Dec 22 - 27

Today I started getting all these ideas of a fabulous spread of appetizers and dishes for our Christmas dinner. Then I realized I only have a couple of (busy) days to plan and prep all this food and in the end it's just for our little family. If we hadn't have been out of town this past week I probably would do it. Alas, I am too tired and just not that motivated. I still planned a few things to make us feel special, though :)

Quick Tomato and Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken and Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

Grilled Turkey Sandwiches with Chips and Fruit

Spaghetti and Meatballs

CHRISTMAS DAY:

Breakfast - Apple French Toast Casserole

Appetizer - Shrimp Cocktail

Dinner - Roast Leg of Lamb (Edit - Turkey. Lamb was too expensive) with Braised Garlic, Sherry & Thyme
Herbed Mashed Potatoes
Maple Roasted Yam Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
Brussels Sprouts with Caramelized Onions

Dessert - Black Russian Cake

Merry Christmas :)

Break Time Again!

We're off again this week. Between a party, leftovers and not wanting to make anymore leftovers I won't be planning any meals this week. So....see you next week - I already have a few ideas for our Christmas dinner menu :)

Dec 7 - 13

I will be making two Hannukah dinners this week - one for our home group on Wednesday and one for more friends on Saturday. I'm planning on making a pot roast to go along side some traditional latkes. I'm hoping to make enough roast on Wednesday to serve as left overs Saturday and avoid some extra work. We'll see how that goes!

Chicken Broccoli Couscous

Turkey Gyros (I'm planning to use chicken - good sale last week!)

Pot Roast and Latkes

Mexican Chicken Stew

Cream Cheese Rigatoni

Nov 30 - Dec 6

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend and ate lots and lots of yummy food. Now...it's time to detox! I tried to plan some "lighter" meals for the week and we're planning on taking it easy on the desserts - we'll see how that goes!

Tofu Stir Fry

Chicken Ceasar Salad with Sourdough Toast

Jamaican Chicken with Rice and Veggies (still haven't made this one!)

Italian Sausage Linguine

Quesidiallas and Spinach Salad

Sausage Pepper Pasta

Breakfast for Dinner - Grits and Eggs

Break Time!

Between leftovers and eating out I have some roll-overs from last week that will get us through until Turkey Day. If you need some recipes to get you by, here are the desserts I'm planning to contribute to our feast:

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jack Daniel's Chocolate Pecan Pie

Happy Thanksgiving :)

Nov 16 - 22

I have a new plan for menu planning (is that redundant?). The last few weeks I have struggled to pull together a menu. It really shouldn't take that long. As I was thumbing through my recipe file for dinner one night it suddenly dawned on me that I should use it to help me each week! I have quite the collection of meals we enjoy in there and some I haven't made in a long time. So instead of coming up with ideas off the top of my head or pouring over website after website for new recipes or at least an inspiration or reminder of something we like, I'm going back to basics. I made this week's menu in record time and didn't even have to beg Keenan for a suggestion :)

As far as reviews - the Spiced Honey Lemon Chicken with Carmalized Onions and Brussel Sprouts was a huge hit and the Cheesey Chorizo Strata was delicous as well. I'm planning to make the strata for a brunch we have this weekend.

Jamacian Chicken with rice and veggies (didn't get to this one last week)

Shrimp Pad Thai

Mac 'n Cheese with Cauliflower

Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Orange Beef with Cilantro Rice

King Ranch Chicken

Nov 9 - 15

Another review this week. The spinach lasagna turned out to be pretty bland and boring. It wasn't bad by any means, just not exciting. It was just missing something. Our other new recipe last week is a roll-over for this week. When I went to make it I read through the recipe and realized it was supposed to chill at least 2 hours then bake for 1. I read it at 4:30. Ooops. Impromptu pizza night!

This week we're hosting a party for Keenan's co-workers and their families. We're having pot-luck style fajitas and it looks like all we have to provide is the house, grill, paper goods and drinks. Works for me!

Cheesey Chorizo Strata

Creamy Chicken Pasta (using left-over roast chicken. I made 2!)

