Welcome, Fall.

I'm not trying to hurt the other seasons' feelings, but I just want to wish Fall a happy welcome. We all know it won't last long enough, so let's treat it kindly while it's here. ;)

*Tuesday: Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (see recipe below)--unfortunately my 2 year old learned about Mac & Cheese. For some reason she's starting to request it more and more (why is it cute when she asks for Hummus, but not as cute when it's "mac & cheese!"?). So I'm going to make us both happy. I think I may even experiment and throw some roasted Sweet Potatoes in the casserole. We all love them around here, and it seems like it would add a nice extra flavor to the pasta & cheese. I love finding recipes that don't require meat (I'm not a vegetarian--but we try to eat meat sparingly), but easily fill my family up. This would be one of them.

*Wednesday: Glazed Salmon with Parmesan Squash wedges

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Panera Bread--I'm feeling extra lucky these days in the coupon department. We got a flyer in the mail the other day that offered 3 free kids meals at Panera Bread. This happens to be one of my kids' FAVORITE places ever. And since Burke will be working late tonight, I'm making our dinner easy and taking the kids out!

*Saturday: Our friends--the Wilkinson's--are coming from Michigan for the weekend. Pretty sure they've never tried Chicago Style Pizza, which means Giordano's is in order...

*Sunday: General Conference Breakfast: THESE Cinnamon Rolls and Baked Eggs (the recipe Burke prides himself in being able to make perfectly every time--see recipe below) General Conference Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas with Black Beans, Lime Rice & Guacamole

HOMEMADE MACARONI & CHEESE

-2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
-2 TBSP finely diced onion
-1 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. pepper
-3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
-1 large sweet potato, diced into small cubes
-2 c. thin white sauce*

Heat oven to 375*. Cook macaroni as directed on package; till tender. Place sweet potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring once. Place half the cooked macaroni in ungreased 2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of the onion, sweet potatoes, salt, pepper and cheese; repeat layers. Pour white sauce over all. Cover; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

*White Sauce
-1 TBSP butter
-1 TBSP flour
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/8 tsp. pepper
-1 c. milk

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt & pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.


BAKED EGGS

-1/4 c. butter
-18 eggs (beaten)
-1 c. sour cream
-1 c. milk
-2 tsp salt
-1/4 c. green onions, chopped
-1 c. chopped ham (or bacon, sausage, etc.)
-1 c. cheese, grated
-1/4 c. green pepper, chopped

Preheat oven to 350*. Melt butter in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Mix all remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 45 minutes.

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.

February

It's February. I kind of love this month. Maybe it's just because I feel like so many people around me hate it and are always complaining about how cold/dark it is. Can you pity a month? Although I'm excited when I think of heading to the pool on a sunny day, I actually welcome the frigid, snowy air. So here's to a week of cooking cozy comfort meals...because whether you like it or not, it is freezing outside...

*For the rest of my life I will ALWAYS make chicken pot pie with a phyllo dough top...it is TOO good. And baking it in individual ramekins for the kids makes it look extra cute--and is a special treat for each child to have "their own"!

*Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

*Tuesday: Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Risotto (my Mom made this a couple weeks ago and I had a taste---SO DELICIOUS! I actually had a similar tasting dish at a nice restaurant a couple months ago...)

*Wednesday: Leftovers

*Thursday: Soy-Glazed Salmon with fluffy mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels Sprouts (I roast mine in the oven with a little olive oil/s&p until they are golden brown. You can also add some balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, etc. for some extra flavor.)

*Friday: Chili (I HAD to use this recipe after watching the video...who knew watching Jimmy Fallon cook could be so entertaining?!) & sweet potato biscuits (sweet potatoes 2 times in one week!)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Spaghetti with red sauce & Bruschetta

Back at it...

I know it's been over a month since I last posted. I'm going to blame it on having a baby. Cause we've definitely been eating well. So I guess it's time I get sharing my ideas again. Here is this weeks menu-

*Monday: Spinach Lasagna Rolls with salad and garlic parmesan crusty bread (from Trader Joes)

*Tuesday: Crock pot Teriyaki Chicken with vegetables (boneless/skinless chicken tenders, frozen oriental vegetables and teriyaki sauce in a slow cooker for 3 hours at high heat or 4-6 hours on low heat) and Jasmine Rice

*Wednesday: Leftovers

*Thursday: Loaded Baked Potatoes

*Friday: Homemade Pizzas

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: SUPER BOWL PARTY! I'll be sharing my super easy/tasty guacamole. I use 6 ingredients, and I never measure: avocados, diced tomatoes, chopped purple onion, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice and salt. Mix all ingredients together just enough to incorporate (but I like to keep it fairly chunky).

