Over at the Vera's

A few good recipes I've used this week:

I tried my hand at Minny's chocolate pie which may have been more fun than it was tasty. (It was a little too rich for my taste.) Though I must say, the sliver of a piece that was left over the next morning really hit the spot. I used this recipe for the crust.

Sunday we had broccoli cheese soup with homemade bread (I used the recipe at the bottom of this post.)

Monday I made this salad, roasted vegetables, and a green salad. It was kind of a random meal, but we were craving something light and this hit the spot; I definitely recommend it. If you want to make it heartier you could add some grilled chicken, orzo pasta, or anything really. And can I just say, roasting red peppers is probably the most fun I've had in the kitchen in a long time. I felt like I was doing a science experiment. If you try this recipe, definitely roast your own peppers.

This week...

...we're eating:

*Monday: Shells with Grilled Chicken & Mozzarella Mondays are interesting these days because we now have soccer practice right at dinner time. I try to have it ready for Ryder to eat before we go, and I take a little picnic for Ellery, me and Haven to eat while we watch him play.

*Tuesday: Taco Salad & watermelon (summer can't officially be over until we've had this meal, right?)

*Wednesday: I've been wanting a good Panzanella lately. I love throwing a bunch of my favorite veggies in a bowl with some good crusty bread. I'll make one similar to THIS one. But you can really add whatever you like.

*Thursday: Baked Potatoes (with all the fixins')

*Friday: We're headed to Michigan for Labor Day weekend! But if I were staying here, I would probably make Grilled Barbecued Chicken with Corn & Radish Salad and THESE cookies (I admit, I made them last week as a celebration on the first day of school--quite possibly the BEST cookies I've ever made. I added some vanilla & chocolate chips to mine.)

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)

Hungry...

...and SO excited to be back on my normal schedule again! I'm hungry because we were eating so much/well on our trip, and now being home I'm back on my regimented wake up & exercise then eat breakfast routine (it feels SO good!). I promise my life doesn't completely revolve around food, but I am quite excited about several of these dinners. You see, I picked up this new book, and let's just say Ryder and I quite enjoyed browsing through. We literally sat on the couch and looked through every page oohing and ahhing over the yummies. So now for the meal plan:

*Monday: Salmon Kebebs with Cilantro Sauce , Lavash Bread & Carrot Pineapple Smoothies

*Tuesday: Since I loved my bruschetta so much last week, we'll have THIS tonight with a green salad

*Wednesday: Chicken & Broccoli Calzones--HERE'S a good recipe, but I'm swapping the sausage for chicken

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Burke's Birthday! He has requested one of our favorites-Eggplant Parmesan & simple Ice Cream Pie for dessert (I just learned yesterday that he used to have this for his "cake" every year on his birthday when he was little!) - see recipe below

*Saturday: We're attending a little one year old's birthday today and will be eating there!

*Sunday: Asian Noodle Salad

*and darnit, I just saw THESE....gonna have to find an excuse to make them this week!

ICE CREAM PIE DESSERT

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling:

• 1/2 gallon vanilla Ice Cream
• 6 oz. pink lemonade

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients for crust together and press into a 9x9" pan (or pie plate)

2. Mix all filling ingredients together and pour over crust. serve frozen.

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???

Easter Week!

*made these for a friend who we took dinner to. I needed the fastest, easiest cookie recipe(Burke actually made these!). So I resorted to the "cake box cookie". Go HERE for the delicious, yet super un-healthy recipe. We rolled them in granulated sugar (rather than powdered), dipped in melted chocolate, then coconut, and placed baby eggs on top for the nest effect.

I am super excited about Easter. I've been waiting for weeks to have a reason to make a Carrot Cake. But don't start thinking this blog is all about sweets...I have some other yummies up my sleeve that are much happier for the waistline. Check it out:

*Monday: Leftover Chili. This stuff is incredibly delicious. And healthy. I don't think I'll be able to make Chili with meat for a long time now...