Thai Chicken

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with rice and veggies

Spiced Honey Lemon Chicken with Carmalized Onions and Brussel Sprouts

Tacos

Nov 2 - 8

A quick review to start off this week. The sausage and tomato risotto was a big hit with us. It was basically like a pasta dish with sausage and a tomato sauce only with rice instead of pasta*. Risotto is becoming a favorite dish of mine - so rich and creamy. I just wish it wasn't so labor intensive. It's definitely worth the time and effort, though. Yum yum :)

* Update: I forgot to mention that I replaced the plain chopped tomoatoes with fire-roasted and garlic flovored ones. They caught my eye in the store and I think they really helped round out the dish.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans (roll-over from last week)

Cheesey Chorizo Strata

French Dip Paninis

Paella

Curry Pot Roast

Spinach Lasagna

Roast Chicken and Veggies

Oct 26 - Nov 1

Aparantly my brain is still recovering from Friday. I had a rough time coming up with a menu this week and I only need 5 meals (we've already been invited out one night and our home group is having meal night this week). I did manage to find a couple of new recipes that sound good, though. Speaking of new recipes, the Shepherd's Pie from last week was delicious! I'm not a big SP fan (it usually comes out too bland for me), but this one was flavorful yet not overpowering. I think the secret was all the simmering. I usually rush these steps, but I realized how vaulable they are in the end result :)

Beans and Cornbread

Swedish Meatballs

Tomato & Sausage Risotto

Halloween Dinner - Halloweenies and Crusty Mummy Fingers (crunchy sweet potato fries)

Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans

Oct 19 - 25

We have a couple of roll-overs from last week after left-overs and a "find whatever you want to eat night" after getting home from our trip. One more "easy" week to get me through until my test is over then maybe I'll have motivation to cook again :)

Quesidilla Casserole

Tofu Stir Fry

BBQ Chicken & Pan Fried Potatoes (this was so yummy last week I had to have it again!)

Shepherd's Pie

Pizza

Chili

Oct 12 - 18

This week is an "easy" week when it comes to the menu. My parents are back in town to help with the kiddos while Keenan's out of town for business so I can study. I'm going to meet up with Keenan a couple of nights for some good study time and just some time away :)

Beef Stew (roll-over from last week)

BBQ Chicken, pan-fried potatoes and salad

Hot Dogs with Baked Beans

Sloppy Joes

Tofu Stir Fry

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Quesidilla Casserole

Oct 5 - 11

Not much to report this week. Tuesday is National Night Out and our neighborhood is having a party complete with hot dogs - we were just asked to bring a side dish or dessert. I'm planning on bringing the summer corn and bean salad and, if I have time, a batch of Cyndi Gray's famous oatmeal cookies :) Saturday we'll be having friends over and I'm planning on making the Garlic Hanger Steaks and Sage Butter Gnocci - it looks and sounds fancy, but is really easy and tastes so good. Here we go!

Tacos

Summer Corn and Bean Salad

Chicken with Cran-apple Sauce and Almond Rice

Chicken Alfredo with Spinach

Chicken and Veggie Kebobs with Rice

Garlic Hanger Steak with Sage Butter Gnocci

Beef Stew

Sept 28 - Oct 4

We had yet another great weekend visit with family. Between that and a massive allergy attack, my brain is not functioning tonight and it was a struggle to come up with this menu. Only 3 more weeks until my test then maybe I'll be back in the swing of things. I can only hope :)

Burgers

Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas (it's been way too long!)

Italian Sausage Linguine

Shrimp Pad Thai

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Sloppy Joes with Veggies

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Sept 21 - 27

We ate lots of great food this past weekend including an impromtu cheese/cracker/apple and wine dinner. It really hit the spot! We have more family coming in this week to continue Ari's birthday celebration so more yumminess in store :)

Paella (this was bumped from last week by our impromtu dinner)

Broccoli Rice Casseorle

Hot Pastrami Sandwiches with Sauerkraut

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread and Salad

Chicken Fajitas

Hamburgers

Cheese, Crackers, Apples and Wine (too good to wait!)

Sept 13 - 20

We had a couple impromtu invites to dinner this week so I have some roll-overs. We're also going to have the Paella again when Keenan's parents come in for Ari's birthday - it's really good! The 3 cheese baked ziti was also a hit and will be featured tomorrow night as leftovers.

