Aug 15 - 24

Review time! I absolutely loved the mini taco cups. I'm sure most of it is due to my love of Mexican food and even more so my love of condiments, but still - they were great and fun! (I'll put the recipe in a seperate post.) See?

Next up, the Pinwheels with Roasted Veggie Sauce. Another hit! The flavor was amazing and it was almost like a cream sauce without actual cream. I'm going to have to save this recipe for when it cools off, though. Roasting veggies at 400 degrees for 40 minutes is not the best idea in 105+ weather!

And last, but certainly not least, the Zuccini and Ricotta Gallete. Oh. My. Goodness. The crust was so buttery and flaky and the ricotta/cheese filling was rich and creamy. I'm sure it's not the best for you so it's definitely a treat. Not to mention all the prep time that goes into it. So worth it though. I plan to try a tomato/basil version next time. Yum!

I have 10 meals planned for the next week and a half. We're off on another adventure and I'm hoping to only make one quick trip to the store for basics after today. Keenan's out of town 3 nights this week and I'm still battling morning sickness so most of these are quick and easy.

Egg Sandwiches with Garlic Fries

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Beans & Cornbread

Spaghetti

Taco Cups

BBQ Turkey Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Broccoli Divan

Sausage Pepper Pasta

Brinner - Fried Eggs, Potatoes and Bacon with Fruit

Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup

April 12 - 18

Our only review from last week is the Shrimp, Tortellini and Spinach - yummy! I didn't have the roasted red pepper dressing it called for so I used sun-dried tomato dressing instead. It came together quickly and was a perfect spring/summer Italian dish. I love that we're getting back to the time of year with more fresh veggies and fruit at reasonable prices. Everything just tastes better :)

Pineapple Jerk Chicken and Rice

Turkey Tacos (found some taco-seasoned ground turkey on super-sale last week!)

Baked Lemon Pasta

Make Your Own Pizza

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Tofu Stir Fry

Hamburgers & Pan-Fried Potatoes

Jan 25 - 31

Thanks to our neighbors party last night, I'm exhausted at the moment and barely had the energy to come up with this week's menu let alone do reviews from last week. I'll try to cover them next week :) Luckily we have a couple of roll-overs from last week and taco night at home group this week to help me out!

Bacon and Kale Minestra

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Paella

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Crusty Bread

Shake 'n Bake Chicken Nuggets with Baked Beans

Chili Lime Cobb Salad

Jan 18 - 24

I have to toot my own horn for a minute here. I'm really getting the hang of roasting chicken/turkey! My father-in-law came up with a method for his holiday turkeys that leaves the meat - both white and dark - melting in your mouth. I decided to apply a similar technique to our chicken this last week and it was perfect!

Low and slow is the key. I prepped 2 whole chickens by stuffing each with 1/2 a head of garlic (sliced in half horizontally), 1/2 a lemon and a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. The outsides were rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. I added about 1 can of chicken broth to the pan, but I later discovered this probably wasn't necessary. Cover the roaster and bake at 275 or 300 for about 4 or 5 hours. They're not "presentation worthy" (i.e. no dark crispy skin), but the flavor and juiciness more than make up for it. Making 2 at a time also allows for plenty of leftovers for another day - bonus! We love having roasted root veggies along side the chicken as well. With 2 chickens in the roaster and a small oven, I have to cook the veggies separately, but it's all worth the work and the wait.

On to this week...

Fish Tacos (see "C's" comment from last week for recipe)

Bacon and Kale Minestra

Uptown Down-Home Chili

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Chicken Pasta with Raisins, Pine Nuts and Rosemary (using leftover roast chicken)

Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry

Pizza

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