Pictures to entice you!

There will be no official meal plans created for the next two weeks due to all the yummy goodness that will be taking place of said meals during the holidays.  Therefore, this weeks post contains pictures of some of the meals I have made over the past few months. Make sure you have eaten, or you might be hungry when you are done looking.  I know...I need to do this more often. 

 Bahama-Mama Pork Chops  Yum!

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 Chicken, Shrimp, and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya 

It was so good, and we have major left overs!

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In the spirit of the season, I've made this sweet and tart cranberry sauce for
two years now.  It's perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas!

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From a fellow Recipe Nest blogger, this Chicken Broccoli Casserole really hit the spot!

 

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Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Shhh....this is a knock off of Panera's potato soup, and it is almost spot on! 

I made this last week, then went to Panera over the weekend and had their potato soup.  

The only difference was mine had more spice due to a few more crushed red 

pepper flakes.  Other then that, it was totally the same.  Plus, it is totally easy to make!

If you didn't end up using these the week of their original meal plan, 

now is the time to try them!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Beware: Sweet Treat Below!

Continue at your own risk!  You are about to be temped by something so sweet and yummy that once you try it, there is no turning back!  Compliments for a colleague of mine, enjoy some Apple Dumplings!

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans of crescent rolls
2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
Cinnamon, to taste
1 can of Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples.  Cut each apple into 8 slices.  Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.  Place in a 9x13 buttered pan.  Set aside. 

Melt butter in a small pot, add sugar and barely stir.  Stir in vanilla, then pour over apples.  Pout Mountain Dew around edges of pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve with ice cream and spoon some of that sweet sauce over the top!

Now-not to rain on anyone's parade, but as you could probably guess, the calories on this sweet treat are up there!  Each serving is 495 calories!  Well...I experimented a little.  I used SmartBalance instead of butter, and I forgot to get Mountain Dew at one store, so I ended up getting a lemon-lime soda at another.  With these two changes, I was able to get the calories down to 439 per serving.  Still not great, but better!

If you are desperate to reduce the calories even further, I figured that replacing the butter with SmartBalance, the sugar with Splenda, and the Mountain Dew with Diet Mountain Dew, it would bring you to 372 calories per serving.  Almost 125 calories less. Now-that's pretty darn good!  I know there is the debate out on how good Splenda really is for you, or any sugar replacement, so you choose the option that is best for you!

Okay, okay!  Some pictures! 

  

Weekly Meal Plan #12

December 12 - December 18

Baby, it's cold outside!  Well, not quite that cold yet, but I couldn't resist opening that way. ;-)  But watchout...tomorrow night in Chicago the windchill is supposed to be 25 degrees below zero!  Yikes!  Bundle up out there! 

Weekly Shout-outs:  Happy Birthday to Marty, Joe and Danielle!  Congrats to the newlyweds, Jason and April!  Good luck to my 4th and 5th grade students this week on their music program! (No, no...none of them would know of this blog, but still want to wish them luck. :-))

Since it's supposed to be so cold, let's start this week's meal plan with a warm, yummy soup!

Sunday - Cream Cheese Potato Soup
Monday - Beefy BBQ Biscuits
Tuesday - Peanut Chicken (see below)
Wednesday - Artichoke Heart Pasta (see below)
Thursday - Turkey Taco Salad (see below)
Friday - Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Saturday - Broccoli-Sausage Pasta

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Peanut Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breats, cut in chunks

Marinade:
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cloves minced garlic
8 minced cilantro sprigs
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp chopped ginger

Combine all marinade ingredients in a blender.  Blend well.  Marinade chicken overnight.  Grill or broil and serve with vegetable of your choice!

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Artichoke Heart Pasta

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloved chopped garlic
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz of hot water
3 Tbs butter
2 Tbs of lemon juice
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 can artichoke heart quarters
2 Tbs of parmesan or romano cheese   
1 lb fettucine or linguini

Mix soup and hot water in small bowl until smooth.  Set aside.  In large pot, brown garlic in olive oil.  Pour soup mixture into garlic and olive oil.  Stir.  Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes.  Pour over noodle and serve.  

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Turkey Taco Salad

2/3 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbs cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn kernals
1 lb cooked ground turkey
3 celery stalks
8 lettuce leave
2 cups tortilla chips

Brown ground turkey.  In small serving bowl, stir together salsa, sour cream, cumin, salt and pepper to create the dressing.  Set aside.  Drain and rinse kidney beans and corn well in a colander.  Dice celery into 1/2 inch pieces. 

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, turkey and celery and toss.  Shred lettuce and divide among 4 plates.  Spoon turkey mixture on top of lettuce.  Garnish each plate with tortillas and serve with dressing.