Leftover-palooza

Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets with Sweet Potato Fries

Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Garlic Hanger Steak with Sage Butter Gnocci

Burgers with Baked Beans and Chips

Easy Paella

Ari's Birthday Dinner (his fav) - Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Sept 7 - 13

I did end up making the Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Cherries. They were good, but just not as good as I was imagining. The kids didn't care for them so I ended up taking them up to my old work when I went to borrow some books. The summer bean salad was great as was the soy dijon chicken. I used the leftover chicken to make chicken salad sandwiches and they were so yummy and flavorful.

I'm starting to get in the groove of studying so I'm trying to keep this short and sweet and my meals easy!

Bean Burritos (these keep getting pushed back for some reason)

Hamburgers

Easy Paella

Three Cheese Baked Ziti

Cous Cous Salad with peppers, chicken sausage and feta cheese

Tortillini with Alfredo Sauce

Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets with Sweet Potato Fries

Aug 31 - Sept 4

I almost forgot to post my menu this week. I'm not going to be able to do my weekly shopping tomorrow morning so I went yesterday (and was quickly reminded why I don't shop on Saturdays anymore!).

I did end up making the Orange Chocolate Brownie Cookies with M&M's from The Crepes of Wrath and they were amazing! I have all the ingredients on hand for the Banana Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins and hope to make those sometime this week.

Chicken Sausages with Summer Corn and Bean Salad

Bean Burritos (using homemade refried beans)

BLT's with Chips and Fruit

Grilled Soy and Dijon Chicken with Veggies and Mashed Potatoes

Huevos Rancheros (with leftover beans)

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Beans and Chuck's Cornbread

Aug 23 - 30

This week's menu was a little easier to plan which was nice. We have a busy week coming up. Ari will meet his new teacher on Wednesday morning, his friend will be coming over to play Friday morning then we have 2 birthday parties on Saturday! Next Monday Ari will have a "1/2 day" of school and Wednesday will be his first "full day" (3 hours). I'm so ready to get back into the swing of things and have a consistent routine!

On a food sidenote, I just discovered the blog The Crepes of Wrath. I think I about drooled myself dry over the amazing dessert and pastry pictures and recipes. There are also some dinner recipes to look at, but the chocolate is hard to pass by. I'm thinking about trying the Banana Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins and possibly the Chocolate Orange Brownie Cookies with M&M's - yummy! :)

Ok...onto the menu:

Ravioli Bake

Grilled Chicken with Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Swedish Meatballs

Orange Beef with Cilantro Rice

Bean Burritos (with homemade beans)

Chicken Fried Rice

Aug 17 - 23

Another rough week. I really need to get back on a structured routine. I think that will help. Maybe :)

Keenan and I each have a meeting on Thursday and the kids will be at a friends house so it'll either be frozen pizza or sandwiches one night.

Sauteed Fish with Cheesey Rice and Veggies

Jambalaya

Ravioli Bake

Burgers with Chips and Baked Beans

Taco Salad

Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Aug 10 - 16

Ok...I think I'm back in the swing of things this week. I only ended up with one new recipe last week, but it turned out to be a winner! The Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad was amazing - crunchy, nutty chicken, sweet fruits and a sweet and tangy dressing. So good!

On to this week. We'll be heading to Chick Fil A Tuesday night with our home group so I only need 5 meals this time around :)

Fetuccini with Italian Sausage and Creamy Tomato Sauce

Chicken and Dumplings

BBQ Chicken with Cheesey Mashed Potatoes

Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Tamale Pie

Mock Monte Cristos

Aug 3 - 9

Phew...this was a tough menu to plan! I can't tell if I'm too tired or just not in the right mood tonight, but it took me way too long to come up with this list tonight. Hopefully next week will be better...

Spaghetti and Meatballs (again. It was tastey last week and I promised a meal for friends that recently had a baby so I'll be doubling and sharing this week.)

