October 25-31, 2015

Sunday:  Cook Out with Friends

Monday:  Hawaiian Chicken Tenders with Roasted Butternut Squash and Fresh Broccoli

(sorry for the random sideways pic...)

Hawaiian Chicken Tenders

  This recipe is from Just Add Sprinkles, and we all enjoyed it!  It’s definitely a sweeter chicken tender full of coconut, so if coconut isn’t your thing, you probably wouldn’t like this much.  I’m not a big fan of coconut usually, but I do love coconut shrimp, so I also enjoyed this recipe.  The kids loved this as well.  We all had our own various dipping sauces ranging from honey to BBQ sauce to ketchup to Sriracha.  Just a note…it didn’t take long for the coconut to brown before breading it (one of her first steps), so watch your oven so you don’t burn the coconut!

  I served ours with fresh broccoli and roasted butternut squash.

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

Wednesday:  Mummy Dogs and Monster Teeth  J

  A Halloween week tradition!!

Thursday:  Chicken & Cheese Taquitos with Apple Slices and Fresh Avocado

Chicken & Cheese Taquitos

  When I planned our menu, I initially had in mind our typical Thursday night schedule with practice for both boys.  So, I planned this with a busy schedule and a grab-n-go meal in mind.  However, we ended up not having either practice, but these taquitos were still an easy, kid-friendly dish.  Here’s what you need:

Tortillas

Chicken (I used rotisserie)

4 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salsa (optional)

Butter

  In a bowl, mix together shredded or diced chicken, cream cheese, shredded cheese, and salsa if you choose.  I made most of ours with just chicken and cheese for the kids, but after I scooped their portions out, I added salsa into the mix for me.  Really, there’s no exact amounts of anything…just eyeball it based on how much you need and what your family likes.  J  I used about 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken for our meal, and it made 6 good-sized taquitos.

  Spoon equal amounts of the chicken and cheese mixture onto your tortillas (I had a super cute helper.)

  Then roll them up, tucking the ends in as you roll so nothing escapes. Payton wanted to be the photographer at this point...

  Spread a small amount of butter on both sides of your rolled up taquito and cook on your stovetop on a hot skilled, seam-side down first.  Once the first side turns golden brown, flip and brown the other side.  That’s it!  So easy, and all of the yumminess is tucked neatly inside a tortilla, which means less mess for the kids.  Always a plus in my book when ingredients aren’t falling all over the place!

Friday:  Cheeseburgers and Family Movie Night!

  Chad grilled some yummy burgers for us, but we didn’t have any hamburger buns on hand, nor did I want to get out in the rain and buy some.  So, I found a recipe for Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns from Whole and Heavenly Oven.   These were simple enough even for me…I don’t make a ton of rolls and other yeast-type recipes.  (They weren't super pretty!)

  Still, I thought they lacked a bit of flavor.  But, we all enjoyed them on our cheeseburgers, and they even made excelled bread for our grilled cheeses the next day! 

  So, I made bread for 2 meals that cost nothing since I already had all the ingredients on hand.  I like that I didn’t have to make a store run, and it was fun to try something new.  I’ll definitely try my hand at whole wheat buns again, just with a different recipe next time.  J

Saturday:  Pizza Night and Trick or Treating!!

Thanks Papa Murphy’s for our adorable pizza!

Happy Halloween!!!

October 18-24, 2015

Sunday:  Turkey Parmesan Topped with Pesto Tomatoes, Pasta, & Roasted Green Beans

Turkey Parmesan Topped with Pesto Tomatoes

  This meal was one of those meals that starts out as a bit of an experiment and turns out incredible.  Chad had pulled some turkey out of the freezer to thaw (from a hunting trip last winter).  This turkey was the equivalent of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, so chicken or turkey would both be great. 

  Chad decided that a Turkey Parmesan would be good, so while he was playing at a friend’s house with the kids, I started on dinner.  I’ll write out the recipe below.  Nothing is too different from a regular Chicken Parmesan, until it comes to the sauce.  I didn’t realize that I didn’t have any marinara on hand, so, since I already had the turkey breaded and cooking, I needed a new plan.  This is the fun part of cooking at home and staying on a budget…using what you have on hand to make a delicious meal!

