January 26- February 1 Menu

The Pulled Pork made in my slow cooker was awesome.  I'll have to thank my friend for her inspiration.  It was super easy and made for a delicious dinner (and lunches)!

I didn't make the Lemon Shrimp and Liguine but kept the lemon theme with a Lemon Chicken baked in my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker and served with baked potatoes.

Wednesday, January 26-  Tonight it's just the girls.  Maybe I'll make breakfast for dinner or do something simple like pasta or soup.

Thursday, January 27-  I think I will make Microwave White Chicken Chili (original recipe provided by Pamperd Chef- I made a few alterations) WW: 4 points per serving 1 cup

Microwave White Chicken Chili 

3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 tbsp olive oil

2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 medium onion
1½ lb boneless, chicken breasts
2 tbsp Southwestern Seasoning Mix or Taco Seasoning
2 cans (15.5 oz each) Great Northern beans, drained
1 jar (16 oz) salsa verde

1. Finely dice peppers and Chop onion.  Combine minced garlic, peppers and onion in Deep Covered Baker. Trim and finely dice chicken. Add chicken, seasoning mix, oil and ½ tsp salt to baker; mix well. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 4 minutes; stir to separate chicken. Cover; microwave an additional 4-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

2. Add beans and salsa to baker; mix well. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 5-7 minutes or until chili is heated through.
Yield: 8 servings (8 cups)  Serve this chili with optional toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges, diced avocado or chopped cilantro.

Friday, January 28- From Campbell's Kitchens I will be making Beef Taco Bake with the addition of black beans to the recipe.  WW: 14 points per serving 1 1/2 cups

1 pound ground beef

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup

1 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa or Pace® Picante Sauce

1/2 cup milk

6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 (15 oz) can of black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)

• Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often.  Pour off any fat.
• Stir the soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, black beans and half the cheese in the skillet.  Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Cover the baking dish.
• Bake at 400°F. for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbling.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

 Saturday, January 29-  I will call my father for his Lemon Shrimp Linguine recipe and make it tonight for dinner.

Sunday, January 30-  I will make sausage and peppers but this time in the oven.  Last time I prepared it in the slow cooker and didn't care for it that way.

Monday, January 31- From Better Homes and Gardens, I will be making Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie with a few alterations. 

Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie

8 frozen buttermilk biscuits

1 small onion diced

1 cup diced carrots

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (10 1/+2 oz) can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 dry white wine

1/2 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, cubed

1/2 (.7 oz)envelope Italian dressing mix (about 2 tsp.)

1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed

1. Bake biscuits according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, saute onion in hot oil in large skillet over medium high heat 5 minutes or until golden.  Add carrots and saute 5 minutes or until tender.  
3. Stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients; cook stirring frequently 5 minutes or until cheese is melted thoroughly.
4. Stir in peas and cook 2 minutes.
5. Spoon mixture over hot split biscuits to serve.

Yields 6-8 servings

Tuesday, February 1-  I think tonight will be left over evening.  However, if the leftovers have all been eaten for lunches then I will most likely make Asian Peanut Noodle Toss.

Taste of Thai Peanut Noodle Toss Recipe

1/2 Box (8 oz) Rice Noodles
1 TBSP oil
3 cups favorite vegetables chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 13.5 oz can of Coconut Sauce
1 packet (both inner envelopes) Peanut Sauce Mix
1 1/4 lbs chicken or beef thinly sliced

Soak noodles according to stir fry directions. Heat oil in wok over medium high heat. Add vegetables, salt and meat. Saute 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and peanut sauce. Mix. Bring to boil while stirring and boil 3 minutes. Add drained noodles and combine. Cook while stirring until noodles are firm but tender. Add peanuts for garnish.

It worked! Menu January 19- January 25

I don't know why I am surprised it worked.  I did it all Summer long.  Planning out last week's menu yielded different dinners breaking the habit of same old same old every night.  I also didn't feel like I lived at the grocery store.  Instead I made 2 trips, 1 for my initial weekly shopping and another for fresh bread and other fresh produce.  Plus, we had ample leftovers to freeze for another day as well as delicious lunches!

Wednesday, January 19-  Marinated Steak Fajitas will be tonight's meal.  We will not be able to eat as a family due to my daughter's book club meeting.  This meal is easy to make and my husband can reheat the steak easily to eat when he comes home.  

Thursday, January 20-  Tonight needs to be a quick dinner fixing evening due again to meetings and appointments.  As long as pork is on sale at the grocery store, I plan to use my crock pot to make Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches.  If boneless pork ribs are not on sale I will use boneless chicken breasts from my freezer.  I will make the Black Bean Salad I had put on last week's menu but didn't make (opting for a leftover night in place of Tuesday's menu).

Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Sandwiches

Place pork in crock pot.

Pour BBQ Sauce over meat and add your favorite grilling seasonings.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Drain some liquid from crock pot, pull meat apart, add more BBQ sauce and cook an additional 15 minutes or until sauce is heated through.

Serve on sandwich rolls.

Friday, January 21-  We are having a dinner guest this evening.  As a treat for my daughter and her guest, I plan on picking up a Papa Murphy pizza to serve for dinner. 

Saturday, January 22-  Lemon Shrimp and Linguine  My father makes this meal as part of his VFW Dinners.  He also made it while visiting over the holidays and it was great.  I'll need to call him to get this recipe.