*Tuesday: Roasted Pepper/Onion Hummus (mix Garbanzo beans, Tahini, roasted veggies+garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper in a food processor) & Parmesan Crisps with Corn on the Cob

*Wednesday: Chicken Quesadilla Pie

*Thursday: Spaghetti & Meatballs...it's been WAY too long since we've had this. I always make my own meatballs with ground turkey, garlic, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, worcestershire sauce, shredded parmesan cheese and anything else I feel like adding. I form them into balls, brown them in a pan on the stove, and then bake for about 20-30 mins in a casserole dish with the spaghetti sauce. We'll have a green salad to round out our meal.

*Friday: Homemade Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks with dipping sauce and Sweet Potato Fries

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Happy Easter Day! Because we don't get home from church until 4pm, I'm making this meal as simple as possible. We'll have a Glazed Ham, Asparagus Tart, Scalloped Potatoes with Leeks, Arugula Salad with Strawberries and Carrot Cake for dessert. Anybody want to come join us for Easter Dinner???

Refreshed

I feel so good after a wonderful weekend of family, great inspirational messages and yes, yummy food. You seriously have to make those cinnamon rolls some time--and don't skip the pecans--they make everything better! Now it's back to real life and more recipes. Ryder has been begging for me to make Ratatouille for weeks, so I'll attempt it this week (not sure if Ryder realizes that Ratatouille is strictly veggies & sauce. ;). As well as another Risotto dish that I've been dying to try. I'm on a big Asparagus kick too (thank goodness! 2 years ago I wouldn't have TOUCHED asparagus...and now I love it!). Anyway, hope you enjoy your week!

*Monday: Leftover Soup & Southwestern Salad (I made this yesterday--since I was craving something fresh after eating WAY too many cinnamon rolls)--Chopped lettuce, black beans, chopped tomatoes & purple onion, avocados, salsa (instead of dressing) & a few tortilla chips sprinkled on top.

*Tuesday: Ratatouille Tart (anything made on puff pastry is good, right?) & corn on the cob--we had some last week for the first time in a while. Ellery ate 3 whole cobs, she's just like her Mommma. ;)

*Wednesday: Roasted Asparagus Risotto

*Thursday: Chicken & Bean Burrito Verde

*Friday: Fish & Baked Brown Rice (see recipe below) And I just may have to make a batch of these also... Lemon Sugar Cookies

*Saturday: Lighter Sesame Noodles

*Sunday: Leftovers

OVEN BROWN RICE

1 C brown Rice

¼ C butter

1 C beef broth

1 tsp garlic salt

2 C chicken broth

1 tsp seasoned salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix together the ingredients. Bake uncovered for 60 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

THANKSGIVING!

This week is going to be all about Thanksgiving. Lots of nights we'll be having leftovers or super easy dinners (saving budget and time for the big day!). Here you go!

*Monday: Leftovers-our Missionaries left us with lots of leftovers last night...makes it easy on me tonight!

*Tuesday: Bruschetta

*Wednesday: Making pies today! I'll be making a pumpkin pie (my requirement is that I make a recipe that includes Sweetened Condensed Milk ;) as well as a Butterscotch Pecan Pie. I've tried several pie crust recipes, and found this one is my favorite. We'll eat something easy for dinner like baked potatoes.

*Thursday: For our meal, I will be contributing stuffing, cornbread pudding the Turkey and gravy.

*Friday: Duh--leftovers!

*Saturday: And more leftovers!

*Sunday: Greek salad (requested by my husband, who is already anticipating needing a "cleansing meal" :)

Another lovely week!

Last week I felt like I was finally in the fall/winter cooking mode. It was fun to cook/bake, and I loved trying some new recipes. Here's to another week!

