Happy Birthday to me!

Thanks to my Mom and Burke I had a DELICIOUS birthday. ;) It involved these cupcakes. If you ever come visit me in Chicago, I'm probably going to FORCE you to visit Molly's cupcake shop. And I'll probably MAKE you sample the Ron Bennington (bottom left cupcake). It made my birthday quite delightful. This may actually be my last birthday involving Molly's. :( So let's turn our focus to what we're eating this week:

*Monday: Leftover Giordano's Pizza...darn. ;)

*Tuesday: We never made this Ziti last week, and the kids have requested it. So we'll try it tonight. We'll also have fresh peaches and salad

*Wednesday: Corn/Black Bean Salad--I can't believe I haven't made this yet this summer! I mix black beans, corn, diced purple or green onion, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado and chopped cilantro with a little olive oil, lime juice and salt. It is heavenly. We'll have Chicken Quesadillas with ours.

*Thursday: Salmon & Roasted Red potatoes (bought some fresh red potatoes at the farmer's market this week...can't wait to use them!)

*Friday: CAMPING! We're hoping and praying for good weather so we can enjoy our roasted hot dogs (and grilled peppers/onions for me & Burke) and smores.

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Chicken Fajitas with Lime Rice and these beans...and some of THIS for dessert (I'll serve it with fresh strawberries & blueberries)

Hi Friends!

...that is if I still have any. I'm back for a week before I take off for my LAST trip of the summer. So here's a week's worth of meals, and then I PROMISE I'll get back in my groove...

*Monday: Chicken Tortilla Soup-Burke was sick and we were out of town on Father's Day. So tonight we're celebrating with one of his favorites. And I normally make him a Banana Cream Pie for dessert, but tonight I'm going to simplify by making individual banana cream trifles (see photo above). Layer crushed vanilla wafers, sliced bananas, vanilla/banana pudding, whipped cream, and repeat 3 times. Garnish with a wafer and banana slice.

*Tuesday: Baked Potatoes with toppings

*Wednesday: Pasta with Tomatoes & Pinenuts and salad (I may throw some pine nuts on my salad too!)

*Thursday: Homemade Fish sticks & coleslaw Ryder's been begging for us to make fish sticks, and I've been craving some good ole' coleslaw. Perfect!

*Friday: Beans & Rice-going to try a pinto bean recipe that my Mom & I will be making for about 40 people in 2 weeks. We'll top our beans & rice with tomatoes, cotija cheese, avocados & onions.

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Stuffed Peppers

Halloween week!!!

Here's the plan for our eats this week:

*Monday: Trader Joe's Surprise! I'll let you know if it's good. And, caramel apples (we're having a pumpkin carving/caramel apple party! Yay!)

*Tuesday: Pizza Pockets--use your favorite dough & sauce, and any toppings you like. Wrap the sauce, cheese and toppings inside of the dough (making sure to seal the edges tightly), and bake on a rimmed baking sheet until cooked through.

*Wednesday: Black Beans & Rice

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: White Chili & Cornbread Pudding (being taken to our church Halloween party!) + Caramel Pecan Pie & Pumpkin Cheesecake (see recipes below)

*Saturday: HALLOWEEN PARTY! Not exactly sure what I'm contributing, but I hear there is real Kahlua Pork involved...

*Sunday: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables & apple-cider doughnuts

CARAMEL PECAN PIE

-1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (this is my go-to pie crust recipe)
-36 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped (or you can make your own)
-1/4 c. butter
-1/4 c. milk
-3/4 c. sugar
-3 eggs
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1 c. pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350*. In saucepan over low heat, combine caramels, butter and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from heat. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually mix in melted caramel mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool until filling is firm.

DOUBLE LAYER PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

-2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
-1/2 c. white sugar
-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 eggs
-1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
-1/2 c. pumpkin puree
-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
-1 pinch ground cloves
-1 pinch ground nutmeg
-1/2 c. whipped topping/whipping cream

Preheat oven to 325*.
In large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 c. of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to remaining batter an stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over batter in the crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

travel time...

This Thursday, I head to Utah for the long anticipated race. I am SO excited! I'm already sad when I think of leaving my kiddos (even just for a few days), but can hardly wait for a plane ride free of bottles, matchbox cars and coloring books. Not to mention 3 days without changing a diaper. ;) Thanks to my Mom, I get to spend the weekend with some of my very favorite people in the whole world--and run in an amazing race! Here is my meal plan for the week (the weekend's meals are adapted to either be made ahead of time, or are quick to throw together, to make it as easy on my Mom as possible!). And the next two weeks will be filled with driving to Virginia for Ashley's wedding, and spending time in Michigan with my brother and his family...so there may be a lack of posts. But I'll stay on top of this as much as I can, cause you can be sure that I'll be eating good food the whole time!

*Monday: Paninis--We'll use Ciabatta bread, add any veggies, cheese, or maybe some turkey, as well as a little balsamic vinegar, pesto, mustard, etc. Then since I don't have a sandwich press, I use my George Foreman to get a nice thin, crispy, juicy sandwich. Yum!