Other yummies I've made in the last month that you should definitely try are:

*Cauliflower Gratin
*These cookies (may be my favorite cookie--ever. I used Trader Joe's English toffee, and crushed it myself. I don't think these would be near as yummy with store bought toffee bits, but I'd be willing to give it a try!)
*Split Pea Soup
*Buttermilk Biscuits (soooooo buttery good)
*more granola (I've been making this almost weekly. Put it on yogurt, eat it with a bowl full of milk, or just grab a handful as a snack)
*Chicken Fajitas
*my favorite salmon

...and much more! Happy 2011!

It's Monday...

...meaning time for a new post! I'm feeling quite pregnant these days...so if our meals are looking lame, or you're seeing too many casseroles, please feel free to contribute ideas. ;)

*Monday: Steamed Artichokes (dipped in a little melted butter, of course) and baguette (dipped in my favorite--olive oil/s&p/parmesan)

*Tuesday: Chicken & Rice Soup (I will be substituting wild rice for the white wice)

*Wednesday: Mexican Lasagna

*Thursday: Leftovers

*Friday: Spaghetti Carbonara

*Saturday: Baked Sweet Potatoes

*Sunday: Broiled Salmon with Pesto (I'll make my own and brush it on top for the last minute or two of broiling), mashed potatoes & asparagus

Another weekly menu...

Here's what we're eating this week for dinner:

*Monday: Leftovers

*Tuesday: Salmon with Hoisin Sauce and Spring Vegetables

*Wednesday: Baked Shells with Winter Squash & steamed Cabbage

*Thursday: Tomato-Basil Bisque (see recipe below) with homemade white bread (best recipe--see below), spinach salad and apple pie (I'm taking dinner to a family--and I get to meet the cute new little Bella! So excited!)

*Friday: Fast Chicken Fajitas with a little guacamole...it's been way too long. ;)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna (didn't get to try this last week, and Ryder really wants to...)


TOMATO-BASIL BISQUE

-6 celery ribs, choped
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
-1/4 c. butter, cubed
-3 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained
-1 TBSP tomato paste
-3/4 c. loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
-3 tsp sugar
-2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

In a a large saucepan, saute celery, onion and red pepper in butter for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil, sugar, salt and pepper; cool slightly. Transfer half of he soup mixture into a blender/food processor. While processing, gradually add cream; process until pureed. Return to the pan; heat through (do not boil).


LOTTIE ROBERT'S BREAD (my Mom got this from Relief Society probably 30 years ago!)

-2 pkgs. dry yeast
-1/2 c. warm water
-1/4 c. sugar
-1/4 c. shortening
-1 TBSP salt
-1 c. warm milk
-3/4 c. warm water
-6-7 c. flour

Soften yeast in 1/2 c. warm water. Measure flour by lightly spooning into cup and leveling off. In large bowl (or mixer) blend sugar, softened shortening, salt, milk, 3/4 c. water. Add 2-3 c. flour and beat with mixer until smooth. Add yeast. Gradually add remaining flour to form a moderately stiff dough; working it in first with spoon and finishing on a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 mins). Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover to keep air out; let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.
Punch down dough; cover and let rise until nearly double again. Knead to remove air bubbles. Dived into 2 portions and let rest 10 mins. Place in well-greased loaf pans, seam side down and covered. Let rise until dough is nearly doubled. Bake in 350* oven until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 mins. Remove from pans immediately; cool on wire racks.

menu--

This week my Mom is in town visiting! Yay! Here is our menu for the week--

*Monday: Leftover delicious Teriyaki Chicken with Wild Rice and veggies

*Tuesday: Eating out for my birthday!

*Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas & Cheddar-Corn Spoon Bread (made these a few weeks ago...craving them again...)

*Thursday: BLT salad with Buttermilk Dressing

*Friday: Gemelli Pasta with Squash & Peas with Garlic-Herbed Bread

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Grilled Salmon with herb crust and baked potatoes

birthday week!

My husband is turning 30 this week! Wow! I should make a list of his 30 favorite foods or something. I know the first one would be cheese. :) Here is what we'll be having this week for dinner...Thursday will be extra special...and will definitely include cheese!