*Monday: Leftovers (had some of our favorites--the Noorda's--over for dinner last night, and all agreed we didn't do our duty in finishing the food. Bonus for tonight!) I made this yummy salad to go with our spinach/prosciutto lasagna (totally did my own thing with both recipes though. For the lasagna--I added 2 eggs to the ricotta/s&p/garlic mixture. And I also just layered the prosciutto on top of the sauce, instead of mixing it in. It was a very yummy/simple lasagna. For the salad, I used parmesan instead of ricotta salata, and substituted toasted pecans for the Pancetta Crisps. I also made up my own dressing-a little Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, salt, pepper & honey. This was the first time I've ever made Brussels Sprouts--they were SO good roasted in the oven! Try this salad, it was definitely yummy...)

*Tuesday: Baked Potatoes with "mountain toppings" (Until Ryder was about 3 1/2 he HATED potatoes--in every form. He wouldn't even eat french fries. I kept offering potatoes, and one day decided to make it fun. I had lots of toppings I knew he would like--corn, bacon, cheese, broccoli, etc. for him to make a "mountain" on top of his potato. Ever since then, he LOVES potatoes, and begs for Baked Potatoes for dinner. Burke and I will add tomatoes, onions, peppers and any other veggie in my fridge to ours! Maybe even some roasted Brussels Sprouts?!)

*Wednesday: Skewered Sesame Shrimp with rice

*Thursday: Asian Noodle Salad + a special request for some treats to take to work tomorrow for the last day of a loved rotation. I think I'll do these & these.

*Friday: Pizza at the church for Primary Activity

*Saturday: White Bean Dip with Toasted Pita Chips & Apple, Grape and Celery Salad (Random meal, I know...this is what I need on a Saturday though ;)

*Sunday: Roasted Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup with Cornbread Muffins

menu...

*Monday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches (leftover Sweet Baby Ray's Pork from our big event Saturday!) & this yummy salad

*Tuesday: Almond Vegetable Stir-Fry with rice

*Wednesday: Fresh Mozzarella BLT with Pesto (I am SO excited about this dinner...I can't even explain it...)

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Pasta Salad (I'm adding chicken to ours...) & grilled corn on the cob (I can't get enough, and it's only June!!!)

*Saturday: Date Night (we are SO in need of one of these...Burke took **2** 8 hour tests this week!!! Imagine how much studying he's had to do to get ready... ;)

*Sunday: Happy 4th! We'll be eating with some friends, not sure what I am making yet, but I'll post when I know!

p.s. I am definitely making these some time soon...

Two Yummy Recipes We've Tried Lately

I love trying new recipes. Sometimes they turn out great and other times, well... we'll leave that to your imagination. One thing I love about this blog is that there's always something new and yummy to try. Two recipes we happened to find lately were scrumptious and so I thought I'd share them with you all.
The first recipe was a Baked Pork Chop Recipe. I haven't done pork chops much because they seem hard to flavor, but these turned out very moist and flavorful. I'll definitely be doing this one again.

The second recipe was one I found on a container of feta cheese. It's a recipe for Cranberry, Feta, & Toasted Walnut Salad. It is going to be one of my favorites for a while and is very easy to make. The recipe is as follows:

10 oz. mixed salad greens (I just used Romaine - what we always use)
1 c. dried cranberries
6 oz. oven roasted chicken breast, cubed
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
1 c. tangy tomato bacon dressing
(I used Ranch, but even a strawberry vinaigrette would be fun)
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Combine 1st four ingredients in large bowl. Add dressing just before serving, toss to coat. Top with cheese.

Weekly Menu

This week, we are eating...

*Monday: "Wet Burritos"--This was one of my favorites growing up. I like to substitute the ground Beef for ground Turkey. You really can't tell, flavor wise, and it's quite a bit healthier. See the recipe below. We will have chopped lettuce, onion, tomato, and of course avocado, plus cheese to top ours.