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Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 Tbs dried tomatoes
4 chicken breast halves
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbs cream cheese
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Place tomatoes in small bowl.  Cover with boiling water.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Drain and pat dry; set aside.  Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into each chicken breast by cutting horizontally through thicken portion, but not all the way through the opposite side.  Set aside.  

In a small bowl, combine feta, cream cheese, basil and tomatoes.  Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon into each chicken pocket.  If necessary, secure opening with wooden toothpick.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chicken.  Cook for 12-14 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.  

Serve with a side of your choice.  

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The Grocery List 

Garlic
Lettuce
Sipped dried tomatoes, not oil packed
4 medium baked or red potatoes
2 medium onions
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch of parsley
3 celery stalks
1 large head of broccoli
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 pkg smoked sausage
32 oz chicken broth
12 oz penne pasta
1lb fettucine or linguini
Chunky peanut butter
White wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Peanut oil
BBQ sauce
Lemon juice
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn kernals
Salsa
Tortilla chips
1 pkg of cream cheese (low fat?)
1 pkg shredded cheddar cheese
Grated parmesan or romano cheese
Feta cheese
8 or 16 oz sour cream
Brown sugar
Red pepper flakes
Ginger
12 oz refrigerated flaky biscuits
Butter

Weekly Meal Plan #11

December 5-December 11

Happy winter!  December sure did come in with a snowy bang here in Chicago.  With 5 inches on the ground, it's hard not to be in the holiday spirit!

A quick shout out to my brother-in-law and his new wife!  Congratulations Jason and April!  They were married just yesterday in St. Johns.  With the snow here, they certainly planned that well!

Here is your meal plan for the week!  Enjoy! 

Sunday- Turkey Barbecue Meatloaf
Monday- Stove Top Mac-n-Cheese (see below)
Tuesday- Shrimp Fritters with Romaine
Wednesday- Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
Thursday- Bourbon Chicken
Friday- Southwest Flank Steak with Salsa
Saturday- Swiss Enchiladas

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Stove Top Mac-n-Cheese

I found an adaptation of this recipe that added slices of cheddar bratwurst.  Sounds pretty darn good!

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The Grocery List

2 onions
1 carrot
garlic
1 bunch of green onions 
1 lime
Romaine lettuce
1 bunch of kale
1lb of ground turkey
2 1/2 lbs of boneless chicken breasts
1lb peeled/deveined cooked shrimp
1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 lb flank steak
Bread crumbs
Elbow macaroni 
1 pkg cheese tortellini
2 pkgs flour tortillas
2 cans of diced green chilies
1 can of diced tomatos
2 cans Italian-style stewed tomatos
1 can condensed french onion soup
BBQ sauce
Worcestershire sauce 
Hot sauce
Mayo or salad dressing
Salsa
Eggs
Milk
1 can evaporated milk (6 oz)
2 pkgs shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg shredded swiss cheese
Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Dry mustard
Flour
Seafood seasoning blend
Fajita seasoning
Honey

Weekly Meal Plan #10

November 28-December 4

 
Happy Belated Thanksgiving, everyone!  Still stuffed?  I hope you all had a great turkey day, full of family and good food.  We had two thanksgivings, which tends to become the norm when you are married.  Hubby and I celebrated with his family last Sunday, and with my family on actual turkey day.  This year, our brothers hosted thanksgiving!  Hubby's brother typically hosts, but this was a first for my brother.  He and his girlfriend made the most succulent, the most juicy, tastebud-defying turkey EVER!  It was, "Legend...wait for it....DARY!"

But alas, we are nearing the end of our leftovers.  So here we go again, embarking on another journey in meal planning.  This week is a mix of mostly oldies (recipes...not food), with one newbie, compliments of my school's PTO president.  She and I got to talking during the book fair about meal planning and cooking, and she was kind enough to print off a whole bunch of recipes her family enjoys.  Click on the links for the recipes or see any notes I make below the plan.  

Two wishes:  I wish you a quick recovery from your turkey day food hangover, and I wish my hubby a Happy 30th Birthday and quick recovery from his Texas de Brazil dinner tonight!  Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm.

Sunday - Veggie BBQ Pizza (see below)
Monday - Creamy Linguini with Red Pepper and Zucchini (see below)
Tuesday - Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken
Wednesday - Loaded Baked Potatoes (see below)
Thursday -  Burrito Casserole
Friday - Linguini with White Clam Sauce (see below)
Saturday - Chicken Broccoli Casserole

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 Veggie BBQ Pizza

Ingrediants

       1 Boboli Thin Crust Pizza
       1 C Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (or any kind you like)
       1 C chopped red onion
       1 C chopped sweet red pepper
       1/4 tbs of crushed red pepper
       1 C shredded mozzarella cheese
       1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese


Directions

Preheat oven to suggested temperature on the Boboli package.  Spread BBQ sauce over pizza crust.  Top with red onion and sweet red pepper.  Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.  Cover entire pizza with mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese over mozzarella.  Bake for 10 minutes.   