  I had some fresh cherry tomatoes and some frozen pesto (store-bought, and a genius invention!)  in the freezer.  (Obviously it was in the freezer…where else would it be frozen.)  So, I threw in one of the frozen pesto cubes and the tomatoes that I had cut in half and warmed it all together.  This was the sauce over our turkey and pasta, and it was amazing!  It was so simple, yet so full of flavor and bright colors.  The kids gobbled up all their turkey, and Chad kept going back to refill his plate.  He kept telling me how good it was!  I can honestly say I haven’t “wowed” him in a while with a dinner...not that I’ve made bad food, just not something new and wow-worthy.  J

Here are the steps:

  Soak your pieces (small tenderloin size works well and cooks quickly and evenly) of chicken or turkey breast in milk and 1 egg in a plastic bag.  While it soaks, make a breading of panko crumbs, freshly shredded Parmesan, garlic salt, pepper, and paprika.  Remove the poultry from the milk and egg and dredge each piece in the breading until it’s evenly coated on all sides.

  Put the pieces in a hot skillet that has some oil already heated over medium heat.  I used avocado oil because of its high cooking temperature.  Don’t have your burner too hot, or you’ll blacken your poultry without it being cooked through to the center. 

  Once it’s browned on one side, turn the pieces over to brown the other side.  Once both sides are browned and the pieces are cooked through, put them on a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm.  Turn your burner down to medium-low.  Using the same skillet, put in your sliced tomatoes and your pesto (frozen or fresh is fine) and stir them together until everything is warmed through. 

  At some point, you should also boil some pasta…any kind is fine!  I used spirals.

 

  All that’s left is plating the food and making it pretty!  Lay down pasta, then the breaded turkey or chicken, and then add the pesto tomatoes over the top.  Add a salad or green veggie to the side, and dinner is ready!  This whole meal took me 20 minutes to make!

Monday:  Pizza at a Birthday Party

Tuesday:  Baked Honey Mustard Chicken with Brown Rice & Salad

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

I planned to make a different chicken dish, but my chicken wasn’t thawed enough for that recipe.  I also had to go pick up the kids from a friend’s house, so I went to the ever-trusty Pinterest (where I literally typed in “frozen chicken recipes”) to look for a different recipe.  Enter this easy recipe that can be made with frozen chicken breasts and ingredients you likely already have on hand!  Thanks to The Proverbial Homemaker for this dinner-saver!  I didn’t have any curry on hand for her Curry Honey Mustard recipe, but I had everything else, so I chose that sauce for the chicken before I put it in the oven.  I think I should have added some type of spice or salty flavor to it, but we just added season salt (Chad added sriracha to his) as we ate it.

  I also used my rice cooker to make some brown rice.  The rice cooker is nice because in about 45 minutes with almost no work on my part, we have a nice side for a chicken or fish dinner.  I started both the chicken and the rice before leaving the house to pick up the kids, and when we arrived home, everything was ready to eat!  I added a spinach salad, and dinner was good to go!  Ranger and Chad had to leave for baseball practice, l it made me happy to know that I sent them off with a good, healthy dinner in their bellies.  J

  One of the things I’m working on is keeping to our grocery budget but also keeping a usable pantry and freezer stock.  Having staples on hand makes it easier to make dinner on with unexpected circumstances without defaulting to running through a drive thru or eating out.

Wednesday:  Dinner with Small Group

Thursday:  Dinner at Mom’s

Friday:  Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Lime Orzo & Roasted Broccoli

Sweet Chili Lime Chicken with Cilantro Lime Orzo

  I haven’t made this in a while, but it’s one of our favorites.  I love the flavors, but I also love how easy it is to throw together.  Her original recipe calls for cous cous, but I had orzo, so that’s what I used.  I've also made this recipe with quinoa, and that's great too!  I also squeezed a little fresh lime juice in the orzo along with the cilantro.  I don’t add much of the red pepper since my kids don’t love the spice.  It’s easy to spice up on your own once it’s plated.

Saturday:  Pinto Beans, Cornbread, & Spinach Salad

My plate:

Kid plate:

Pioneer Woman’s Pinto Beans

  Fall weather means beans and cornbread!  I used a mix for my corn bread and baked it in our cast iron corn sticks pan that the kids love.  Pioneer Woman’s recipe for pinto beans is nice because you don’t have to remember to soak your beans overnight.  J  They also make easy leftovers for quesadillas, a side dish, homemade refried beans, or added to salads.  I actually took our leftovers to our friends’ home the next night to add to the meal they were making for us.