*Tuesday: Grilled Chicken and Corn Lettuce Wraps--I LOVE trying different lettuce wrap recipes! I feel SO good after I eat them, and generally they are pretty quick and simple to make. If you're looking for a yummy low-carb dinner, try these. We will have some jasmine rice with our wraps.

*Wednesday: Leftovers

*Thursday: Salmon Salad--I like to get some fish in the menu once a week. We happen to love Salmon, and I love salads--especially with this nice spring weather we've been having!!! So I will just cook my Salmon however I feel like that night (probably poach it), then flake it into bite size pieces. I will put it on top of some sort of lettuce/romaine/spinach mixture, and top with hard-boiled eggs, sugar-snap peas, tomatoes, red onion, and anything else that sounds yummy that I have in my fridge. Top with your favorite vinaigrette dressing, or one of these.

*Friday: Fusilli with Squash and Bacon (or peppers and prosciutto, etc...)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: BBQ Chicken Quesadillas...this may just call for some homemade guacamole as well. :)


WET BURRITOS

-1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained (or ground turkey)
-1 can refried beans, divided (I use lowfat/fat free)
-1 pkg. chili seasoning mix, divided
-1 pkg. taco seasoning mix, divided
-1 can condensed cream of tomato soup
-1 pkg. large flour tortillas (I have also used whole wheat before and love those...)
-Shredded Cheese (about 1 cup)

Toppings (in amounts desired):
-lettuce, shredded
-tomatoes, diced
-onion, chopped
-sour cream
-black olives, chopped
-shredded colby/jack cheese
-avocados, sliced

In one saucepan combine half of the refried beans (about 1-1/2 c.), half of the chili seasoning, half of the taco mix, and the tomato soup. Add a soupcan of water; stir and heat ingredients through. This is the sauce.

In another saucepan, combine ground meat, remaining refried beans, taco mix and chili mix. Fill up chili mix packet with water and add to meat mixture, then mix ingredients and heat through.

To assemble: Place 2-3 TBLSP meat in center of each tortilla; fold sides to center and roll up. Place each one in a 9x13 pan; cover with sauce; then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes or just until warmed through and cheese is melted on top.

I'm back!

Sorry for the absence of a menu last week. I was out of town, eating delish dishes...but not cooking myself. :) And I have to brag about my dinner last night. We walked in the door after being gone for a week to a clean house that smelled AMAZING! Burke had cooked us an entire Brazilian meal of authentic beans and rice and stroganoff (made with filet mignon). It was so tasty...and so nice for him to cook for us! Maybe I need to get him to post those recipes on here...But as far as this week goes, we will be eating:

*Monday: Leftover Brazilian dinner

*Tuesday: Butternut Squash Soup with cooked swiss chard and roasted garlic bread (Burke had this meal at the Noorda's the other day, and thought we should give it a try...)

*Wednesday: Crispy Apricot Pork Chops with Broccoli and Waffle Fries (from Whole Foods)

*Thursday: Chicken Salad with green beans, dried cherries & almonds

*Friday: Date Night!

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Potato and Onion Frittata and Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast and Easter dinner at a Friends' house!

Have a great week and a Happy Easter!

this week...

...we are eating:

*Monday: Thai Steak salad & challah bread (from Whole Foods)

*Tuesday: Eggplant Parmesan

*Wednesday: Herb-Crusted Salmon with Spinach Salad

*Thursday: Chili (HAVE to try this recipe...click on the link and I think you'll see why ;) & cornbread muffins (from Whole Foods...again. We tried one last week and they are TOO good. So good that I had to think of a main course to go with them for this week. :)

*Friday: Leftovers

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Best Enchiladas (see recipe below) with mucho avocado


BEST ENCHILADAS

-2 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
-1 c. corn
-1 c. black beans
-chopped cilantro
-1/2 chopped red bell pepper
-small chopped onion
-shredded cheese (2 c.)
-enchilada sauce (either your favorite recipe or 2 packets of the storebought mix)
-2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce (if using storebought mix packet)
-water
-whole wheat tortillas (t pkg.)

