August 10-16, 2014

I only made 2 actual dinners this week.  Our week was filled with unexpected emergencies and family in town.  So, here are the 2 meals I made...the other 5 nights we were either in survival mode or with family.  Have a good week!

Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots

We had a couple from church over for lunch on Sunday, and due to some of his allergies, I needed to make a very simple, meat and potatoes type meal.  Of course, nothing is better on Sunday than a roast!  I simply seared the roast with olive oil and generous amounts of salt and pepper until it had a nice brown coating on each side.  Then I threw in quartered red potatoes and baby carrots and about half a cup of water.  I put a lid on my pot and put the roast in the oven at 250 degrees before we left for church.  3 hours later, I pulled it out, and it was perfect!  With the juice left in my pot, I made a gravy by adding corn starch and water and whisking on the stove.  There were a few lumps, so I strained it out before serving.  :-)

Turkey Meatballs with Mushrooms, Asparagus, Carrots, and Rice

I needed a simple meal one evening, but I didn't want us to eat drive through or take out.  I had some turkey meatballs from Costco in the freezer.  I made them in the oven as directed, and at the same time, I roasted asparagus, mushrooms, and carrots.  While that was cooking, I made brown rice on the stove top.  When the meatballs and veggies were done, I added them to the rice on the stove and flavored it with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and Hoisin sauce.  It was a delicious and healthy stir fry that was on the table in less than 30 minutes!

August 3-9, 2014

Sunday:  Costco Pizza and Spinach, Blueberry, and Feta Salad

·          I had been to Costco the day before, so I bought one of their delicious (and large!) pizzas.  Since our kids are still young, we actually only eat half of the pizza.  I froze the other half so we can have another easy dinner later on.  I made us a salad of spinach, blueberries, feta, and blackberry balsamic vinaigrette that I bought at the farmer’s market.  Yum!  Then, we all ate upstairs and watched a movie.  J

Monday:  Garlic Maple Dijon Chicken with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Macaroni and Cheese

Garlic Maple Dijon Chicken

·          This was A-MAZING!  It might possibly be my new favorite chicken dish now.  It’s also crazy easy, which adds to its awesome-ness.  Thanks to Pinterest and The Honour System blog for this fantastic find!  I made sides of roasted Brussels sprouts (Hosannah-Style:  after roasting melt 2 tablespoons butter and combine with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, then pour over hot veggies) and macaroni and cheese.  The kids were pretty happy about that last one.

Tuesday:  Dinner Out

Wednesday:  15-Minute Lasagna with Roasted Broccoli and Bread

15-Minute Lasagna

·          I had been painting all afternoon while the kids stayed with my mom. Chad went to pick them up, but I didn’t just want us to eat out or pick up something on the way home.  I made this lasagna from the Kevin & Amanda blog, and it was easy and delicious!  I didn’t have quite enough lasagna noodles on hand, so I also threw in some rotini to soak up some of the sauce.  I also didn’t have any sausage on hand, but we didn’t miss it.  This made a huge skillet, so we had leftovers for a couple of days.

Thursday:  Breakfast for Dinner!

·          Chad had a work dinner, so I made breakfast for the kids.  I had some leftover lasagna.  J

Friday:  Basil Pesto Tilapia, Roasted Asparagus, and Rice

·          Some days, it’s just Costco to the rescue.  We had a busy day, and I wasn’t in the mood to cook much at all.  I have a box of basil pesto tilapia in the freezer from my last Costco trip, so I made those and just roasted some asparagus on a baking sheet right next to it.  After the asparagus was done, I squeezed on some fresh lemon juice.  With some rice, we had a yummy, healthy, and easy meal on the table in less than 20 minutes. 

Saturday:  Sliders and Sweet Potato Fries

·          The boys have been asking for burgers for a few days, so we obliged!  

July 27 - August 2, 2014

Sunday:  Small Group Potluck Dinner

Monday:  BBQ Chicken, Spinach, & Havarti Quesadillas with Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

·          We had chicken leftover from a few night before, so I wanted to use it to make another dinner.  Chad had a softball game at 6:30 that we were all going to, so I also needed a fast and easy meal.  Quesadillas fit the bill!  I added spinach and Havarti and also sprinkled a little garlic salt on the buttered tortillas before cooking them in the pan.  We all cleaned our plates!

Tuesday:  Dinner at Mom’s

Wednesday:  Swedish Meatballs with Roasted Broccoli, Carrots, and French Fries

Swedish Meatballs

·          These are Ranger’s all-time favorite meatballs!  They are quite easy to make, especially if you make the meatballs earlier in the day.  I made the full recipe of meatballs, but froze half of them after baking.  If you plan to serve all of the meatballs, you will need to double the gravy ingredients, as the recipe will only make enough for half of the meatballs.  This recipe originally came from E-meals.  J

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1 lb extra lean ground beef or ground turkey

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1/2 c bread crumbs or quick oats

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 t allspice

Gravy

1 pkg onion soup mix

1 c water

1 T flour

1 c milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all meatball ingredients together.  Form into 1″ balls.  Place in 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes.  In a large skillet, mix together the onion soup mix, water, flour, and milk.  Heat until thickened.  Add cooked meatballs to skillet.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over egg noodles, if you choose.

Thursday: Dinner Out for a Friend’s Birthday

Friday:  Grilled Orange-Soy Chicken Tenders, Corn on the Cob, and Zucchini

·          We’ve had some wonderfully cool days this week, so Chad was more than happy to grill outside.  J  I marinated some chicken tenders in soy sauce, orange juice, garlic powder, and pepper.  He grilled those along with corn on the cob and zucchini.  I put olive oil and Ranch dressing powder on the veggies before he grilled them.  We enjoyed our dinner on the porch!  Easy prep and easy clean-up for me.

Saturday:  Chicken and Veggie Tacos, Sautéed Kale, and Homemade Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

·          We were supposed to go to our friends’ house for dinner, but their kids were sick.  Still, my sweet friend, Sharon, brought us the dinner she planned to make anyway!  She made wonderful chicken and veggie tacos and delicious sautéed kale.  It was so good!  I didn’t have any tortillas on hand, but I thought it was time to try and make some homemade tortillas.  I know it’s fairly simple; I had just never actually tried it.  I chose an easy recipe for whole wheat tortillas on Pinterest and whipped them up!  It was incredibly simple, and we all enjoyed the taste and texture.  I’ll definitely try more homemade tortillas now that I know how easy (and inexpensive!) they are.  J

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!