Tacos

Pesto Gnocci with Chicken

Mock Monte Cristos

Sauteed Talapia with Rice Pilaf

Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad

BBQ Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Our new favorite breakfast! :)

4 eggs
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
½ cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the skillet

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Lightly grease an ovenproof platter.
Beat eggs in a medium bowl; stir in cottage cheese. Add flour and mix until just blended but still lumpy. Add melted butter and stir gently to combine.

Melt a pat of butter in a large nonstick skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto the skillet, spacing the pancakes apart. Cook until edges are light golden brown and bubbles form on top. Turn pancakes over and cook until the bottoms are light golden brown. Pancakes should be crispy outside but creamy inside.

Place cooked pancakes on platter in oven to keep warm while you make the rest. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup or honey.

Makes 3 – 4 servings.

July 27 - Aug 2

Last week's Ginger Sesame Chicken and Fiesta Chicken Burritos were hits, but our favorite by far was the Risotto with Zuccini and Peas. It was only my second time making risotto and I was careful to follow all the directions and stir, stir, stir. It came out perfectly and even the kids enjoyed it! We also tried a new breakfast recipe sent by Keenan's dad. Cottage Cheese Pancakes are now our new favorite and I plan to post the recipe here soon. Here are the selections for this week (we have a birthday party Friday night so there are only 6):

Authentic Honduran Tamales (made by our friend's mom)

Kelsey's Broccoli Rice Casserole

Chicken Tikka Masala with Rice

Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Chicken Thighs Braised in White Wine with Rice and Veggies

July 20 - 26

Time to get back into the swing of things. I have a few recipes and ingredients I've been wanting to try. It took me a while to jog my memory, but I think I have most of them. I'll let you know next week how they were :)

Firecracker Enchiladas w/ Mock Refried Beans

Ginger Sesame Chicken w/ Rice

Fiesta Chicken Burritos

Sausage Pepper Pasta

French Dip Paninis w/ French Fries

Brinner: Eggs, Bacon & Pan-fried Polenta (green chilie and cilantro flavored)

Risotto w/ Peas and Zuccini

Technical Difficulties

Due to some technical difficulties (our internet being down), I'm way behind and have decided not to post a menu for this week. It's not very exciting anyway. Just "basics" like spaghetti, pizza and teryaki chicken to get us through until I can get my head back together. I'll post again Sunday with a more exciting selection - I hope anyway. I found some cilantro and green chilie polenta at the store I'm dying to try :)

June 29 - July 2

Just 4 nights until our summer vacation! That means no menu next week, but hopefully I'll get back on track quickly after we return. Until then, happy eating! :)

Monday - Mac 'n Cheese with Cauliflower

Tuesday - Chicken Pesto Pasta (I need to harvest our basil before we leave!)

Wednesday - Tacos

Thursday - Leftovers/Empty the Fride Before We Leave Smorgasbord

June 22 - 28

These next few menus are not going to be very exciting. We'll be out of town this weekend for a wedding (both Keenan and Ari are in it!) then after a few days of being home we leave again for our summer vacation. With Keenan gone last week and some other things that have come up, I have some roll-overs from last week. Makes life easier for me! Someday we will eat the creamy green chilie chicken enchiladas! They are the easiest to push off since the chicken is frozen, the sauce is canned and the cheeses last a while in the fridge.

Be sure to scroll down after this menu. I put up a couple recipes - finally!

Monday - Waldorf-style Pasta

Tuesday - Ham & Cheese Crepes (I have left-over ham from last week and Keenan didn't get to try them)

Wednesday - Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas

Thursday - Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Friday - Wedding Rehearsal

Saturday - Wedding

Sunday - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cans green chilie enchilada sauce (either Old El Paso or Hatch brand)
8 oz block cream cheese (can use reduced fat)
flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cook over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season with salt and pepper or cajun seasoning after placing pieces in pan. Once the chicken is done, add cream cheese and 1 can sauce. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and combined with sauce. Fill tortillas with mixture and roll enchilada style. Place in lightly greased 9x13pan. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce mix and/or another can of enchilada sauce (depending how saucy you like them). Top with cheese. Bake at 425 for 10-15 min. or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Ham and Cheese Crepes

3 eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 melted butter
1/2 cup low-fat diced ham (I use turkey-ham)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
1 cup swiss cheese (or your favorite)
oil for the pan as needed
mustard for dipping

Whisk eggs, salt, milk and flour. Stir in butter; let batter rest 10 min.
Spread 1/4 cup batter into a heated, oiled nonstick skillet. Tilt the pan as needed to spread the batter to make a very thin pancake (I have a 7 or 8" pan that's perfect for crepes). Cook for 2 min, until golden brown. Flip; cook other side. Continue until all the batter is used.