October 11-17, 2015

Sunday: Grilled Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken with Macaroni & Cheese & Sautéed Zucchini

Grilled Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken

  We really love this chicken!  It is so flavorful and tender…the kids just gobble it right up every time!  I love it because it is a simple marinade.  If I find a good deal on chicken, I’ll buy several packages and marinate several bags for the freezer all at the same time.  Then, it’s as easy and pulling it out of the freezer, thawing the chicken, and it’s ready for the grill!

Monday:  Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

  Another bonus to this chicken…it makes amazing leftovers!  Use the chicken in quesadillas like I did, or for a pasta dish or on salads.  It’s great it so many ways!  I’m totally obsessed right now with these tortillas I found at Costco.  I’ve seen them at Walmart too.

They are made with simple ingredients, and I can make as many as I need at a time.  When I’m not in the mood or don’t have the time to make homemade, whole wheat tortillas, these are perfect!

Tuesday:  Chicken Fried Venison with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

  Chad’s night to cook!  I do love that he loves to hunt…it stocks our freezer with meat and gives me an excuse to let him cook for the evening.  J  All I did was roast the veggies inside, and Chad took care of the rest.

Wednesday:  Dinner with Small Group

Thursday:  Chick-Fil-A

  Baseball practice for Ranger at 4:30, a friend’s baseball game at 6:00, and soccer practice for Callen at 6:00…Chick-fil-a to the rescue!

Friday:  Macaroni & Beef with Cheese with Roasted Carrots & Zucchini

Macaroni & Beef with Cheese

  I haven’t made this tasty dish from Ruhlman.com in a while, but it’s always a hit with all 5 of us.  It takes a little bit of time because you let the noodles absorb the sauce, but there’s nothing difficult about it.  I only used a little over 1 lb ground beef, but I still used a full box of whole wheat macaroni.  I poured a good amount into a 7x10 dish for our dinner and froze another portion in an 8x8 dish for a meal another night.  This meal really goes a long way!  Just adjust the amount of sauce, meat, and noodles to your family’s taste.

We had family movie night, but I knew the kids would be having pizza on Saturday.  This cheese pasta dish is a good, homemade substitute for an easy pizza night.

Saturday:  Date Night!  (Pizza Night for the Kids)  J

  For the past several years, instead of Christmas gifts for Chad’s sister Amber and her husband Wade, the 4 of us go out to dinner together.  We definitely don’t need anything, and having an excuse to spend time together is a better gift than something we could buy at the store.  And bonus…our niece and nephew are the babysitters!  Everyone is happy!

October 4-10, 2015

Sunday:  Roasted Chicken & Veggie Tortellini

Roasted Chicken & Veggie Tortellini

  This is a super simple and flavorful meal that can be put together in under 20 minutes.  I almost always have shredded rotisserie chicken in the freezer, so before we left for church that morning, I pulled a bag out so it could thaw in the fridge for a few hours.  When we arrived back home, I diced up zucchini and sautéed it in a little olive oil with a little salt and pepper along with some cauliflower.  I also boiled pasta.  After the veggies had time to cook and brown a little, I tossed the chicken in the same pan to warm it all the way through. 

  After draining the pasta, I tossed it in with the chicken and veggies and added in some prepared pesto.  That’s it!  Your meal is completely ready and has everything you need all in one bowl.  Another bonus…there’s only 2 pans to clean! 

Monday:  Crockpot Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Tacos with Avocado & Rice

Crockpot Salsa Verda Honey Lime Chicken Tacos

  This is a really long name for a very easy crockpot meal.   The creator from A Latte Food basically named it for all of the ingredients she used.  J  All I did was toss the ingredients together in the crockpot and leave it alone!  I shredded the chicken about an hour or so before we ate and then had the chicken in the crockpot on the “warm” setting until we were ready to eat.  We ate ours with fresh avocado, fresh bell peppers, shredded cheese, and rice.  This chicken made wonderful leftovers for lunch the next day.

Tuesday:  Chicken Tenders, Broccoli, & Fruit

  I had a girls night dinner, so I prepared an easy dinner for Chad and the kids.

Wednesday:  Parmesan Broiled Tilapia with Spinach Salad & Brown Rice

Parmesan Broiled Tilapia

  I had planned tilapia for this evening, but the one I meant for us to eat actually required the fish to be marinated for several hours before preparing.  Oops!  I completely forgot and didn’t even have our tilapia thawed until it was time to actually make dinner.  So, I quickly went to my Pinterest boards and found this recipe instead.  It was fast, easy, and had really great flavor!  The website, Spend with Pennies, has come in handy for me on more than one occasion!

