Menu Planning Monday No. 4

This week's menu was purposely VERY easy, and includes a few repeats. What's the reason?? Well, I'm so glad you asked. :)

I started a new job today - I left my job of almost ELEVEN years last week and started a new adventure today. And today could not have gone any better, seriously! The traffic in was perfect (no issues!), I was welcomed very warmly, I got FLOWERS from one of the partners, I got to sit in on some calls and meetings and didn't feel completely lost (hopefully that means I pick up on the new stuff even quicker than I thought!!) and the drive home was great too! I didn't get lost once :) and made it there and home much faster than I had anticipated.

All that said, I'm completely exhausted today. There was a lot of listening and trying to absorb going on ALL day, and I guess it caught up with me pretty quick! I'm glad I planned some easy meals for this week! So, let's get to it...


Breakfasts:
Mike: Bacon-Crusted Quiche (new recipe!)
Lynne: Chia Pudding and/or coffee (lots of coffee!)
Kids: Cereal/Waffles & Fruit/Yogurt

Lunches:
Mike: Bacon-Crusted Quiche (new recipe!), cheese sticks, parmesan-roasted green bean & mini caprese salads
Lynne: no idea! playing it by ear every day! :)
Kids: lunchables/burritos/sandwiches, applesauce/gogurt, cinnabon cookies, chips & drink

Dinners:
Monday: Eat Out (husband and the big kids go to BSF so he takes them to dinner; Zoe and I grab dinner on our own) We are eating out, but no BSF tonight so McDonad's it is!
Tuesday: Fiesta Salad, Corn, Yogurt/Fruit
Wednesday: Mexican Chicken Chopped Salad, Yogurt/Fruitt
Thursday: Slow-Cooked Garlic & Ranch Pork , Roasted Green Beans, Yogurt/Fruit
Friday: Breakfast for Dinner!

What's for dinner at your house this week?

Crockpot Cowboy Chicken

I heart my slow cooker.

Sometimes, I wish the love was a little more mutual than it is.

Sometimes my slow cooker attempts taste good but look like mush. Sometimes they look pretty but taste like mush. Sometimes, everything comes together and it's pretty AND tastes good.

This recipe was one of those times. Looks good, tastes good, EASY, healthy - what more could a wife/mom/full-time-work-outside-the-home-girl ask for?

I found this recipe from Pinterest (originally from momswhothink.com). The ingredients are easy - in fact, I didn't have to buy anything - everything I needed was in my pantry already. I added garlic and cumin to make it my own - you could also add veggies (which I rarely do since my family doesn't like them!).

If you wanted to walk in the door to dinner on the table in less than five minutes, you can make the rice ahead of time...the rest of it will be ready to go! Next time, I think I will try some kind of beef instead of chicken, but the rest of the recipe will be the same...I think it will be great with beef!

Would your family like this recipe? If you try it out, let me know!

4-6 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced (or more, if you like garlic!)
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
1/2 cup sour cream
brown rice
cilantro
shredded cheddar cheese
* extra ingredients to consider: chopped onion, chopped bell peppers, chopped or canned tomatoes

1. Place chicken (I used chicken breasts STRAIGHT from the freezer, so completely frozen) in slow cooker.
2. Add brown sugar, mustard, cumin, garlic, corn, beans and broth/water. * if you are adding extra veggies, you can add them here
3. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours (you could probably go with less time if your schedule allows...but I don't get home until 9 hours later, and the chicken was perfect!).
4. Add sour cream to slow-cooker, shred chicken and mix with sour cream (it should literally fall apart on you).
5. Serve over brown rice - top with shredded cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

One of the recipes I made for Rylie's birthday dinner (breakfast for dinner, at home, remember?) was Breakfast Casserole.

I love this recipe because it's...(guess!?!?) VERSATILE! And easy. And yummy.