*Monday: Margarita Pizza (we had lots of leftovers yesterday...including an AMAZING Boston Baked Beans recipe--see below--I made for a picnic Saturday. So we'll have our pizza tonight!) and watermelon.

*Tuesday: Salmon with Black Bean Couscous Salad

*Wednesday: In preparation for the big day today, I'm going to make both boys in my household happy with a good ole' grilled hamburger. I'll be using this recipe, and topping our burgers with onions, salsa, pepper jack cheese, guacamole and jalapenos.

*Thursday: Stuffed Poblanos, corn on the cob and fresh guacamole (avocados, red onion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt, tomatoes--mix)
For dessert, Burke isn't a cake kind of guy. But he LOVES brownies and ice cream. So I'll be making brownies, with Mexican Ice Cream Sundaes on top!

*Friday: We're going camping!

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Summer Panzanella & cherries


BOSTON BAKED BEANS

-1/2 c. molasses
-1/2 c. ketchup
-1/4 c. dijon mustard
-3 cans (15 1/2 oz. each) navy beans (I used Great Northern's), drained and rinsed
-coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 large onion, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
-4 slices bacon, halved crosswise

Preheat oven to 375*F. Combine molasses, ketchup, and mustard. Add beans, and season with salt and pepper; mix to combine.
Transfer to a 2- to 3- quart covered baking dish. Scatter sliced onion over beans; lay bacon slices on top, in a single layer.
Cover dish, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover; cook until bacon is crisp, 30 to 40 minutes more. Let cool 5 minutes, and stir well before serving.

a menu

This week, we are eating:

*Monday: Leftovers from our Father's Day feast!

*Tuesday: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables (Burke's request)

*Wednesday: BBQ chicken (I will just grill up some chicken breasts with our favorite--"Sweet Baby Ray's" sauce--this was Ryder's request) with sweet potato fries & Corn and Radish Salad

*Thursday: Bean Burritos with Avocado (or if I'm feeling extra generous, I'll make guacamole :)

*Friday: Pizza Night!--getting ready for our big Bizarre/Fair/Fundraiser to support Haiti tomorrow! I'll be baking all day (I'll post pics/recipes next week) and definitely won't have time to make dinner...thank goodness we have coupons for Giordano's.....yum...

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Grilled Salmon with Spicy Honey-Basil Sauce & Garlicky Roasted Asparagus

back at it...

Here is another week of meal's for your viewing (or eating ;) pleasure....

*Monday: Leftover Potato Salad (I am SO not a fan of goopy, mayonaisse-y potato salad--so I copy my friend Amy's version, by mixing cooked/cubed potatoes, sliced green onions, diced red peppers, and chopped egg in a bowl. I mix 1/2 mayo. with 1/2 plain yogurt--I guess on amounts based on the amount of veggies/egg--add a little steak sauce and some salt and pepper. Pour sauce over potato mixture and coat well. I'm telling you--it's the first yummy and actually fairly healthy potato salad you'll eat...), corn on the cob and bread with olive oil/parmesan/pepper. I know...really random meal...

*Tuesday: Teriyaki Salmon with jasmine rice and asparagus

*Wednesday: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables and salad

*Thursday: French Onion Soup

*Friday: Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto and Baked Sweet Potatoes

*Saturday: Michigan, here we come! Again...

*Sunday: Michigan dinner...

***For the next week, we will be out of town--trying some fun dutch oven cooking as we camp!!!--so if someone else wants to post their weekly menu, please feel free!***

the gals are coming, the gals are coming!!!!!!

This is a pretty fun week for me---2 of my sisters in law are coming to Chicago for girl's week! So the eating we do may not actually follow this menu exactly, but I will say there will be PLENTY of good eats!!! For now, this is what I have scheduled:

*Monday: General Tso's Chicken and Brown Rice

*Tuesday: Soy Glazed Salmon with Garlic Mashed Potatoes (I know I just made these a couple weeks ago, but Ryder LOVED them, and they are super easy!!!)

*Wednesday: Leftovers

*Thursday: "Cobb" theme--delicious (and beautiful) Turkey Cobb Salad, and corn on the cobb with bread (I like to buy a yummy baguette, and dip it in a mixture of a good olive oil and some parmesan cheese--You can also add some salt & pepper or balsamic vinegar)

*Friday: Giordano's! A MUST when visiting Chicago

*Saturday: Oatmeal Pancakes (see recipe below) with Buttermilk Syrup for breakfast, and dinner downtown

*Sunday: Chicken Fajitas, Cilantro/lime rice (see recipes below) and Guacamole (I didn't end up making any last weekend, so today is the day!!!)


