Can i just say....

This wine makes me smile....

And please..."practice safe sipping"

I have a

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Head on over and be my "friend" :) Become a fan!

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Another healthy snack!

So this crap-tastic weather has me wanting to bake.  A girlfriend of mine saw this recipe on "some cooking show" and sent me the recipe, so I have no idea where they really came from!  If anyone knows, please leave me a comment but for now I am calling them the Kitchen Sink Cookie....:)

Ingredients:

2eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup liquid honey
1 cup( approx) grated carrots
1/2 cup (approx) chopped walnuts
1/2 cup EACH (approx) chopped, apricots, dates
1/4 cup EACH (approx) raisins, dried cranberries
1 cup flour
1 cup ROLLED oats
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
1 cup Cheerios
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs.  Add honey, carrot, walnut, apricot, dates, raisins, dried cranberries.  In another bowl combine flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, Stir in 1 cup Cheerios
Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients.  Mix!  Scoop 1 tablespoon batter on to greased (or lined with parchment paper) cookie sheet.  Cook 13-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

WHAT?!?! No sugar?!?!?

I stumbled upon this recipe yesterday and thought is sounded DELICIOUS. Maybe it was the Starbucks mug in the background of the picture that made me want to try it but at any rate, I gave it a go.

I set out all my ingredients and noticed the absence of something that is a baking staple, or so I thought. This apple bread had NO SUGAR!!!!! No lies. No sugar. That said it did turn out a little flat tasting for my liking, like something was missing. I suggest adding any dried fruit, cranberries, dates, apricot or raisins and i think that would do the trick! I will absolutely make this again!

I made a few modifications to the original recipe, my mods are in red

Moist Apple Spice Bread

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground allspice I was out, Allspice would be wonderful in this recipe
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups shredded apples (about 2 apples) I ended up using 4 small
3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped I did not have pecans in my baking stash

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour into flour mixture and stir until partially combined. Add in shredded apples and pecans and continue to mix until all ingredients are well-combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 70-75 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container when cool; the bread will keep well for several days.

Enjoy this with a hot cup of coffee or tea to brighten these gloomy April days!

April Showers......

This Monday I am LOVING April Showers Blog Design for teaching me how to do this:



I feel so smart this morning....lol

Starving!!!!!

It's true I am presently famished.  My lil peanut has had a tummy bug since Friday, and maybe it's just me but it sure kills my appetite.  She is on the mend, and after deciding on this weeks menu, I need to eat.  

This week I am featuring recipes from some wonderful food bloggers!! Mary at One Perfect Bite always has beautiful dishes featured, and leaves me some really encouraging comments,  I will be trying her Salt and Pepper pork chops on Wednesday.  I also like to check out Our Recipe Box weekly.  The Probert Family often makes the chicken marinade I am going to try on Thursday.  And last but not least my tuna pasta salad was inspired by Beth at Budget Bytes I have made a few modifications on her recipe but linked y'all to the original.  Hey you have to give credit where credit is due!

And while you're here, leave me a comment to share what your menu this week looks like!



Monday - Ground Beef Stir-fry 

I cook the ground beef in oyster sauce, chinese 5 spice, diced onion and fresh ginger. I then chop and add whatever veggies are laying in the crisper.   When the veggies are still firm I add a half of a bag of stir fry noodles and 1/3 cup of water to soften the noodles, add a lil more sauce and done! lol

Tuesday - Broccoli & cheese tortellini in a creamy tomato sauce

Ingredients

1 pkg  frozen or fresh cheese or meat tortellini, from 3-1/2 to 5 cups before cooking
4 cups broccoli florets, about 2 stalks
2 cups spaghetti sauce, preferably spicy red-pepper flavoured
1/2  light cream cheese
2 fresh large plum tomatoes or 1 regular tomato 

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. When water is boiling, stir in pasta. Cook, uncovered, according to package directions until al dente, from 8 to 13 minutes. Two minutes before pasta is due to be drained, add broccoli. When pasta is cooked, drain along with broccoli in a large colander or sieve.
Meanwhile, heat sauce in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Cut cheese into cubes. Drop into sauce. Stir often until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Seed and coarsely chop tomatoes.
Toss hot cooked pasta mixture with sauce in a large heated bowl until coated. Stir in tomatoes. Serve in large warmed pasta bowls with a grinding of black pepper and a sprinkle of grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Wednesday - Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, 


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 pounds boneless thin-cut pork loin chops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil


Directions:
Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper, sugar and salt in bottom of 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan. Stir with a fork until all ingredients are combined and marinade is smooth. Add chops, turning to coat both sides. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 1 to 24 hours.
Heat oil in a large frying pan set over medium high heat. Add pork, working in batches if necessary. Cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to serving plate or serve from pan. 


