Busy, Busy!

Here I am for a quick post--then it's time to get to more present wrapping, party planning and crafting. I LOVE this time of year! Here is what we're eating for dinners this week:

*Monday: Leftovers. We loved the Pork Tacos--I especially loved how easy they were!

*Tuesday: Never made Chicken Curry last week, and I have all the ingredients, plus Burke LOVES curry...

*Wednesday: Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

*Thursday: Penne with Spinach & Peppers--the kids LOVED this when I made it a few weeks ago, time for a repeat.

*Friday: Black Bean Cakes (with avocados)

*Saturday: Downtown for dinner & Christmas lights!

*Sunday: Leftovers (or Nachos)

Take a look...

...at our menu this week. It's going to be tasty!

*Monday: Orzo with Roasted Vegetables (didn't get to this last week...and I really want to try it!)

*Tuesday: Thanks to Pinterest, tonight we're having Baked Penne with Spinach, Bacon & Roasted Red Peppers

*Wednesday: Panini night. My Mom was talking about Panini's the other day and had me craving one. We'll use yummy bread, and top with any meats/veggies/sauces we have, then cook in our George Forman (no panini press around here :( )

*Thursday: Spicy Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans. Every now and then I wander through the incredible Whole Foods. I love browsing their recipe cards, and picked this one up because of the picture. Can't wait to try it...

*Friday: Leftovers

*Saturday: Downtown--we have a looooooooong list of restaurants to try.

*Sunday: Easy Crockpot Pot Roast

Here you are...

Another week of dinners from the Morin home just for you:

*Monday: Leftovers--I feel like we ate ALL WEEKEND LONG, but it was such a fun few days. Thanks to the Wilkinsons for driving here to play with us!

*Tuesday: Chili and Sour Cream & Cheddar Biscuits. I'm SO excited to make this for the first time this fall! And since I'm in the process (again) of making large batches of babyfood, I'm using lots of squash & yams...I'll probably add some roasted veggies to the recipe. Feel free to join me. ;)

*Wednesday: Black beans & Rice--I actually didn't end up making these on Sunday because we had so much other food! So tonight we'll load our beans & rice with lots of veggies and some cheese.

*Thursday: Didn't end up making Chicken Enchiladas on Sunday either, so we'll make them tonight. And I can bet that we'll have some leftover beans & rice to go with!

*Friday: Chicken Pita with Tzatziki Sauce--I actually bought a large container of Tzatziki at Costco the other day. It was a sample, and it was SO yummy! I've been eating it every day with crackers, veggies, etc. The kids love it too. As soon as it's gone, I'll definitely be making my own!

*Saturday: Leftover night

*Sunday: Pasta with fresh Tomato Sauce-Growing up I had pasta most Sunday afternoons. It always seemed to hit the spot, and was so quick and easy to prepare. Now being the Mom, I'm glad I have kids that love pasta, and thankfully, it still 'hits the spot'. ;)

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)

This is the beginning...

...of my super busy traveling summer. This Thursday we head to Michigan for my race on Saturday. Then it's to New York. And it will continue all the way through July. So forgive me for random posting, but I'll at least get a few days in this week. And you know I'll be cooking wherever I am, so I promise I'll try to post when I can. But this week will be easy meals, giving me time to pack! Here you go:

*Monday: Black Beans (soak in water for about 4 hours, then let simmer with lots of salt/bouillon for another 4 hours) & Cilantro Lime Rice (we'll top ours with chopped tomatoes, diced purple onion, fire-roasted corn from Trader Joe's, leftover guacamole & mango salsa from our Mother's Day/late Cinco de Mayo celebration with the Noorda's yesterday, shredded cheese and any other yummies I decide...) I may also make some cornbread muffins

*Tuesday: Baby Shrimp & Linguine with red pepper/garlic & eggplant spread on top (didn't get to that last week, thanks to my Mom coming to visit and treating us to Giordano's!). And also a green salad & ciabatta rolls

*Wednesday: Leftovers

For other yummy ideas check out the labels on the right side of the screen...

Spring Week

I think this is supposed to be our first week of "real" spring weather. I'm a little bit excited about it. And I'm ready to ditch the heavy casseroles and start eating fresh, light meals for dinner--like I tend to do once it gets warm out. I think we'll start with leftovers, then my sister's delish looking recipe (how could that not be yummy?). Throw a little shrimp and some salads in there, and I'm feeling lighter already. ;)

*Monday: Leftovers (went HERE for a date night Saturday night. This is Burke's new favorite place. Like, he's been having dreams about Chicken Shawarma. And we still have food leftover!)

*Tuesday: Chickpea & Spinach Curry over Brown Rice

*Wednesday: Spicy Black Bean Cakes (with avocados, of course)

*Thursday: Baby shrimp over linguine with red pepper/garlic & eggplant spread (Trader Joes) on top

*Friday: Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad + Potstickers (for the kiddos)

*Saturday: Leftovers for them--and GIRL'S NIGHT for me here!

*Sunday:Happy Mother's Day! Roasted Root Vegetable Pizza (and to make Ryder happy, we'll probably have a pepperoni one as well). I may use Trader Joe's crust, or I know my Mom has a wonderful recipe...where is it Mom???

So sorry...

...for the delay! I've been playing in MI with family and friends! Now I am back, and ready to cook! For the rest of the week, we'll be eating:

*Wednesday: Black Bean Pie (with avocados)

*Thursday: Tuna-Focaccia Sandwiches (Thanks to Ivette!)--mix some tuna/albacore with chopped purple onion, cilantro, celery, salt & pepper and lime/lemon juice. Place on focaccia/pita bread with a leaf of lettuce (and maybe avocado...I just can't get enough). Serve with watermelon and root chips for a nice summer meal!

*Friday: Parmesan Chicken Sticks with Sweet Potato Fries and Pineapple

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Spaghetti with Meatballs and French Bread (use a favorite recipe, or HERE is one)

And just for fun, I NEED to make these scrumptious looking cheesecake bars. You probably should make some, too. :)