*Tuesday: Spinach Salad with Fruit, Almonds and Feta and a Trader Joe's Baguette

*Wednesday: Chicken Tacos

*Thursday: Lasagna Rolls, corn on the cob and Garlic Bread

*Friday: Broccoli Cheese Soup(just add cheese to the recipe), salad and rolls

*Saturday: Pizza Night!
*Sunday: Black Beans and Rice (top with green/purple onions, tomatoes, avocados, Cajun seasoning, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, etc.)

P.S. Doesn't this look amazing??? When I get back, I am definitely finding a reason to make it...

Let's get Cookin'!!!

I'm FINALLY back! It's great to be home (although I do have a sick boy--which is so sad), and I am so excited to finally get back to cooking--and get my kids out of the "Honey-Nut Cheerios, Peanut Butter Sandwiches and snacks all day" trap. It's hard to eat well when on vacation. But we had a great trip, and I now have an amazing new brother in law! So here is what we're eating this week:

*Monday: Black Beans and Rice (thanks to Amy for the delicious beans and peach salsa--we HAVE to put them to good use!), with avocados, tomatos, shredded cheese, onions, etc....

*Tuesday: Asian Noodle Salad--I've been wanting to make this ever since I saw it on my friend's, friend's blog....

*Wednesday: Eggplant and Mozzarella Melt with spinach/strawberry/kiwi salad

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Red Pepper Soup (I will probably throw a few tomatoes in, as well) with crusty bread

*Saturday: Date Night--it's been TOO long!!!

*Sunday: Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair and Blueberry Buttermilk Tart (for dessert :)

Good Eats...

I hope everyone had a FABULOUS Valentine's Day! We sure did. Our heart pizzas were fantastic (we had a bbq chicken pizza with shredded chicken, cilantro, red onions, bacon and cheese, as well as a fresh mozzarella--key ingredient--pepperoni, tomato pizza). It was fun to have the Noorda's over as cooking partners-again. :) And now, here's another week of yummy dinners that we'll be having here in Chicago...

*Monday: White Chili (see recipe below) with cornbread (I've tried many recipes, but one of my favorites is the $0.39 Jiffy cornbread. It is so quick and easy...and CHEAP! And for some reason, it tastes SOOOOO good! You can find it in the baking isle by the cake mixes)

*Tuesday: Black beans and Rice (with all the yummies to go with!)

*Wednesday: Pasta with Proscuitto & Peas (Ryder has a fascination lately with Prosciutto...so we'll give this recipe a try...) & toasted baguette

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Steak & Onion Sandwiches (these are AMAZING!!!) with Iceberg Wedges (see recipe below)

*Saturday: Leftovers OR possibly date night/out to eat?!

*Sunday: Chicken Curry (we didn't end up making this last week, and I really want to try this recipe...so here's take II) with rice


WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

- white beans (approx. 45 oz/3 cans of your favorites--Great Northern's, Chickpeas, Cannellini's, etc.)
- 2 cans (15 or 16 oz.) chicken broth
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 TBLSP olive oil
- 2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 4 c. cooked chicken, boned and diced/shredded
- 3 c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- corn (I just like to throw some in...it's not in the recipe, but I think it makes it extra tasty)

Saute' onions in oil until tender. Add chilies, cumin, oregano and cayenne pepper and mix thoroughly. Place in large pot or crock pot and add beans, broth and chicken. Mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Stir in cheese just before serving.


ICEBERG WEDGES WITH THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

- 1 c. reduced fat mayonnaise
- 1/4 c. tomato-based chili sauce
- 1/4 c. milk
- 2 TBLSP red-wine vinegar
- 2 TBLSP sweet pickle relish
- 1 TBLSP chopped fresh parsley
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- coarse salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into 8 wedges

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chili sauce, milk, vinegar, relish, parsley, scallion, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.
Place the iceberg wedges on a platter or divide among 4 plates; drizzle with the dressing, as desired. Serve immediately.

this week's menu

Here we go for week #2:

*Monday: Leftovers (how's that for starting out the week?!)

*Tuesday: Black beans and rice (one of our FAVORITES...thanks to the White family!). I cook black beans and some jasmine rice and then we top it with tomatoes, avocado, red onion, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and whatever you have that would make it yummy. To top it off, we sprinkle some cajun seasoning on top (best part for sure...) & strawberries.

*Wednesday: Twice baked sweet potatoes (just bake them once and then remove insides, mash and throw a little brown sugar and a tiny bit of butter and salt and pepper. Then refill the skins, and if you're feeling generous, top with a couple large marshmallows. Return to the oven until the tops are golden, and all is warmed through.), biscuits & broccoli (this was a total random meal....wow...)

*Thursday: Chicken Stir-Fry Wraps & fried rice (from Trader Joes...I don't know what I'd do without TJ's.....seriously....)