Just about everyone you meet has a version of this recipe - some use hash browns on the bottom, some use crescent rolls, some add veggies, some serve with salsa...you really can't mess this recipe up folks!

My favorite version of this recipe is the one my mom taught me...I LOVE it...I don't remember how often she made it for me growing up, but enough to make it taste like a memory every time I eat it!

Like I said, this recipe is very easy to mix up and experiment with - I've made it with bacon instead of sausage, bacon in addition to sausage (duh!), with hashbrowns as the base, crescent rolls, even corn tortillas (for my sweet husband, who just isn't a huge bread fan). The tried and true version, and my personal favorite is listed below.

Tell me...do you have a favorite version of this recipe? What does your family like?

8 slices of bread (I use wheat)
1 package (12 oz) reduced-fat pork sausage
1 dozen eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (7-8 oz)
salt/pepper to taste

1. Arrange bread slices in a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray (you may have to break up a couple of slices in half to make them fit).
2. Cook sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling the sausage as you go.
3. When sausage is completely browned, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain fat.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper; mix well to combine.
5. Spread sausage over bread evenly.
6. Sprinkle all of the cheese over the sausage evenly.
7. Pour egg mixture over the cheese, making sure to cover the entire pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired.
8. Cover casserole with foil and place in the fridge overnight (or for at least 3-4 hours) to allow bread to soak up the eggs.
9. In the morning (or after the 3-4 hours) take casserole out and leave on counter for about 20 minutes (this is just so that you don't put a cold pan into a hot oven. Preheat over to 350.
10. Bake casserole for 45-60 minutes, or until eggs are completely cooked and the edges are golden brown.

Pizza Quesadillas

In my quest to constantly find food that will satisfy not only my ladybug, but also the rest of my family, I try to search for recipes that are really versatile - I am NOT big on cooking multiple meals for my family - no one gets catered to like that in our house!

But, if I can come up with or find a recipe that is versatile enough so that the end result is that everyone has a version of the same thing, everyone wins!

One of my favorite foods is pizza - I keep trying to make everyone else in the house love it as much as I do, but I fear I may have actually done the opposite. Every once in a while they want it, but most of the time they just tolerate it...

Quesadillas are a go to in my house - they are easy, don't really require much effort or prep, can be ready in no time, are inexpensive, and (my favorite word) versatile!

I've seen the idea around for awhile to make pizza quesadillas, and truth be told, I've made them before...but never made them sound as good as "pizza quesadillas". When I've made them, it's always been more like "well, I have some tortillas and cheese so we can have quesadillas...but we need protein...well, I have some pepperoni too, so....that'll do".

These are about as easy as anything - and like I said, each person can have whatever they want - like a personal pizza!

We made just pepperoni and cheese quesadillas, but you could add any pizza toppings your family likes. Bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, sausage...the list goes on and on! It would even be fun to make a "fancy" version - like barbecue chicken, canadian bacon and pineapple, margherita, even breakfast pizza quesadillas!

What variation would your family like??

Ingredients for 4 servings:

8 flour tortillas

1 bag shredded cheese (we used colby jack)

about 20 pieces of pepperoni

any additional pizza toppings you like

1 cup pizza sauce

1. Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray; turn on to medium heat.

2. I like to sprinkle the pan with a little salt and pepper and then lay the first tortilla down - you could use butter on the outside of the tortilla instead, but I like to cut just a little fat this way...

3. Sprinkle about a quarter cup of cheese onto the tortilla.

4. Place about 5 slices of pepperoni on top of the cheese (add any extra ingredients at this point too).

5. Sprinkle 1-2 Tbsp. of cheese on top (this allows the whole thing to melt and stick together).

6. Place second tortilla on top of cheese, spray with cooking spray, and sprinkle salt and pepper. 

7. After about 3 minutes, flip quesadilla over and allow bottom side to cook for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden.

