several months ago, and it seemed perfect to have for dinner on a night when we had some friends over.  It makes quite a bit of food, and I doubled it, so there was plenty for everyone, plus some for leftovers, plus some for the freezer!  I even made a small batch the next day to take to some friends from church who just had their first baby.  The kids liked this one as well!  J  From start to finish, you can have dinner on the table in under an hour with very little actually work involved.

Thursday:  Quinoa Patties with Roasted Broccoli

Quinoa Patties

·          My friend Meredith shared this recipe with me because her family loved it so much.  I’m so glad she did because my family loved them as well!  It’s from a site called Frugal Living.  Meredith even used some delicious frozen quinoa with kale from Costco that we all love, but I was out, so I made quinoa the usual way on the stove.  My kids gobbled them right up.  We all had our own various dipping sauces, which was really fun.  I added some roasted broccoli, and our meal was full of protein and veggies!  Chad thinks they would also be tasty with half quinoa and half ground venison (or whatever meat you have on hand), and I agree.  J

Friday:  Crescent Roll Turkey Dogs with Fresh Bell Pepper Slices & Fruit

·          I was out of town for a quick girls’ trip, so Chad was in charge.  He and the kids made their own crescent roll turkey dogs, and apparently everyone made a happy plate!  He sent me this picture with the caption "Boom!"  Hehe...

Saturday:  Chicken Fried Venison with Roasted Broccoli

·          One more night of Daddy being in charge, and he did not disappoint!  He made some chicken fried venison and roasted broccoli that resulted, again, in happy plates by everyone!  I think I may leave more often.  ;-)

Sunday:  Chicken & Broccoli Pasta Alfredo

·          Because I arrived back home late on Saturday night, Chad also thought ahead for our Sunday lunch after church and set out the chicken we had frozen from making Hawaiian Grilled Chicken a few weeks ago.  When we came home from church, he sautéed the chicken with broccoli and boiled some pasta.  He added a small amount of alfredo sauce for a delicious meal we all really enjoyed.  I think I’ll keep him around. 

Have a great week!  There won’t be a menu this week due to our crazy schedules, so look for our next menu in 2 weeks!