Thursday:  Pizza

Friday:  Dinner at Mom’s  J

Saturday:  Cheeseburgers with Fresh Veggies & Fruit

  This was night 3 of Chad being out of town for work, so I attempted cheeseburgers inside since I don’t even know how to turn on our grill…ha!  Making burgers on a skillet inside works well too, and I didn’t hear any complaints from the kids.  Still, I prefer them cooked on the grill.

September 27 - October 3, 2015

*After a little "Fall Break" the blog is back with our menu from last week!

Sunday Lunch:  3 Envelope Beef Sliders with Salad & Fruit

This recipe is actually a combination of Six Sisters’ Three Envelope Pot Roast Sliders and You’re Too Crafty’s Best Pot Roast Ever.  I saw the Six Sisters recipe first and liked the idea of having pot roast sliders rather than traditional roast with sides.  But, I didn’t want the flavor of salsa, so I used a Coke instead, as suggested by You’re Too Crafty. 

I actually prepared the roast and did most of the cooking on Saturday afternoon so that I wouldn’t have to wake up at 3am to start the crockpot on Sunday morning.  So, I put my roast in the crock pot.  Then I mixed 1 packet of onion soup mix, 1 packet of Italian dressing mix, & 1 packet of Au Jus gravy mix with 1 cup of water.  I poured that on top of the roast, then poured a Coke on top of that.  I cooked it on high for 2 hours, then on low for 2 hours.  Then, I turned off the crockpot and took out the insert and stuck it in the fridge overnight.  On Sunday morning, I pulled the meat out of the fridge and stuck it back into the crockpot and cooked it on low for about 4 hours.  It was SO, SO GOOD!  The house smelled amazing for 2 whole days!  Seriously, the gravy is so ridiculously delicious that I could have downed it with a straw.  J

I used King’s Hawaiian Rolls, spicy mustard, & Havarti cheese to make our sliders.  I put the gravy in small bowls so we could dip our sliders into it.  I’m not kidding…these are DELISH!  Make them!  As a bonus, we always have leftover meat when I make this.  If you have a large family or kids who eat more than mine do, you might think about doubling your recipe and making 2 roasts at once.

Sunday Dinner:  Beef & Cheese Nachos with Rice & Avocado & Tomato Salad

First use of the leftover beef from the 3 Envelope Sliders!!  The kids set the table for me, so they chose monkey plates.  J  I just put the meat inside the scoop chips and warmed them in the oven.  Then I topped them with shredded cheese and put it under the broiler until the cheese was melted.

Monday:  Honey BBQ Turkey Meatballs with Roasted Zucchini & Carrots

I felt inspired earlier in the afternoon to use our favorite meatloaf recipe to make MEATBALLS!!  I followed my Honey BBQ Turkey Meatloaf recipe, and instead of forming it into a loaf, I made 18 meatballs.  I topped most of them with the BBQ sauce mixture, but I topped the rest with ketchup to keep the spice lower for the kids.  I baked them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Yum! 

Tuesday:  Beef & Cheese Quesadillas with Roasted Broccoli & Apple Slices

Second use of the beef from the 3 Envelope Sliders we had on Sunday!  These were really, really delicious quesadillas.  So, I prepared meat once, and we had it for 3 separate meals! 

Wednesday:  Dinner with Church Small Group

Thursday:  Sandwiches

  Chad took on the task of getting Ranger to baseball practice at 4:30, and then taking both boys to Callen’s soccer practice at 6:30.  I was in charge of sandwiches at various times for all of us…Ranger and Chad had theirs “To Go!”  J

Friday:  Dinner Out with Mom

Saturday:  Grilled BBQ Sausage with Macaroni & Cheese & Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

One of our kids’ favorite meals!

September 6-12, 2015

  ** There will be no weekly menu next week or the next as we have some out of town adventures planned.  A new menu should be posted on October 4^th!   J

Sunday:  Make Our Own Pizza Night

  Chad was gone on a hunting trip, so the kids and I made our own pizzas on whole wheat sandwich thins and had a bonus movie night since Monday was a holiday.

Monday:  Breakfast for Dinner

  One more no-Daddy night as he was at his fantasy football draft, so the kids and I had breakfast burritos with eggs, sausage, and cheese and a side of fruit.

Tuesday:  Callen’s Birthday Dinner!!!

  We always let our kids choose what they want to eat on their birthdays, and for his 5^th birthday, Callen chose Papa Murphy’s Pizza!  Easy for me…tasty for everyone!