Preheat oven to 350. Fill crepes with ham, tomatoes and cheese and roll up. Bake in lightly greased pan for about 5 minutes until cheese melts. Serve with mustard to dip.

---From Parents magazine, July 2009, p.44

June 15 - 21

No reviews again this week, but I do have a handy dandy tip I tested out from Yia Yia. I typically buy ground beef in bulk, divide it into 1 pound portions and freeze it. YY mentioned that she cooks up the ground beef (lightly seasons it), then divides it and freezes it for quick and easy meals. I gave it a go since all we really use it for is spaghetti sauce and tacos. It's been great! Keenan wasn't home for dinner last night so I opened up a can of spaghetti sauce, tossed in some of the beef, cooked up some noodles and popped some frozen peas in the microwave. Dinner was ready in less than 15 minutes and both kids ate it up! I have to admit that I didn't divide up the ground beef - I just put it all in a 1 gallon zip lock bag - and that made for some trouble. Next time I'll definitely put it in sandwich size baggies then in the gallon one. Lesson learned :) Thanks Yia Yia! I still plan to freeze raw ground beef to have on hand for burgers or meatballs, but I suppose I could prep and freeze those as well!

Ok, here's this week's menu. I'll be on my own for a few days while Keenan's away on business so I have some quick meals planned and will probably eat with friends a couple nights as well.

Monday - French Dip Paninis

Tuesday - Frozen Pizza

Wednesday - Dinner with Friends

Thursday - Ham and Cheese Crepes (from Parents magazine)

Friday - Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas with rice and beans

Saturday - Crunchy Chicken Pitas (from Parents magazine)

Sunday - Waldorf-style Pasta

June 8 - 14

I'm too tired for reviews tonight. I don't think there was anything too exciting anyway...

Monday - Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas

Tuesday - French Dip Paninis

Wednesday - Black Bean Quesidillas

Thursday - Burgers (we're hosting a youth group dinner)

Friday - Sausage Pepper Pasta with Feta

Saturday - Mini Turkey Burgers with Potatoes Rissole

Sunday - Tofu Stir Fry

June 1 - 7

Review time! The turkey kebobs were our favorite new recipe of the week. Lots of Asian flavor and the grilled pears were sweet and tastey! Next is the one you all (all 2 of you!) were waiting for - the Hummus Sesame Noodles. This meal was good, but nothing specatacular. It was a little odd having hummus on noodles, but other than that, the flavors were good and the snow peas and green onions gave a nice freshness. I don't think I'll be making it again, though. I much prefer hummus on pita (as you'll see in this week's menu).

We got an impromptu invite to a friend's house for dinner tonight so the Red Rice with Chorizo will roll-over to this week. Until then! :)

Monday - Red Rice Chorizo

Tuesday - Anniversary Dinner - Grilled Steak and Veggies with Cheesey Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday - Portabella "Burgers" with Steak Fries

Thursday - Chilie Lime Cobb Salad

Friday - Middle Eastern Sliders

Saturday - Smothered Bean Burritos

Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

May 25 - 31

As usual I'll kick-off this post with some quick reviews. The Chilie Lime dressing on our Cobb Salad was great! It was so light and refreshing with a kick of spicy. Ari and Keira both loved all the ingredients in the salad so it was a hit all around! The Honey Mustard Lime Chicken Legs were a bit disappointing. Not as much flavor as I'd hoped. Maybe if I double the sauce recipe. The leftovers were turned into our Firecracker Enchilads and were great in there, however. Our pesto came out fantastic and I was able to put the leftovers in the freezer for quick and easy dinners down the road. We still have plenty of basil in the garden so I think I'll get a pesto stock pile going!