Mix first 6 ingredients, plus 1 c. cheese and 1 c. enchilada sauce in large mixing bowl.
Fill each tortilla with mixture, roll and place in greased 9x13 dish.
Pour remaining sauce over prepared enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top
Bake at 350* uncovered for 20-40 mins (or until heated through)
*May be prepared ahead of time and chilled in fridge.
*Serve with sour cream and avocados/guacomole.

Weekly Menu

*Monday: Steak and Onion Sandwiches & lettuce wedges with homemade Thousand Island Dressing (see previous post for recipes)

*Tuesday: Parmesan crusted Tilapia (I just make a coating of bread crumbs, parmesan, finely diced onions/peppers, salt & pepper, etc. Basically whatever you have that would taste yummy. Then dip fish in beaten egg and then coat with yummy topping, cook in frying pan with a little olive oil until golden brown) & fresh green beans

*Wednesday: Chicken Caesar Salad & baked yams (I know...kind of random. But I LOVE this salad recipe...and who doesn't love a nice soft yam with a little butter and s&p???? And to make it extra yummy for Ryder, I bake his, and then just before we are ready to eat, I slice off the top and add a couple large marshmallows to the top and warm in back in the oven. For some reason, that makes the yam extra appealing to him. :)

*Thursday: Creamy Corn Soup with homemade guacamole and chips (for my guac. I just add all the yummiest ingredients...and I don't measure them--avocados, chopped tomatoes, freshly minced garlic, s&p, cilantro, diced red onion, lime juice, etc.)

*Friday: Leftovers

*Saturday: Going downtown...I'm sure we'll find some fun place to eat.

*Sunday: Cashew Chicken & Rice (I've never made this recipe before, but the picture looks so yummy, that I have to try it!)

A Few Good Recipes

Here are a few recipes I've tried lately that are really yummy!

Applesauce Flaps

3/4 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c wheat flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 beaten eggs
1 c milk
1 c applesauce
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Stir together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, applesauce, and butter. Add to dry ingredients, beating till blended. Bake on hot, lightly greased griddle, using about 1/4 c batter for each pancake. Makes 15 pancakes.

Spinach Cheese Salad

1-10 oz. bag baby spinach
1 small head lettuce, washed and drained
3/4 lb. grated Swiss or mozzarella cheese
16 oz. container cottage cheese
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 recipe Poppy Seed Dressing (see below)

Break lettuce into pieces and combine with spinach. Just before serving, add cheese, cottage cheese, bacon, and desired amount of dressing. (If I'm just making this for me and Clint, we just add the toppings on our own. That way the salad doesn't get gross and soggy.) Makes 12 servings.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds (optional)
3/4 c vinegar
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp grated onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1 1/4 c vegetable oil

Mix everything in blender. Refrigerate unused dressing. Keeps up to 3 weeks in refrigerator.

Rosemary Foccacia Bread (from OurBestBites.com)

(This is a lot like the bread at Macaroni Grill, and pretty easy.)

1 c warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 Tbsp rosemary, plus more for sprinkling on top of bread
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 c flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 Tbsp. rosemary. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Mix well. (I put it in my stand mixer with the dough hook on). Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough--try and resist the urge to add too much flour. You probably won't use the entire extra 1/2 c. of flour. I usually only use about 1/4 cup. You want a soft, wet dough. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.
Lightly flour work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a round loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes. Heat overn to 375. Melt remaining Tbsp of butter and brush on top of bread loaves. Sprinkle with rosemary, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Serve immediately.

Pineapple and White Chocolate Drops
(I was skeptical of these, but they are amazing. I think my brother-in-law ate 10)

1 c butter or margarine, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-8 oz can crushed pineapple with juice
3 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c chopped pecans
2 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; blend well. Blend in pineapple and juice. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in pecans and white chips. Drop onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack and cool completely.