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Creamy Linguini with Red Pepper and Zucchini

 
Ingredients

      1/4 C. olive oil
      1 large zucchini, diced
      1 large sweet red pepper, diced
      2 cloves garlic, minced
      1/2 tsp. salt
      1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
      1 (12 oz.) package linguine pasta
      1 C. 1% milk
      2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
      1 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*You could also add 2 cooked, diced chicken breasts for protein.

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, red pepper and garlic to hot oil, and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, turning occasionally, until zucchini and pepper are slightly browned on all sides, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Stir milk into zucchini, and simmer until it is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Add pasta to skillet, and stir well. Sprinkle parsley and 1/2 C. Parmesan over the top, and toss. Garnish with remaining

Makes 6 servings.

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Loaded Baked Potatoes

A few weeks ago, one of our teams at school hosted a luncheon that was like a Baked Potato bar.  They baked some awesomely huge potatoes, and provided an array of fixin's: butter, sour cream, chili, cheese, salsa, broccoli, french fried onions, etc, etc, etc.  It really hit the spot and I've been craving another one ever since.  So, just buy enough BIG baked potatoes for your family, whatever toppings you all enjoy, and load 'em up!

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Linguini with White Clam Sauce

Ingrediants

     1/3 C of butter
     2 cloves garlic, minced
     2 Tbs of flour
     1 2/3 C of clam juice
     1/4 C chopped parsley
     2 C of minced clams
     1 lbs cook linguini noodles

Directions 

Melt butter and garlic over medium heat.  Add flour and stir for one minute.  Stir in clam juice.  Add clams and parsley.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Pour over cooked noodles and serve.  Easy peasy!

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Grocery List

1 large red pepper
1 zucchini
2 large red onion
Garlic
Baked potatoes
1 large head of broccoli
Fresh parsley
Frozen or fresh boneless chicken breast 
**1 lb ground beef** (edit: added)
1 1/2 lbs of clams
1 package of taco seasoning
Flour tortillas
Boboli pizza crust
1 can refried beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup 
1 packge of stuffing mix
BBQ sauce
Italian salad dressing
Worcestershire sauce
Clam juice
2 packages of linguini
1 package of elbow noodles
Brown sugar
Flour
Butter
Sour cream
16 oz cheddar cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese


Enjoy!

Val

Weekly Meal Plan #9: New Recipes from Some New Friends!

November 14-November 20

This week I am happy to introduce to you some new recipes from some new friends on another blog that I contribute to.  It's called The Recipe Nest.  Please feel free to visit the site directly to see new recipes that are posted every day.  Below my meal plan will be made up of some of these new recipes and I've made a link to the recipe.  I'll be throwing in my own favorite that I shared on the blog as well...you know what it is!  As always, a grocery list will follow!

I can't wait to try some of these.  There are pics posted for most of these dishes and they have been making me drool all week!  Enjoy!

Sunday- Turkey Pasta Primavera
Monday- French Onion Chicken (the grocery list only includes the chicken, but try the side items too!)
Tuesday- Penne Fume
Wednesday- Broiled Feta Chicken Parmesan
Thursday- Easy Crockpot Chili
Friday- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Saturday- Broccoli-Sausage Pasta

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The Grocery List

2lbs turkey breast tenderloins
12 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1pkg bacon
1lb ground beef
1pkg smoked sausage
1 large head of broccoli
2 medium onions
1 medium tomato
Fresh basil
16oa pkg frozen sugar snap stir-fry vegetables
1 bag frozen corn
2 bags frozen mixed veggies
1 can diced tomatoes
2 6oz cans tomato paste
8oz kidney beans
8oz pinto beans
2 cans cream of potato soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16oz jar of alfredo sauce
Yellow or dijon mustard
12oz penne pasta
12oz of spaghetti or linguine
French's fried onions
Breadcrumbs
1 pkg of McCormick's Chili Seasoning
1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream
16oz sour cream
Parmesan cheese
4oz feta cheese
Cheddar cheese
Skim milk

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Don't forget!  

Check the recipes directly for spices that you may need or already have.

Also-the amounts I've put for the ingredients on the grocery list should make about 4 servings total for each dish.  Adjust as needed!

ENJOY!

Crazy Casserole Week was Crazy Affordable!

I just got home from grocery shopping and it came to a total of $90.55!  That includes most items on the grocery list (I had a few things already), and other miscellaneous items like toilet paper, hand soap and shaving cream (probably one or two others too).  This is why I heart meal planning!  Crossing my fingers that you are just as successful! :-)