Now for this week:

Monday - Tacos

Tuesday - Chicken Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Wednesday - Turkey Kebabs

Thursday - Red Rice with Chorizo (actually Soy-rizo. I hope it's good!)

Friday - Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Saturday - Pizza

Sunday - Hummus Sesame Noodles

May 18 - 24

Back in the swing of things! Our camping trip was canceled due to flooding of the park so I was able to catch up on some things this weekend. Luckily our camping meals transfered nicely to the BBQ and made for easy fixin's for me :)

I forgot to mention a review in my last post. The Firecracker Enchiladas were great! The chipotle peppers made for a nice smokeyness without being too spicy (much to Keenan's dismay!). Using a rotissere chicken helped with the prep too!

From this past week, the Asian Chicken Wraps were very tastey and a great summery dinner. They have a peanut-lime dressing that brings it all together.

On to this week...

Monday - Chillie Lime Cobb Salad

Tuesday - Honey Mustard Lime Chicken Legs with Rice and veggies

Wednesday - Pesto Chicken Pasta (made with basil from our garden!)

Thursday - Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

Friday - Firecracker Enichiladas with Rice and Beans

Saturday - Chicken and Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Sunday - Burgers and Potato Salad

May 13 - 17

I decided to go ahead and post our short week menu mainly so I can find some links quickly. Here we go!

Wednesday - Spaghetti with meat sauce

Thursday - Chicken with 20 cloves of garlic, mashed potatoes and veggies

Friday (camping) - Chicken teryaki packets with rice

Saturday (camping) - Hot Dogs and Brats

Sunday - Honey Mustard Lime Chicken with rice and veggies

Monday (just in case I'm too tired when we get back from camping) - Asian Chicken Wraps

Postponed

We had an impromtu trip which had us out of town from Thursday until Sunday. Now I have a few carry-overs from last week and a "day off" tomorrow (at least from grocery shopping anyway). It's a good thing since I'm too tired to make a list tonight. I may post our short week menu later this week, but then again maybe not. We'll be leaving again Friday to go camping!

Happy Menu Making! :)

May 4 - 10

Monday - Hamburgers with corn on the cob

Tuesday - Firecracker Enchiladas

Wednesday - Chicken Pad Thai

Thursday - Chicken with 20 Cloves of Garlic, Mashed potatoes and veggies

Friday - Corn Dogs with Tater Tots

Saturday - King Ranch Chicken

Sunday - Spaghetti with meat sauce

April 27 - May 3

The Chicken Tikka Masala recipe from last week was just what we were looking for! I didn't notice the large amount of salt when I picked it, though. Luckily I caught it while cooking and adjusted it to 1 tsp in the maranade and 1/2 tsp in the sauce (down from 4 and 3 tsps!). It was still on the salty side so I'll probably cut it to 1/2 tsp in each next time. Oh and the 2 tsps of cayenne pepper makes it very spicy so beware if you can't handle much heat and adjust accordingly. Otherwise, the flavors were great and a close second to our favorite Indian restaurant :)

On to this week...

Monday - Chicken Teryaki

Tuesday - Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Wednesday - Mexican style lasagna

Thursday - Tex-mex Cesar Salad

Friday - Frozen Pizza

Saturday - Couples Baby Shower Dinner

Sunday - Potato Gnocci with Sausage and Spinach

April 20 - 26

Monday - Birthday party at Chick-Fil-A!

Tuesday - Mac and Cheese with Cauliflower

Wednesday - Jambalaya

Thursday - Chicken Teryaki

Friday - Turkey Meatballs with Cheesey Mashed Potatoes

Saturday - Black Bean, Zuccini and Tomato Quesidillas

Sunday - Chicken Tikka Masala (I'm trying a new recipe. Last time I used packaged mixes from the Indian market and it was way too salty.)

April 13 - 19

We had a great holiday week topped off with great food. The short ribs were amazing and the tzimmes was yummy (except for not cooking it long enough). At the last minute we were invited to join friends for Easter dinner so I now have a carry-over for this week.