OATMEAL PANCAKES

-1 c. rolled Oats
-1 3/4 c. buttermilk
-2/3 c. chopped pecans
-1 c. pure maple syrup
-1 c. all purpose flour
-3 TBLSP firmly packed light brown sugar
-2 tsp. baking soda
-pinch of salt
-1 egg, lightly beaten
-4 TBLSP unsalted butter, melted
-1/2 c. low-fat plain or vanilla yogurt

In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk and let stand for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, tast the pecans over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 mins. (*DO THIS ONLY IF YOU ARE MAKING THE PECAN MAPLE SYRUP* OR YOU CAN MAKE THE BUTTERMILK SYRUP...they are both completely SCRUMPTIOUS :) Remove from heat. Pour maple syrup into saucepan (mixture will bubble), stir well, cover to keep warm and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Add to soaked oats then stir in eggs and 2 TBLSP melted butter. Mix well.
In frying pan over med./high heat, heat remaining 2 TBLSP butter. Ladle butter into pan (forming pancakes). Cook until golden brown.
Top each pancake with syrup and a spoonful of yogurt (or I like to add some chopped strawberries... :)


CHICKEN FAJITAS

Marinade:
-1/4 c. oil
-1/2 c. vinegar
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 jalepeno pepper, finely chopped
-2 TBLSP snipped cilantro
-2 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. ground cumin

-2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into strips
-1 red pepper, 1green pepper, 1 yellow pepper (all cut into strips)
-1 purple onion (cut into strips)
-flour tortillas

Mix marinade; separate into two bowls. Add chicken to 1/2 of the marinade in one bowl, and peppers and onions in the other. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature, or 2-24 hours in refrigerator.
Cook peppers until tender-crisp in fry pan. Remove and then cook chicken until done. Add peppers and heat through. Serve with warm tortillas, salsa and guacamole.


CILANTRO-LIME RICE

-2 TBLSP butter
-1 1/4 c. rice
-2 1/4 c. chicken broth
-3/4 tsp. salt
-pepper
-juice and zest of 1 large or 2 small limes
-2 TBLSP chopped cilantro
-1/4 tsp. cumin

In cooking pot, melt butter with rice, add liquid and other ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

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.

hungry...

Here is our menu for this week! I'm feeling hungry at the moment, so we're starting the week with one of my new favorites...

*Monday: Stuffed Peppers (I've been thinking about these ever since I made them a few weeks ago...I think they may be on my weekly menu fairly often from now on. :) & leftover Ciabatta bread

*Tuesday: Pita Pizzas (I just asked Ryder what he'd like this week for dinner and this was his pick!)

*Wednesday: Salmon (I'm going to coat the fish with s&p and a little cayenne and then make an avocado salsa to go on top--simply dice red onion, avocados and mix with a little lime juice--place on top of fillets after cooking fish however you'd like! I'll probably bake mine...) & cantalope (the most nutrient dense fruit---thanks, Page!)

*Thursday: Macaroni & Cheese (homemade, of course) & Broccoli

*Friday: Date night!

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Peanut-Crusted Chicken Breasts & Asparagus (if you're worried that this is the third recipe in two weeks that calls for "white sandwich bread", I'm sorry. I rarely buy white bread, and since I did last week for the fish, I need to use it up! Just trying to be resourceful...even if I'm feeding my family empty carbs... :)

Happy eating!

March Menu!

Yay! It's March! And I hear that this Friday it is supposed to be 45* around here! Yippee!!! I'm glad I have all week to decide how I'm going to celebrate such an occasion. Maybe break out the grill??? Oh wait, I said 45*, didn't I. So maybe it won't feel like summer....but I'll take it! Here is what we are eating in Chicago for the next several days...

*Monday: Cashew Chicken & Rice, take II

*Tuesday: Tuscan Tomato Soup & oyster crackers (I bought some oyster crackers the other day at Trader Joe's and Ryder is SO excited about them. We'll add a little nutrition...and calories to the crackers with this yummy homemade tomato soup!)

*Wednesday: Roasted Salmon with Lentils

*Thursday: Tostadas Salsa Verde

*Friday: Spaghetti Carbonara & Bread (Saturday is my indoor triathlon...so we are carb-loading tonight!)

*Saturday: Leftovers

*Sunday: Leftovers

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.