8. Remove quesadilla from pan and allow to cool.

9. While cooling, pour pizza sauce into a microwave safe bowl and heat about 30 seconds or so until warm. Or, place sauce in a small saucepan over low heat while quesadillas are cooking until heated through.

10. Slice quesadillas into quarters, dip in pizza sauce and enjoy! :)

NOTES - you could cut down the nutritional stats in this by using whole wheat or corn tortillas instead of flour, turkey pepperoni and reduced-fat cheese. Also, keep in mind that the more you bulk up the veggies you put in this, the less cheese you need - you can easily cut back and just add enough to make it all stick together.      *disclaimer - based on these notes, I'm adding the label "healthy" to this post. ;-)

Menu Planning Monday No.3 (errrr...Tuesday)

This week, I didn't even plan the menu for this week until Monday. It was a CRAZY weekend (to say the least). The Ladybug turned SEVEN on Saturday, and I'm the crazy lady who decided to have a sleepover at my house with a total of eight girls (two came but didn't spend the night, and two were my own). Then, just a little downtime on Saturday afternoon before the whole family came over for dinner (breakfast for dinner!) to celebrate with her.

The party was a success and there were fewer meltdowns than I had anticipated... :)

So, on to this week's menu. There is one item that was a repeat from last week, because we didn't make it. The rest are new items (check back for links to each recipe!).

Hope you all have a great week!


Breakfasts:
Mike: No-Carb Breakfast Lasagna
Lynne: Chia Pudding
Kids: Cereal/Waffles & Fruit/Yogurt

Lunches:
Mike: grown-up lunchables, cheese sticks, parmesan-roasted green bean
Lynne: Freezer Meal & Fruit
Kids: lunchables or breakfast burritos, crockpot apple pie, grapes, chips & drink

Dinners:
Monday: Eat Out (husband and the big kids go to BSF so he takes them to dinner; Zoe and I grab dinner on our own)
Tuesday: Tacos, Corn, Yogurt/Fruit
Wednesday: Slow-Cooker Cowboy Chicken, Brown Rice, Yogurt/Fruitt
Thursday: Crockpot Beef & Noodles, Roasted Green Beans, Yogurt/Fruit
Friday: Pizza Quesadillas, Roasted Parmesan Green Beans, Yogurt/Fruit

What're you having for dinner this week??

Fiesta Salad!!!

Tonight's dinner was Fiesta Salad - one of our favorites. It's SUPER easy, completely versatile, and everyone likes it (well, except for Zoe, who decided to choose tonight's dinner as her stage for a knock-down drag-out fit. Poor girl went to bed right after not eating her dinner...).

I will be upfront about the picture on this one - not a great photo. First, I'm not a photographer by trade...second, I'm not a food styler by trade (is that what they're even called??). What I do consider myself an "expert" in, however, is the ability to make sure my family doesn't starve! ;-)

So, look past the picture and just imagine the recipe - it really is fantastic! And you can whip it up in about 10 minutes (not kidding!!). It's quite inexpensive, and goes a long way - especially if you add in some/any of the suggestions listed below the picture.


So like I said, this is such an easy and versatile recipe, we make it often. Here's the recipe, with some suggestions below. Hope you enjoy! If you try it out, be sure to leave me a comment and let me know!

FIESTA SALAD (this recipe feeds my family of five with no leftovers, so if you're cooking for more, or have some big eaters, you might want to make more!)

1 bag fritos (you will have leftovers)
1 cup uncooked rice (we use brown)
1 cup water (for rice)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
salt/pepper
1 can black beans
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Bring water to a boil in a small pot on stove; add rice. Reduce heat to low (I actually just turn mine off) and cover; simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. While rice is simmering, pour black beans into another small pot and turn heat to medium-low; stir occasionally until heated through.
3. Spray non-stick skillet with cooking spray (or add a little olive oil) and turn heat to medium; add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add ground beef and cook (crumbling while you cook) until no longer pink.
5. Assemble salad - layer in any order you like - I prepare in this order: fritos, rice, beef, beans, cheddar cheese.

Suggestions (to make this recipe yummier and/or healthier):
- use ground turkey, or a combo of beef/turkey
- add veggies like bell peppers and onions
- add cilantro
- add taco seasoning to beef while cooking
- serve over a bed of lettuce instead of, or in addition to, the fritos
- remove meat altogether for a vegetarian version!
- remove rice/fritos for a carb-free version!

Menu Planning Monday No.2

This week, I went a little easy on myself. :)

I planned breakfasts, lunches and dinners for everyone, but I purposely chose some easy dinner recipes that didn't require much (if any) prep...hope you enjoy!

(PS - don't forget to check back to this page often to see updated links to recipes that might not be posted just yet!)

Breakfasts:
Mike: No-Carb Breakfast Lasagna
Lynne: Chia Pudding
Kids: Pancake Squares & Fruit/Yogurt

Lunches:
Mike: grown-up lunchables, mixed nuts, hard-boiled egg, cheese stick & fruit
Lynne: Pasta Fagioli & Fruit
Kids: lunchables or breakfast burritos, crockpot apple pie, grapes, chips & drink

Dinners:
Monday: Eat Out (husband and the big kids go to BSF so he takes them to dinner; Zoe and I grab dinner on our own)
Tuesday: Fiesta Salad, Corn, Yogurt/Fruit
Wednesday: Crockpot BBQ Chicken, Roasted Green Beans, Yogurt/Fruit
Thursday: Crockpot Beef & Noodles, Roasted Green Beans, Yogurt/Fruit
Friday: Rylie's Birthday Sleepover - a couple moms may hang out, so in addition to chicken nuggets + snacks for the kids, I'm making mini cheesecakes, avocado greek yogurt dip & chips, caramel apple dip & apples/cinnamon pita chips


On Saturday, my ladybug turns SEVEN! I can't believe she's that old already!! We asked her where she wanted to go for dinner - told her she could pick just about anywhere. So, she chose to stay at home and asked me to cook breakfast for dinner! :) Her daddy was so proud...that little girl could eat breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for lunch and breakfast for dinner and never get sick of it!

Come back next week to see recipes posted from her birthday breakfast/dinner - right now, I'm thinking we'll have:

Breakfast Casserole - lots of people have different versions of this recipe. The one I grew up with is my mom's and I love it!

Pancake Casserole - I made this one this week for the kids (see above!) and it turned out great - it's basically a giant pancake...what's not to love?

Cinnamon Rolls - I love making tiny cinnamon rolls - they are SUPER cute and don't require much effort. BIG wow factor in my opinion!

Fruit Salad - YUM!

Shredded Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I do a lot of cooking in our house over the weekend for the week, which makes it NICE to come home and not have to do much of anything to get dinner on the table.

Today was not one of those days - the plan was Shredded Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce, but I did not get it made ahead of time.

I was THIIIIIIIS close to grabbing a pizza or something easy on the way home, but I knew I'd feel better about dinner if I cooked it, since that's what I'd planned.

I was reminded tonight about how incredibly easy and versatile this dish is. From start to finish, it took almost 30 minutes - not bad!

This recipe could easily be modified or tweaked for dietary restrictions or preferences, and I LOVE that everything doesn't have to be precise when it comes to measurements. In fact, I didn't measure anything in the recipe tonight - I just eyeballed it...if something is a little off, you can just add a splash of this or that until it's just right. It can also be quite healthy, if you use healthier versions of some of the ingredients.

Shredded Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2-3 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/4 tsp. fresh minced ginger (I often leave this out, but will add it if I have it)
pinch of red pepper flakes (you can omit this for kids or if you don't like spicy)
1/3 cup (or large spoonful!) of reduced fat or natural peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
Optional: handful of cilantro
1 cup sugar snap peas (I usually use frozen; you could also use onions, bell peppers, etc.)

1. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat; sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper; saute until the middle is no longer pink.
2. While chicken is cooking, heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and stir until heated through and fragrant (be careful not to burn!).
4. Add peanut butter and soy sauce; stir until peanut butter is melted and mix well to combine.
5. Add vinegar and cilantro and incorporate into sauce.
6. Transfer sauce to a blender and blend at a low speed until all ingredients are combined.
7. Return sauce to pan and turn heat to low.
8. Add in peas (and/or other vegetables) and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
9. While sauce is simmering, transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks, or use my favorite method and throw them into your Kitchen Aid and use the paddle attachment to do the shredding for you!
10. Place chicken in a large bowl and add sauce; mix well to combine.
11. Serve with rice, quinoa, over a bed of greens, or in large lettuce leaves as wraps.

Tips:

* I keep fresh ginger in my freezer, and just cut a couple of small pieces when I make this - since you put it into a blender later, it doesn't matter that the ginger is not minced!

* This recipe freezes well, and makes a great lunch - it's even better leftover!

Beef Enchiladas

For dinner tonight, we had beef enchiladas - I've tried numerous recipes over the years, but none were that great at home, and if there were decent, they required too much work.

Using bits and pieces from the recipes I've found along the way, I came up with one that the boys in my house like - I didn't even make the girls try it (bad mom!!) but next time they will. I was worried about it being too spicy, and it wasn't, but there was the tiniest kick to it.

The cut of meat I used was stew meat, which can be scary...it's not a very tender cut, and can easily be grainy, chewy and downright hard to eat. This took about an hour to cook, and the meat was incredibly tender - it was great!

This recipe was really very simple, inexpensive and could be made ahead (frozen even, I think!) And, there are a ton of modifications to this that you could make - my version is pretty simple to please my household, but feel free to be adventurous and make your own version - and let me know how it goes!


Beef Enchiladas

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 pounds stew meat
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can water (use enchilada sauce can)
1 can beef broth (use enchilada sauce can)
1 can fat-free refried beans
12 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used reduced fat cheddar)

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat; add garlic and stir until fragrant.
2. Add meat, enchilada sauce, and 2 cans liquid; bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium and cover; allow to cook for 1 hour (don't open the lid).
4. If needed at the end of the hour, add a little water or broth and simmer for a few more minutes.
5. Shred your meat - I use my kitchen-aid with the paddle attachment to make quick work of this, which is amazing!!! I would highly suggest it...if you don't have one, you can use two forks to shred right in the pot.
5. Place meat back in the liquid and add in refried beans; stir well to combine.
6. Place tortillas inside 2 paper towels; sprinkle paper towels with water and fold over to seal in tortillas.
7. Microwave on high for about 30 seconds, to soften the tortillas.
8. Place 2-3 Tbsp. mixture inside each tortillas; fold and place seam side down on a cookie sheet.
9. Repeat until all tortillas are filled and arranged on cookie sheet.
10. Pour remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle cheese evenly.
11. Broil for 4-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Menu Planning Monday No.1 - How I Do It

During the week, I don't have time or energy to think about what to make for dinner...nor do I have the energy to think about breakfast or lunch for the next day for any of us! A long time ago, I started planning each week (Monday - Friday, with weekends usually eating leftovers or eating out) over the weekend, and then spending much of my afternoon on Sunday cooking, or prepping our meals. This has been a LIFE SAVER on so many occasions - I've gotten pretty efficient at it too!

I created an excel spreadsheet that has spots for each meal, each person, each day. As I plan meals, I list the grocery items I need underneath the list. Then, before I go to the store each weekend, I print the list and scan through my freezer/pantry to figure out what I already have and mark that off the list (I used to just not put it on the list, thinking "oh I've got some of that" until I started running out...so now it's a good way for me to check the supply of some staples, and if it's running low, it stays on the list!)

I try to make sure I'm always trying out new recipes, but rotating some of our favorites too...I've started picking the same types of food for specific days, which makes my planning so much easier and faster.

Here's this week's menu - I'll get to posting all of these recipes as soon as I can!

Have a great week!

Breakfasts:
Mike: No-Carb Breakfast Lasagna
Lynne: Chia Pudding
Kids: Pancake Squares & Fruit

Lunches:
Mike: grown-up lunchables, mixed nuts, hard-boiled egg, grapes & cheese sticks
Lynne: Pasta Fagioli & Fruit
Kids: Pizza Puffs/Muffins, fruit, homemade fruit roll-ups

Dinners:
Monday: Beef Enchiladas, Corn, Fruit & Yogurt
Tuesday: Shredded Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Rice, Fruit & Yogurt
Wednesday: Oven-Toasted Ravioli, Green Beans, Fruit & Yogurt
Thursday: Crockpot BBQ Chicken, Corn, Fruit & Yogurt
Friday: Shish-Kebabs, Roasted Green Beans, Fruit Salad

I've already had to modify this a little bit, because we had a busy weekend and I didn't get to cook some of the stuff on the list. So, you may see some repeats for next week. :)

Slow-Cooked Carnitas and Cilantro-Black Bean Puree

I came across this recipe from Our Life in Food not too long ago (great blog, by the way, I spent much of that evening perusing all their recipes and fun posts...pinned a ton of ideas to try!). These carnitas look amazing - heck, everything on the site looks amazing! I swear I could smell them just from looking at the pictures and reading the recipe!

So I set out to try these with a few variations to the original recipe. They turned out SO good. It was hard to let them go without disturbing them, but apparently I made up for all the nibbles I would have taken along the way by having a TON at dinner (and a couple of meals throughout the rest of the week). I paired the carnitas with a cilantro-black bean puree (recipe of my own!) and it was a great side dish that complemented the meat very nicely.

What I also loved about this meal was that it is SO easy to make - it is definitely a go to in my book from now on! And you don't have to have anything out of the ordinary to make it!

So, here is the recipe for both the carnitas and the black bean puree. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooked Carnitas
1 1/2 lbs. pork shoulder, cut into cubes
1/2 cup chicken broth
fresh garlic (I used the garlic from Mike's game day snack #1) - I didn't mince or chop the cloves; I figured I would just remove them later, but they cooked completely down and I couldn't even find them!
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

1. Spray a large pot with non-stick spray, or pour a little olive oil in and mix around to cover the bottom of the pot. Add in pork shoulder and then top with all remaining ingredients (no need to stir!).
2. Add enough water to almost cover the meat; turn on high until boiling.
3. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low and cover; let it go for TWO hours and don't take off the lid (it's a hard two hours, but if you're like me, you've got plenty to do to keep yourself busy!).
4. After two hours, pop off the lid and stir it all around (it should begin to break apart at this point pretty easily).
5. Increase your heat to medium and allow the meat to cook for about another hour (your goal is to create some of that browned crispy yumminess on the meat AND the bottom of the pan, but you don't want to burn anything!). Stir occasionally. If needed, add some additional chicken broth or water during this process (I added a little chicken broth every time the liquid on the bottom started to dry out too much).
6. Tun off the heat and use two forks (or just one spatula like I did since it was so tender!) to break up the meat into bit size pieces/shreds.


Cilantro-Black Bean Puree
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can black beans
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt/pepper to taste

1. Add refried beans to a medium size pot and a little water; simmer over low heat.
2. Drain and rinse black beans; add to refried beans and mix well.
3. Add in remaining ingredients (save a pinch of the chopped cilantro, or have some more available nearby!) and stir to combine; allow mixture to simmer for 6-7 minutes.
4. Transfer mixture from stove to a blender and pulse several times until desired consistency is reached.
5. Transfer beans back to stove and allow to simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
6. Top with reserved cilantro and enjoy!