*Friday: Black Bean Pie & fruit (and Ryder will probably just have a quesadilla....silly boy says he doesn't like beans...)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Lentil Soup with cinnamon-yam biscuits (can you have yams twice in one week??? YOU BET! Especially since I've just discovered that it is Ellery's FAVORITE food....she almost ate a WHOLE yam the other night....I'll keep buying them as long as her skin doesn't turn orange :) (see recipe below) & salad


CINNAMON-YAM BISCUITS

-2 c. flour
-2 TBLSP sugar
-4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
-1/8 tsp. allspice
-1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
-1 c. mashed cooked yam
-6 to 7 TBLSP milk, or more as needed

Preheat oven to 425*. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice in large bowl. Stir well. Cut in butter with 2 knives or pastry blender until crumbly.
Beat yam and 6 tablespoons milk together in small bowl. Stir into flour mixture. Add milk if needed to form soft dough.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Pat to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles. Place on baking sheet. Bake 18 to 21 minutes or until golden brown.

*I have actually used this same recipe to make doughnuts and they are super yummy. Just make the same dough, but cut a smaller circle inside the middle. Fry in oil (I know, I know...) and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Oh man, I think I need to go eat something now!

last week's menu

So to get this blog rolling...here was our meal menu last week:

*Monday: Turkey with apple/cranberry stuffing (thank you Trader Joes!), baked potatoes & broccoli

*Tuesday: Enchiladas (Tyler Florence recipe) with black beans (I soak mine in water for a few hours, and then boil for a few more with lots of chicken bouillion) & pineapple

*Wednesday: Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon (see recipe below), sweet potato fries (slice, coat with olive oil and salt & pepper and bake in oven until soft but crispy) & corn

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Pita Pizzas (pita bread, your favorite pizza sauce, and ALL the toppings you can think of. We like cheese, canadian bacon, peppers, onions, pineapple, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, etc. And sometimes to shake it up, I put bbq sauce on mine and add some avocado and cilantro with my onions and bacon...it's delicious! Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and pizza is warm.)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Chicken Pesto Pasta (see recipe below), breadsticks (see recipe below), green salad with parmesan crisps (put 1/4 c. of grated parmesan on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350* for about 10 minutes. they are crispy and spice up any salad!)

What's great about most of these dinners is Burke can take some for lunch the next day. And Ryder and I usually eat leftovers for lunch too, unless I am feeling snacky...then I go for my hummus and pita chips, or my veggie flax tortilla chips with salsa. Overall, I try to have enough items at each meal that everyone will like something. And we always make Ryder try everything we are eating, but I never force him to clean his plate or eat a lot of something he doesn't like. Because I have learned that if he tries it enough times (without force), eventually he likes it.


BROWN SUGAR GLAZED SALMON

-1 TBLSP brown sugar
-2 tsp. butter
-1 tsp. honey
-1 TBLSP olive oil
-1 TBLSP Dijon mustard
-1 TBLSP soy sauce
-1/2-3/4 tsp. salt (I ALWAYS use coarse/kosher salt...it makes a huge difference to me)
-1/4 tsp. pepper (and ALWAYS fresh ground black pepper...so yummy!)
-1 salmon fillet (2-2 1/2 lbs.)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the brown sugar, butter, and honey until melted. Remove from the heat; whisk in the oil, mustard, soy sauce, asalt, and pepper. Cool for 5 minutes. Place salmon in a large foil-lined baking pan; brush with the brown sugar mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 mins. or until fish flakes easily with a fork.


CHICKEN PESTO PASTA

-1/2 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
-1 1/2 c. chicken broth
-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves-cut into strips
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 TBLSP olive oil
-2 tsp. cornstarch
-3/4 c. prepared basil pesto
-1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
-1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
-3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
-1 (16 0z.) package fusilli pasta (or penne...whatever you like)
-2 TBLSP grated parmesan cheese

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in chicken broth (enough to cover the tomatoes).
Cook chicken in oil with garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until done.
Stir cornstarch into a couple of tablespoons of chicken broth. Stir remaining chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, pine nuts and basil into the skillet with the chicken. Mix cornstarch mixture into the sauce and cook until thickened. Add feta a few minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot. Drain. Serve sauce over pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.


SIMPLY SCRUMPTIOUS BREAD STICKS

-1 pkg. active dry yeast
-1 1/3 c. warm water
-3-3 1/2 c. flour
-3 TBLSP vegetable oil
-1 TBLSP sugar
-1 tsp. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water in 3 qt. bowl.
Stir in 1 c. flour, oil, sugar and salt. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough, scraping dough from side to side of bowl. Dough will be sticky.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 mins. to 1 hr. (or until doubled in size).
Preheat oven to 400*.
Punch down dough by stirring about 25 times. Turn dough onto well floured surface, roll and coat with flour. Divide into 24 equal parts. Roll and shape each part into a "rope" about 6" long using additional flour on hands, if needed.
Place on greased cookie sheet. If desired, brush each piece of dough with mixture of melted butter/parmesan cheese/garlic powder, or egg white/sesame seeds.
Bake at 400* until crust is golden brown and crisp, about 15 min. Serve warm.

*I mainly only use white wheat flour these days. It doesn't make things as dense as whole wheat flour, but isn't as processed as white flour.