Wednesday:  Dinner at Mom’s

Thursday:  Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Fresh Fruit & Veggies

  Chad out of town + Ranger’s baseball practice at 4:30 + Callen’s soccer practice at 6:30 = Kid Friendly Dinner of grilled cheese  J

Friday:  Grilled Turkey Dogs & Chicken Sausage, Mac-n-Cheese, & Roasted Green Beans

  Chad grilled turkey dogs and chicken sausage while I made roasted green beans and mac-n-cheese for sides.  I used a tip from my sister-in-law and used plain Greek yogurt in the place of milk in the mac-n-cheese.  It’s delish!  It’s also thicker, so it’s less messy for kids…win/win!  This is a perfect Family Movie Night meal!

Saturday:  Grilled Venison Kabobs with Roasted Zucchini & Carrots & Leftover Mac-n-Cheese

  It was an absolutely gorgeous evening…perfect for dinner al fresco!!  Chad added large cherry tomatoes and thick-sliced zucchini to the kabobs, but I also roasted some smaller, diced zucchini with baby carrots inside because the kids prefer the smaller veggies.

*I’ll have a new menu in a couple of weeks!! 

August 30 - September 5, 2015

Sunday:  Dinner out with Church

Monday:  Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Burritos with Roasted Green Beans & Apples

Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken Burritos

  We had some leftover diced Honey Lemon Garlic Chicken in the freezer from a few weeks back.  I pulled it out earlier in the day to let it thaw a bit, then warmed it in a skillet on the stove.  I made some tortillas, and with a little shredded cheese, chicken burritos were ready in a jiffy!  I roasted some frozen green beans in a little olive oil, salt & pepper at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes and also sliced some apples to round out our meal.  Everyone ate and was happy!  (I put the chicken, cheese, and tortillas separately on the kids' plates and let them make their own burritos, or choose to eat it all individually.)

Tuesday:  Best Baked Fried Chicken, Ranch Mashed Potatoes, & Fresh Broccoli

Best Baked Fried Chicken

 This recipe from Carlsbad Cravings turned out really well, despite some of my pantry shortcomings!  I didn’t have any panko or cornmeal, which I thought I did.  So, I subbed regular bread crumbs and cornflake crumbs (which I randomly did have…ha!).  These were still delish, and tasted as good as any fried chicken tender.  I actually doubled the recipe so that we could use the chicken in another meal this week, as well as so I could have some chicken to put with salads for my lunches.  J

Wednesday:  Crispy Chicken Salad Bar…Make Our Own!

  I was inspired by my friend Dana and her blog Real Food, Real Family.  She often sets out a variety of foods and allows her boys to help prepare their own meals and plates.  So, I warmed and broiled the chicken from the night before to heat it through and make it crispy again.  Then I diced it up, along with red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes.  I also added a bowl of blueberries and sunflower seeds and set out the spring mix salad container. 

  I told the kids that they were responsible for their own bowls and needed to make a healthy dinner for themselves.  They loved it!  I gave them the guideline that they were to grab something of every color and enough chicken to have good protein to keep their bellies full.  They knew that at the end of dinner, if they were hungry, it was their own doing, and not mine.  So, while they may not have had huge bowls piled with food, they ate a healthy dinner of their own choosing with a variety of different textures and flavors.

Thursday:  Ham & Swiss Sliders (“Hammy Sammies”)  J with Fresh Fruit & Veggies

“Hammy Sammies”

  My friend, Meredith, makes these for her family often, especially on a busy evening.  Ranger and Chad have baseball practice on Thursdays, and now Callen has started soccer practice as well.  These little sandwiches make a tasty, easy dinner for kids and adults.  I set out bowls of fresh veggies and fresh pineapple for another, “make your own plate” night.  On the advice of Meredith, I also put the sauce inside the rolls, instead of over the top, to make it less messy for little hands.  These worked out perfectly!  Chad even had the leftovers with an egg for breakfast the next morning.  J

Friday:  Cheeseburgers, Fries, Fresh Veggies, & Peaches

  Family movie night!!

Saturday:  Grilled Venison with a Spinach, Kale, and Brussels Sprouts Salad and Buttered Toast

  I am a little spoiled that Chad provides meat for our dinners and grills it almost on a weekly basis.  Almost every weekend, he takes care of dinner at least one night for me.  For this meal, I added a salad and some buttered toast made from our leftover hamburger buns.