Sunday, January 23-   We are surprising our daughters with tickets to the live performance of The Lion King.  Since we won't get home until the early evening, I think we might use our Twongo coupon at Abbey Road.

Monday, January 24-  I think I have a beef roast in my freezer.  If so, I will use my slow cooker again tonight to make an Onion Flavored Beef Roast.

1 Onion cut up

1 Packet of Dried Onion Soup Mix

1 Cup of Beef Broth

1/4 cup of Red Wine

Onion Seasoning, Salt and Pepper

1. Place cut up onion in slow cooker
2. Using Onion Seasoning, salt and pepper, season the roast and place in slow cooker.
3. Dissolve soup mix into the cup of broth and pour into slow cooker.
4. Pour wine into the slow cooker and place on Low heat for 6-8 hours.
5. If you wish to make a gravy: Take about 1-2 cups of liquid from slow cooker and pour into a saucepan, reserving 1/4-1/2 cup.  Dissolve approx. 1-2 tablespoons of flour into the reserved liquid.  Whisk the mixture into the saucepan.  Bring to boil and then simmer until thickened.

I am thinking Apple Sweet Potatoes will be a nice accompaniment to this dish.  (Recipe to come)

Tuesday, January 25-  Cheeseburgers and Sour Cream Potato Salad are on the menu tonight.

Sour Cream Potato Salad

Potatoes

2-3 Hard Boil Eggs

Mayonassie

1/2 cup Sour Cream

3 Green Onions

Bacon Bits

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1. Boil potatoes until tender.
2. Quarter potatoes.
3. Mix mayo and 1/2 cup of sour cream into potatoes.
4. Add 2-3 cut up hard boil eggs, diced tomatoes, 3 chopped green onions, bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese

New Year's Resolution January 12-16 Menu

With the end of The Produce Box season at the end of November, I have found myself falling back into older habits (forgetting to plan out a weeks worth of menus BEFORE going food shopping). So with a new year comes resolutions, one of those for me is to get back in the saddle with planning out my meals each week. Not only does it mean making less trips to the grocery store each week but I find myself trying out new recipes or making different meals rather than making the same handful of dishes each week.

I have decided this week's menu will be based on the many recipes I have blogged and made this past Produce Box Season!

Wednesday, January 12- Due to an ice storm my dinner out with friends was postponed to tonight. So I need something quick and easy for my girls and husband. Macaroni and Cheese is always a crowd pleaser with a side salad for my husband and fresh fruit for my girls.

Thursday, January 13- From the end of August I will be making Butternut Vegetable Chicken Soup. I had frozen some of this soup and my Dad had it while visiting for the holidays. He too thought it was delicious. With these cold wintry days a tasty warm soup would be an ideal dish. My grocery store usually has pre-cut butternut squash, so if all fails I can always buy this.

Butternut Vegetable Chicken Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 large carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
9-11 cups chicken broth
2 red potatoes, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 tsp. Each- nutmeg, cloves, allspice & cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups chopped baby spinach
2 (16 ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup half and half
1-2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken breast
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots and butternut squash; cook and stir until squash begins to brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Pour in the broth. Stir in the red potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the spinach and great Northern beans, and simmer until the spinach is tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour about 3 cups of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full (you may have to do this in two batches). Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Return the pureed portion of the soup to the soup pot, leaving the remaining soup chunky. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and partially puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Stir in half and half and warm through.

Friday, January 14- I need something simple and quick tonight since my husband will be going out with friends after dinner. I found this past recipe from the first few days of September. Cheesy Grilled BBQ Chicken Wraps recipe at Kraftfoods.com However, I will add diced red onion and warmed black beans to each wrap. In an effort to make things easy, I will cook the chicken up Thursday night while making the soup.

**picture from Kraftfoods.com for illustration purposes**

Saturday, January 15- The weekend always seems to be filled with all sorts of activities and this weekend is no different. Therefore, it's the perfect day for a Crock Pot Dinner! (From October 9th)

Beef Stew
Ingredients
3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup baby carrots
4 large potatoes, cubed
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups beef broth
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup liquid (wine, beef broth or water)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Place meat in a large plastic bag. Combine 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt; pour into the bag with the meat, and shake to coat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat, and cook until evenly browned on the outside. Transfer to a slow cooker along with the carrots, potatoes, onions, minced garlic and pepper.
3. Mix together 2 cups of beef broth and dry soup mix; pour into the slow cooker. Pour wine into slow cooker.
4. Cover, and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 6 hours, or until meat is fork tender. In a small bowl or cup, mix together 2 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup of liquid (beef broth, wine or water). Stir into stew, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until thickened.

Sunday, January 16- From early November a simple and tasty dish-
Sweet Potatoes and Stuffing with Pork
I diced up sweet potatoes along with an onion and a bell pepper. I poured Italian dressing over the vegetables and baked for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. I then pushed the veggie mixture along the sides of the pan and spread stuffing mixture (which was mixed with 1 1/2 cups of water) down the center. I then placed 3 thick cut pork chops on top of the stuffing. I returned the pan to the oven for 45 minutes. Delicious, easy and simple!

Monday, January 17- Sausage and Peppers served over pasta with crusty bread. The kids are off and with a treat of lunch with Dad I opted for a quicker dinner. This makes great Italian subs for lunch the next day!

Tuesday, January 18- Grilled Steak with Black Bean Salad will be tonight's meal. I found this Black Bean Salad in July and we thought it was superb!