Monday - Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Tuesday - Chicken Pad Thai

Wednesday - Bratwurst and Baked Beans

Thursday - Smothered Bean Burritos

Friday - Turkey Pepperoni Pizza

Saturday - Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets with Sweet Potato Fries

Sunday - Mock Monte Cristos with carrot sticks

April 6 - 12

First a couple of "reviews" from last week's menu.
The Lasagna Toss ended up being quite tastey, but I definitely recommend adding some ricotta cheese as mentioned in the "optional" additions. It makes it taste more like lasagna.
The 20 Clove of Garlic Chicken was also good, especially paired with rosted veggies. I turned the pan juices into gravy with some additional chicken broth, white wine and flour. MmmMmmGood!
The Orange Chicken was really good, but unfortunately I couldn't find polenta at the store I went to last week. I paired it with potato gnocci instead which was yummy, so now I really want to try the polenta. I'll be keeping an eye out!
Finally, the vegetarian tortilla soup was a hit - thanks Trinket! We paired it with a basic quesidilla which rounded out the meal quite nicely.

Ok...now for this week:

Monday - Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Tuesday - Chicken Taco Rice (we gave most of last week's away to friends so Keenan has requested more!)

Wednesday - Home Group Dinner

Thursday - Passover Dinner* 1: Matzo Ball Soup with chicken and carrots

Friday - Passover Dinner 2: Beef short ribs, potato kugel (family recipe) and carrot tzimmes (trying a new recipe for this one)

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - Eater Dinner: Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and tomato sauce

* Yes, I know Passover begins Wednesday evening, but our home group is a regularly scheduled event so I'm pushing it back a day. It is tradition to have a sedar the first two nights. We're not having a full-blown seder, but I was in the mood for the "main course" dishes as well as the soup and it'd be too much in one night. So there you go :)

March 30 - April 5

Between leftovers and going out to eat with our neighbor, I have some "roll-overs" from last week. I also have some new Rachel Ray recipes that sound tastey.

Monday - Lasagna Toss

Tuesday - Chicken with 20 cloves of garlic, roasted red potatoes and carrots

Wednesday - Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Thursday - Texas Turkey Chili with cornbread

Friday - Orange Balsamic Chicken with Green Beans, Asparagus and Polenta

Saturday - Chipotle! (we have a coupon for a free burrito!)

Sunday - Chicken Taco Rice (from my personal archive. I'll have to post the recipe another time, though).

Week of March 23 - 29

I'm finally getting to try out a new recipe from my latest Real Simple! I've also got a couple from the latest Kraft magazine as well.

Monday - Chicken with 20 garlic cloves, roasted red potatoes and carrots

Tuesday - Spinach Pasta Toss

Wednesday - Lasagna Toss

Thursday - Mediterranean Salad with Chickpea Patties (Real Simple, not online yet)

Friday - Chicken and Tofu Stir Fry with Brown Garlic Sauce

Saturday - Tacos

Sunday - Hot Dogs, Baked Beans and French Fries

Menu for March 18 - 22

My parents and sister are coming for a visit this weekend so I'm pulling out some of our new favorites even though we've had them recently.

Wednesday - Grilled Tuna Steaks with Asparagus and Wild Rice (gotta love the sale ads!)

Thursday - Italian Sausage Spaghetti with Salad and Garlic Bread

Friday - French Dip Paninis with Carrot Sticks and Chips

Saturday - Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

Sunday - Eat Out (BBQ!)

We'll also be enjoying "KeenMcMuffins" and Breakfast Burritos along with chocolate cake this weekend. Yum!

Running Behind

Yes, I know it's Monday and I usually post my menu for the week on Sunday nights. I'm so behind! We had some things come up this week that got me off track so now I'm able to extend last week's menu a couple extra days. I'm also trying to delay grocery shopping since it's spring break and will have to do my shopping with both kids in tow. I'm hoping to get my menu together tonight, but if not for sure tomorrow (we'll be running low on milk soon). So that's all until then...

Week of March 9 - 15

Monday - Tuna Noodle Casserole with Peas

Tuesday - Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas with Rice and Beans

Wednesday - Indian Chicken Curry

Thursday - Orange Beef with Cilantro Rice

Friday - Baked Chicken Parmesan

Saturday - Miso Soup with Springrolls

Sunday - Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes