Weekly Meal Plan #24

April 10 - April 16
 
I'm officially 30!  It's not as bad as I thought.  I had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends yesterday.  In addition to officially being 30, I am officially a wino.  People were asking my hubby what to get me for my birthday.  He said that I (and we...as a semi-housewarming) didn't want any gifts, just their wonderful presence for the evening.  Still, if they did really want to get something, anything wine related would be perfect.  So, wine, wine and more wine is what I got!  I got bottles of wine, wine stoppers, a wine stopper candleabra, Chocovine wine, a traveling wine cooler in the shape of a wine bottle (it's cool), a gift card to buy more wine, and...wait for it...my best friend and maid of honor from our wedding, she and her husband got us a wine refridgerator!  It should be arriving in 4 days!  Phew!  That's a lot of wine.  I officially have the reputation of being a wino. 

After enjoying so much wine on my 30th birthday, it is now time to plan a recuperative meal plan for the week!  It's nice being back in the meal planning business and I am starting to get used to my new kitchen.  So...without further ado, this weeks meal plan.


Sunday - Tater Tot Casserole

1lb ground beef
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
Skim Milk
Oregano
1lb tater tots
16oz shredded cheddar cheese


Monday -   Chicken Shiitake and Wild Rice Soup

Butter
1 small onion
Flour
64oz chicken broth
2 carrots
3 cloves of garlic
2 celery stalks
4 skinless chicken thighs
Long grain rice and wild rice combo
Long grain white rice
1/2 shiitake mushrooms
Light Sour Cream


Tuesday - Pasta with Asparagus

1lb thin asparagus
6oz pasta
Olive Oil
3 cloves of garlic
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese


Wednesday - BLAT Wraps

8 slices of bacon
4 flour tortillas
Ranch dressing
1 avocado
1 tomato
Lettuce


Thursday - Crockpot Chicken with Black Beans 

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 large can black beans
1 large can corn
1 large jar of salsa
8oz cream cheese


Friday - Broiled Tilapia with Garlic

6 tilapia fillets
2 cloves of garlic
Olive Oil
Oregano
Parsley
1 lemon


Saturday - Barbequed Marinated Flank Steak

Soy Sauce
Honey
White Vinegar
Ginger
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
1 1/2 lb Flank Steak

Weekly Meal Plan #23 - And we're back!

April 3 - April 9

As I type, I'm enjoying a cup of coffee in our lovely kitchen in OUR NEW HOME!  We did it!  We are all cleaned and painted and packed and moved and unpacked and ready to Rock and Roll!  I'm still in disbelief that we are here.  It's been a week and every morning I wake up I get excited all over again our being in OUR house. 

I did not meal plan last week because we had a little snafu with our refrigerator and ended up needing buy a new one.  Our cold stuff only last so long in a cooler while waiting for the new fridge, which didn't get here until Thursday.  It was one long week of eating like garbage.  Ugh.  I never want to do that again.  I am so excited to finally cook in our kitchen this week!  This week's plan is mainly made up of familiar favorites, with two new meals thrown into the mix.  I thought I would keep it familiar for myself, since I'm still getting used to maneuvering around our kitchen.  Don't need to make cooking this week more difficult then it needs to be!  Oh, and shhhh...I'm most likely actually NOT making next Saturday's (4/9) meal myself because....::wimpers:: it's my 30th birthday.  Eek!!!  I don't know what we are doing yet, but I will be having a meal worthy of celebrating a 30th birthday...that's for sure!

I'm playing around with a new format.  I'm going to list the meal with it's link to the recipe and directions, and directly below it I will list what you will need a the grocery store for that meal.  You can still copy and paste to a word document and print out an entire grocery list in the end, but now you can better pick and choose which ones you will be doing! 

It's good to be back!  Have a great week, everyone!!

Sunday - Simple Hamburger Stroganoff

1 package egg noodles
1lb ground beef
1 packet dry brown gravy mix
1 package cream cheese
1 (6oz) can of chopped mushroom
1 (8oz) container of sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
Milk


Monday - Broccoli Sausage Pasta

Olive oil
Garlic
1 small onion
1 head of broccoli 
1lb smoke sausage
8oz penne pasta
Parmesan cheese


Tuesday - Artichoke and Tomato Chicken

Olive oil
4 tomatoes
Fresh basil
Fresh oregano
2 red bell peppers
1 (8oz) package mozzarella cheese
6 chicken breasts
Marinara sauce


Wednesday - Creamy Burrito Casserole

1lb ground beef or turkey
1 small onion
1 package taco seasoning
6 flour tortillas
1 package of shredded cheddar
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream


Thursday -  Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

Butter
4 pork loin chops
Shallots
Chicken stock
Baby bella mushrooms
Dijon mustard
Fresh parsley


Friday -  Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2 chicken breasts
1lb broccoli
1 box of elbow noodles
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package stuffing mix
1 package of cheddar cheese
Milk


Saturday - Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Chicken broth
4 medium potatoes
1 small onion
1 package cream cheese
 

Weekly Meal Plan #21

March 6th - March 12th
 
Woohoo!  Here's another meal plan! 

Why am I so excited?  Well....with every meal plan, DH and I are closer to closing on our house and moving day!  We are 15 days out from closing, and 20 days from moving.  I can't believe it!  This rollercoaster is finally starting to slow down and pull into the station. 

So get this...DH is suddenly on a low-fat kick!  I guess a couple of his co-workers do WW online and while at work will randomly figure out points for certain foods.  It's opened his eye a little to how bad some things are.  So, this week we've got meals from of course our new favorite, Skinny Taste, and other lower fat meals from other websites.  Enjoy!! 

Sunday - Baked Chicken Parmesan
Monday - Turkey Chili Taco Soup
Tuesday - Pasta with Asparagus
Wednesday - Classic Baked Chicken
Thursday - Ragu-Stuffed Peppers
Friday - Turkey & Balsamic Onion Quesadillas
Saturday - Simple Hamburger Stroganoff

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The Grocery List

2 medium red onions
5 bell pepper
1 lb thin asparagus
1 bunch of parsley
Garlic
4 Chicken breast halves
3-4lbs chicken (breasts, thighs, legs, wings, whatever!)
1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
8oz of sliced deli turkey
1lb lean ground beef
24oz Ragu
8oz marinara sauce
10oz can rotel tomatoes with green chilies
15oz can corn kernals
15oz can kidney beans
8oz can tomato sauce
Small can of tomato paste
16oz fat free refried beans
1 can chopped mushrooms
1 pkt taco seasoning
1pkg uncooked pasta
1 pkg of egg noodles
Breadcrumbs
1 pkg whole-wheat tortillas
4oz Coucous
8oz cup raisins
24oz fat free low sodium chicken broth
1 pkt dry brown gravy mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Parmesan cheese
8oz Asiago cheese
8oz Mozzarella cheese
8oz Sharp Cheddar cheese
8oz low-fat cream cheese
8oz low-fat sour cream
Eggs
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
 

Weekly Meal Plan #15

January 16-January 22

So, did anyone end up making those Beef Carnitas Empanada meal?  Well, I did.  And I decided to make the beef myself, instead of buying some pre-made fajita mixture or something.  What I failed to do was calculate how long the meal was going to take to make when trying to do it all in one fell swoop.  Do you know how long it took?  2 hours!  Holy Cow.  Never again.  But you know what?  It...was...awesome!  Ok...the beef was the awesome part.  It was so tasty!  The "empanada" part wasn't the greatest.  I didn't buy saffron, thinking I could do without it.  I have a feeling it needed that special flavoring, whatever it is.  But still...despite the time it took, it turned out pretty great.  Next time, though, we are just going to make the beef and turn them into fajitas or something.  Estimated time to make that?  Half the time it took to make the Beef Carnitas Empanada.  Phew!

So this week, I focused on trying to make sure the meals in the plan didn't take as much time, or that you could actually do something else while it was cooking.  I couldn't with the empanadas...I spent an entire 2 hours standing and cooking.  Ugh!  Hope you find this week less involved! 

Sunday- Italian Vegetable Enchiladas 
Monday- Spicy Shrimp and Fettuccine 
Tuesday- Easy Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie 
Wednesday- Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ 
Thursday- Cream Cheese Potato Soup 
Friday- Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta 
Saturday- Pepsi Pot Roast 

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Italian Vegetable Enchiladas

Easy Meals in Minutes, Time Life Books
 
Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 medium green bell pepper
• 1/2 lb mushrooms
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp basil
•  1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 8 flour tortillas
• 3 tbs shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   
2. In a food processor, coarsely chop garlic, onion and bell pepper.  Remove to a large bowl.  In same bowl, chop mushrooms.  Chop mushrooms and add to bwol.  By hand, coarsely chop tomato and add to bowl.
3. In large skillet, warm oil over medium-high heat.  Ad chopped vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes, until onion is slightly softened.  Cool slightly.
4. In medium bowl, combine tomato sauce, 1/4 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp oregano and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
5. In another bowl, combine cottage heese with remaining basil, oregano and black pepper.
6. Place tortillas on a working surface and spread each evenly with 2 tsp of tomato sauce. 
7. Spread 2 tbs of cottage cheese along the bottom third of each tortilla.
8. Dividing evenly, spread sauteed vegetable mixture over cottage cheese.  Roll the tortillas up.  Place rolled tortillas in a single layer in a baking dish.  Top with remaining tomato sauce and mozzarella.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tortillas are heated through and cheese is melted.  If desired, place enchiladas under broiler to lightly brown them.

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Pepsi Pot Roast 

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb pot roast
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 16oz Pepsi, or other cola 
  

 Directions

1. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. Top with mushroom soup and onion soup mix.
3. Pour in Pepsi.
4. Cover.  Cook on high for 6 hours.

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The Grocery List

Garlic
2 small onion
1 medium green pepper
1/2 lb mushrooms
1 medium tomato
5 plum tomatos 
4 large potatoes (red or baking) 
1 package frozen vegetables
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
2lbs chicken breasts
3-4lb pot roast
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste 
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 package dry onion soup mix
Bisquick baking mix
1 package flour tortillas
8 oz fettuccine 
1lb penne pasta12 oz BBQ
Italian dressing
Worcestershire sauce
40oz chicken broth
8oz container low-fat cottage cheese
8oz container sour cream 
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese 
8oz cream cheese 
Parmesan cheese 
Brown Sugar 
Milk
Eggs
Flour 
Butter (or margarine) (or SmartBalance?)
16oz Pepsi (or other cola)

Weekly Meal Plan #14

Wow-what a great first week of 2011! I hope you all had a great week, too!  It was actually nice to be back at school, in a routine, and working with my students.  I had a student teacher for 8 weeks before winter break.  I really enjoyed that experience.  Still, it's really nice to be back in the saddle with my kids. 

Despite the busy week, I found a couple new favs in terms of meals to have in the back pocket.  I don't know about anyone else, but the Tomato Florentine Soup from last week was so warm and cozy.  It had a great robust flavor, and although it had just a little protein in it, it was very tasty and filling!  I hope you enjoyed it, too. 

Here we go again!  So old, some new...all for you!  I was excited to find the P.F. Chang's recipe, as the hubs and I LOVE P.F. Chang's.  I am crossing my fingers that it turns out just as yummy! 

Side note-it's my little puppy's (not so little anymore) 3rd birthday on Monday.  Happy Birthday, Zeusy!

The night we adopted him.

Our big boy.

January 9-January 15

Sunday - To Die for Crock Pot Roast
Monday - BBQ Chicken
Tuesday - Beef Carnitas Empanada
Wednesday - Ragu Stuffed Peppers
Thursday - Mostaccioli with Vodka Sauce
Friday - Brown Rice, Tomatoes and Basil
Saturday - P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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BBQ Chicken

This is a crazy simple meal.  At our local fresh produce store, they have already cut and seasoned BBQ Chicken.  It’s an entire half of a chicken.

To cook it, we cut up red potatoes, onions and red peppers, layer them at the bottom of a dutch oven, drizzle them with olive oil, place the half chicken on top, and pop it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 60 minutes, or until internal thermometer reads 180 degrees.   That’s all folks!

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Mostaccioli with Vodka Sauce

Betty Crocker Easy Italian 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or fully cooked ham
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup vodka (or chicken broth)
• 1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
• 1/2 cup sliced large pitted ripe olives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 package (16 oz) mostaccioli or penne pasta
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In 10-inch skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat.  Cook garlic and onion in butter about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
2. Stir in prosciutto and chicken.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is brown.  Stir in vodka.  Cook uncovered until liquid has evaporated.
3. Stir in whipping cream, olives, parsley and pepper.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened. 
4. Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on package.  Add pasta to sauce; toss gently until pasta is evenly coated.  Sprinkle with cheese. 

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The Grocery List

1 beef roast, any kind
1 half pre-seasoned BBQ chicken
12 oz beef carnitas (check local fresh market for pre-made version or check recipe)
2oz proscuitto or fully cooked ham
1lb chicken breasts
8oz water chesnuts
8oz mushrooms
4-5 leaves iceburg lettuce
2 red potatoes
3 medium red onion
5 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes
1 bunch fresh parsely
Garlic
2oz saffron threads
8oz brown rice
16oz mostaccioli or penne pasta
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can sliced olives
1 package brown gravy mix, dry
1 package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 package ranch dressing mix, dry
1 jar Ragu pasta sauce (3 cups)
Couscous
8oz package raisins
Cider vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Ketcup
Lemon juice
Sesame Oil
Hot mustard
Garlic and red chile pasts
Vodka (or 8oz chicken broth)
Flour
Baking powder
Sugar
Brown sugar
Butter
8oz heavy whipping cream 
8oz grated asiago or fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan

*Remember that you might have several of the oils and other ingredients from previous meal plans!  Check that pantry!

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 #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!

Weekly Meal Plan #7 - ALL NEW RECIPE WEEK!

October 24-October 30
Alrighty-here we go, like I promised, with all new (or maybe just different) recipes!  I made use of some of the ingredients twice (the pesto), since some may not be a normal purchase for you.  I hope you enjoy this week's plan!

Sunday- Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ (how does slow cooker Sunday's sound from now on?)
Monday- Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Tuesday- Tater Tot Casserole
Wednesday- Apple Cinnamon Butternut Squash Soup
Thursday- Easy Fusili with Tomato-Pesto Sauce
Friday- Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich (recipe is for 1 sandwich, I'm multiplying by 4)
Saturday- Diner Meat Loaf Muffins

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The Grocery List

6 chicken breasts
2 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef
1 green pepper
3 red onions
Garlic
2 medium butternut squash
1 large apple
1 bundle of chives
1 large tomato
1 package of carrots
1 can of black beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 box of fusili (spiral) pasta
BBQ sauce
Italian salad dressing
Worcestershire sauce
Chili Sauce
Pesto Sauce
32 oz carton of chicken broth
Ketchup
Mustard
Brown sugar
Bread crumbs
1 loaf of italian bread
Saltine crackers
1/2 lb of slice provolone cheese
1 package of american cheese
Parmesan cheese
16 oz cheddar cheese
1 6oz container of fat free plain yogurt
Eggs
Milk
Butter (or substitute)
1 bag of frozen tater tots

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Spices you may or may not already have...
Chili powder
Cumin
Oregano
Cinnamon

Weekly Meal Plan #5

October 3rd - October 9th

I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to top some of last weeks meals, but I'll definitely try!  We really enjoyed the shrimp fritters and the cheesy vegetable soup.  The soup was a perfect way to welcome to chillier whether today.  I hope you enjoyed those as well, and here we go with Week 5.  There's a repeat this week, because hubby specifically requested it.  Can you guess which one?  :-)


Sunday - Spicy Thai Slow Cooker Chicken
Monday - Beef Stroganoff
Tuesday - Pita Pizzas
Wednesday - Broccoli Sausage Pasta 
Thursday -  Salsa Chicken and Rice 
Friday -  Cajun Corn, Rice and Red Beans
Saturday - Apple Glazed Cornish Hens

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Pita Pizzas

Be as creative as you want with these!  Just find some medium/large size whole wheat pitas, add tomato sauce/pizza sauce and top with your favorite toppings!  Pop in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

You know one I might try?   A pita, drizzled with olive oil, topped with sliced tomatoes and basil, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.  Mmmmm.  I'm looking forward to Tuesday.

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Salsa Chicken and Rice

This one is EASY!  You need 4 chicken breasts, your favorite salsa and white or brown rice.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray (or coat with thin layer of olive oil), lay chicken breasts flat and season with salt and pepper.  Cover chicken breasts with 1 to 1/2 cups of salsa.  If you do this an hour ahead of time, the chicken can marinade for increased juiciness! Bake chicken for 30-35 minutes, or cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare white or brown rice.  In the name of being easy, go for instant!  Serve rice and chicken side by side with some salsa drizzled on top.

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Grocery List

2 medium red onion

Garlic

1 large head of broccoli

1 large green pepper

1 large red pepper

15oz can of red kidney beans

1 lemon

Favorite pizza toppings

Chicken breasts (10 breasts)

1 lb cubed beef stew meat or chuck steak

1 package of smoked sausage

4 Cornish hens

1 bottle Asian-style toasted sesame salad dressing

Thai chili paste

Ginger garlic paste

Cajun seasoning or chili powder

Cinnamon

Cornstarch

Peanut butter

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Tomato or pizza sauce

16 oz jar of your favorite salsa

1 can of vegetable broth

1 package of egg noodles

Penne pasta

Brown or white rice

1 package of medium/large whole-wheat pitas

16 oz container of sour cream

1 package of frozen corn kernels

12 oz unsweetened frozen apple juice concentrate

Weekly Meal Plan #4

Hello Mayhem Friends!  How was your week?  Did you especially enjoy any one of the meals?  Hubby and I loved the Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.  I added parmesan and mozzarella to it.   We love cheese.  We've also become fond of the grilled chicken and tapenade sandwiches.  What about you?


This weeks plan includes a little bit of everything, from pizza and seafood (not together), to soup and beef. Almost all of it includes veggies in some form!  Adding more veggies to your meals is a great way to cut back on the cost of groceries.  They are healthy and filling!  


September 26-October 2 


Sunday – Veggie BBQ Pizza (see below)
Monday – Crispy Baked Cod
Tuesday - Pasta  (see below)
Wednesday – Shrimp Fritters with Romaine
Thursday – Cheesy Vegetable Soup
Friday – Beef Tostadas
Saturday – Garden Style Lasagna (see below)

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Veggie BBQ Pizza

After enjoying one of these at a restaurant several months ago, I attempted to recreate it.  So, here is my version...

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

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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Pasta

Another one of those, "you know what do!" meals.  Everyone enjoys their pasta differently, so whether it's penne, spaghetti or elbow macaroni, top it with your favorite sauce and enjoy a classic easy dinner.  

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Garden Style Lasagna

So, I made this meal back in May.  My husband was not around.  He was out for the night.  That was probably a good thing.  This was the most involved and time consuming meal to make...ever.  But that is because I was stubborn and chose to do everything fresh and in the moment.  Take the advice of the recipe and, buy already chopped vegetables or chop them ahead of time.  Also, you can buy lasagna noodles that you do not have to precook!  I think they are by Creamette.  This will greatly cut down on the time it takes to prepare this meal.  But I want you to try it!  This turned out so good that the headache I had from making it was completely worth it.  I know, I'm making this sound so inviting, huh?  Just do it.  :-)  

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Grocery List

3 large red onion

2 medium sweet red pepper

Fresh parsley

1 lemon (need to grate the lemon rind)

garlic

green onions

1 lime

Romaine lettuce

celery

1 large zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 package of whole carrots

1 large head of broccoli

1 16oz package of frozen mixed veggies

1 10oz package of frozen spinach

6 cod fillets

1 lb of peeled and deveined cooked shrimp

1 lb lean ground beef

1 package of lasagna noodles

ther pasta noodles

1 Boboli thin crust pizza

Panko or regular bread crumbs

Tostada shells

Pasta sauce

BBQ sauce

Flour

Honey

Nutmeg

Mayonnaise (or light)

1 can creamed corn

Chili sauce

Chipotle sauce

Taco seasoning

Guacamole

1 package mozzarella cheese

2 packages of sharp cheddar cheese

1 package of shredded Mexican cheese blend (or just use the cheddar)

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

16oz 1% low-fat cottage cheese

8 oz sour cream

Eggs

Milk

Weekly Meal Plan #2

Welcome to week #2!  I hope you all had a successful week last week and enjoyed the meals.  If you have any comments and stories to share, please do so!  I wasn’t as successful.  I managed to make 3 of the meals I planned for.  Last Sunday we had a family party to go to, so I didn’t make it to the grocery store that day.  Then I was really tired after school on Monday and hubby said to just come home…that HE would go grocery shopping on Tuesday.  So, I took him up on it and we had Chinese.  But, I did manage to make the Red Bean and Orzo, Creamy Linguine and the Cajun Steak Sandwiches.  They were all great!  We had the Red Bean with Orzo and Creamy Linguine as left overs, too.  

While I will probably still make some of last weeks meals that I didn’t get too, I have a new list for you!  With it being Labor Day weekend, you might be going to a BBQ or party, so I’m going to throw in the classic burger meal.   To save time, unless I have adapted a recipe, I will only post the link to where it can be found. 

Enjoy week #2! 

September 4 – September 11

Sunday – Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers

Monday – Chili using McCormick's Chili Seasoning

Tuesday – Baked Chicken in a Red Pepper Sauce

Wednesday – Broccoli-Sausage Pasta

Thursday  - Pan Seared Shrimp over Rice

Friday - Flank Steak with Mole Sauce

Saturday – Grilled Pork Tenderloin with an Orange Marmalade Glaze

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A note about the mole sauce:

When I first made this recipe, it seemed to be lacking some directions.  Unless you want a chunky sauce, I would suggest actually using a small food processor to puree the onion.  Additionally, it did not mention anything about deseeding the chilies.  You do not need to deseed if you don't mind a spicy mole sauce.  If you don't want it to be too spicy, then I would deseed then.  Also, I would try to puree them in the food processor as well. 

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The Grocery List:

2lbs of ground beef

Real bacon bits

2 lbs of chicken breast

1 package smoked sausage

2 lbs of flank steak

1 lb pork tenderloin

1 1/2 lbs uncooked shrimp

Parsley

garlic

1 large head of broccoli

3 red onions

3 large dried chilies

1 sweet red or green pepper

green onions

1 packet of McCormick's chili seasoning

2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

horseradish sauce

sour cream

chicken broth

cider vinegar

lemon juice

red wine vinegar

soy sauce

honey

unsweetened baking chocolate

orange marmalade

rice wine vinegar

penne pasta

shredded cheddar cheese

4 hamburger buns

Our Favorites!

Weekly meal plans will begin Sunday, August 29th.  In the mean time, I thought I'd introduce you to some of our favorite meals!

Now, I can't take complete credit for coming up with these on my own.  Most recipes I *steal* from recipe finder websites, such as RecipeZaar, Recipes4Living, and MyRecipes.  A couple I found on other blogs.  I tend to adjust each recipe slightly to our liking, and I suggest you do the same if you feel like it.  Still, I will do my best to link to the original recipe or blog as to credit the original recipe maker!

So, here is...

Favorite Meal #1: Broccoli-Sausage Pasta


Let's start with the end in mind...

Mmmmmmmm!

Ingredients:
     1/4 C of Olive Oil
     3 cloves garlic, minced
     1 small red onion, sliced thin (use your Santoku knife!)
     1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
     1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes  (more or less depends on how spicy you want it!)
     1lb package of smoke sausage (beef or turkey), sliced and quartered
     8 oz of short cut pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
     Shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large skillet with high sides on medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.  Meanwhile, fill pot with water and start heating it up for the pasta.  Slice and quarter the sausage.  Add sausage to skillet and cook an additional 3-4 minutes.  Meanwhile, cut broccoli into florets.  Put pasta in water to cook.  Add the broccoli and red pepper flakes to the skillet and toss.  Continue cooking 8-10 minutes until pasta is ready.  Drain pasta, but reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.  Add cooked pasta and reserved water to skillet.  Heat 2-3 more minutes.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Hope you like it!    This recipe originated from a blog called Peace, Love and French Fries.  You will see this meal in my plans about once (maybe twice) a month because we love it so much.


Be on the look out for the next recipe coming at you this weekend!