Thursday-   Choo's Marinated chicken , rice & green salad


Ingredients
3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. worshteshire sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/4 c. wine vinegar
1 t. parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic-mashed

Mix all ingredients together. Let your meat of choice marinade for 20-30 minutes or as long as 24 hours.

Friday - Tuna Pasta Salad 

Ingredients
12 oz. bow tie pasta
5 oz. can chunk light tuna in water
1 medium lemon, juiced
1/2 diced onion (yellow, purple or green)
1/2 tsp.salt
to taste fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tbsp dried dill
1 cup diced white cheddar
2 cups frozen sweet peas

Directions
Take two cups of peas out of the freezer and let thaw on the counter. Cook the bow tie pasta according to the package directions (boil 5-7 minutes). Drain in a colander and let cool.
As the pasta is draining and cooling, combine the rest of the ingredients (peas, tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onions, salt and pepper). Adjust the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
If your pasta is still hot when you are finished combining the rest of the ingredients, run cold water over it until it has cooled down. Make sure to drain the pasta well before combining it with the rest of the ingredients. Stir the pasta into the pea/mayo mixture until it is well coated. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve!


Saturday - Out


Sunday - Steak on the BBQ, caesar salad, sweet potato fries

The pork recipe.......

SUCKED.  I am not sure if its because I subbed white wine for chicken broth (I had wine but no broth at home)  The meat was tasteless and the smell permeating my house while it cooked was NASTY! 

The saving grace, I shredded the meat, added some BBQ sauce, onions, garlic powder and onion powder, put the meat back in the crock for a few hours, threw together coleslaw and we had pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw.....

Skip the pork recipe, sorry folks.

Did anyone have success with it?

What?!?!? A whole week at home???

Well the girls and I are home at last!  What a WONDERFUL weekend!!!  You know the saying "There are no friends like old friends"  well there is so much truth in that that I came away from this weekend feeling somehow a better person for having been able to reconnect with some old friends.  My heart is full, and coincendently so is my belly, yes still :)

Congrats again to Stephanie who won my first ever giveaway!  I am excited to send Sandi Richards' book to someone else to enjoy!

My challenges this week in planning are a) company and b) Miss Lu's birthday, but I have done my best.  I am also looking for ideas to plan my May long weekend meals for a big camping trip!  Any ideas you have would as always be appreciated.

Take care my friends!



Monday - Beefy Ranch Tacos
Ingredients

1 pkg flour tortillas
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg Taco Seasoning mix
Ranch dressing
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Salsa Sour cream

Cook ground beef in skillet until done. Add seasoning packet and however much water the packet calls for. Cook for another minute or two to reduce the sauce.  Heat tortillas in microwave and assemble toppings.  Put about 2 heaping tablespoons of beef on a tortilla and top with your choice of veggies/cheese. Top it off with Ranch dressing.


Tuesday - Mediterranean Pork & couscous...and some veggie
Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
4 thick cut boneless pork chops
salt and pepper to taste.

Cut small slits in each pork chop then pour mixture over the top. Slow cook on high for 4-6 hours. Pull it apart, serve over couscous!

Wednesday - Cheater Chicken Souvlaki, Roasted Veggies, Pita and Tzatziki
Ingredients

4 cloves cloves of garlic
Heavy freezer bag (large)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 large large chicken breasts (approx 1 1/2-2 lbs / 675-900 g)

Roasted Veggies

1 small zucchini
1 red onion
1 stalk celery stalk
7 mushrooms (quartered)
1 green pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning

1/4 cup crumbled feta

4 ( 8”) pita pockets

Directions

Smash garlic cloves with the back of a wide knife. Peel and finely chop.
In a strong freezer bag, add the following ingredients; chopped garlic, oregano, olive oil, wine and lemon juice. Swish the ingredients around to combine.
Cut chicken into large chunks, adding to bag as you cut. Before closing the bag, massage the sauce into the chicken pieces while holding the bottom of the bag.
Lay the bag on the counter, holding the open side straight up. Fold toward you and seal. Place in fridge, flat, until you are ready to serve dinner.
Heat oven to 450°F (230º C).
Cut veggies in large chunks (so kids can pick out what they don’t like) tossing into a large cake or lasagna pan as you cut.
Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spice. You can use any veggie that grills nicely.
Pour the bag of chicken with marinade into another cake or lasagna pan.
Place both the chicken pan and veggie pan in the oven at the same time. Set timer for 20 minutes. When the timer rings, remove veggies. Drain part of the liquid from the chicken pan.
Put the chicken back into the oven on a low broil. Toss veggies into a bowl with feta and sun dried tomato. When chicken starts to get a few brown edges, remove from oven and stuff the pita pockets with whatever components you like (or eat it all separately).

Thursday -Prawn and Mango Skewers with rice
Ingredients
1 package frozen tiger prawns
1 bag frozen mango chunks ( or 1-2 fresh mangoes)
enough sweet Thai chili sauce to coat

Directions
Thaw prawns and mango chunks and marinade in sweet Thai chili sauce until ready to BBQ.  Grill until prawns are done (they will become pink in colour) Serve over rice, with dipping sauce!
Friday - Nachos (the birthday girls request!)


Saturday - Lettuce Wraps 

Ingredients
16 butter lettuce leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Directions
Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Sunday - Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. (225 g) extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup each chopped green and red peppers
1 can corn
1 can refried beans
2 cups salsa, divided
1/2 cup Tex Mex Shredded Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. calorie -wise Zesty Italian Dressing
8 flour tortillas (6 inch)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Brown meat with peppers in large nonstick skillet. Stir in 1 cup salsa, corn and beans; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup cheese.
Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Brush dressing lightly over both sides of tortillas. Stack 4 tortillas; wrap in large sheet of waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 10 to 20 sec. or just until warmed. Immediately spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture down centre of each warm tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, over salsa in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and meat mixture; top with remaining salsa. Cover with foil.
Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Top with cilantro.

And the winner is........

Stephanie!!!! Stephanie said "That book sounds great! No, I don't really meal plan anymore, but need too. I would love tips on planning on nights that are late due to sports practices. :)"

Stephanie contact me with your details and I will send out your copy! If you would like to wait a week before I ship there is a revised copy of the book due out on April 22nd......Let me know!

My first Giveaway!

=========================CONTEST IS CLOSED=======================================

Yes, you read it ladies and gentleman!  I am having my first Mealplanningmama giveaway!!!  When I first began meal planning many moons ago (and truthfully not very well) I fell in love with this book

I LOVE how easy Sandi Richard makes meal planning.  Now while I want you all to religiously to follow my recipes and blog but as a Mom and busy lady I understand that you need to adapt my wonderful plan to suit your own needs and well, maybe Sandi can help :) So I will be giving away 1 copy of Cooking for The Rushed by Sandi Richard.

How do I enter you ask?!?!?  That's easy, post me a comment letting me know if you do, in fact, meal plan. For an extra entry post me your weekly plan in my comments section.  For another entry become a follower and post another comment letting me know!  So people that is 3 chances to win!!!!Contest closes Thursday Night at 5 pm MST Winner will be announced on Friday morning!

GOOD LUCK!  And happy planning :)

Another Short week!

Hello all! The lemon butter chicken is a fave of mine and I am looking forward to trying something new with pork chops! As always I love to get suggestions for recipes and faves from all of you! So please comment, maybe share your weekly meal plan!

And as always, happy eating
xoxoxoxo
Mealplanningmama

Monday -Lemon Butter Chicken, rice and salad 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
8 chicken tenderloins
lemon pepper to taste
garlic salt to taste
onion powder to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the butter in a 9x9 inch baking dish, and melt in the oven. Remove from heat, and mix in Italian salad dressing, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
Arrange the chicken tenderloins in the baking dish, coating with the melted butter mixture. Season both sides of chicken with lemon pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. Sprinkle with lemon zest.
Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken juices run clear.

Tuesday -Steak Fajitas 

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
juice from 1/2 large lime (about 2 tbsp)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
2 steaks
1-2 tbsp oil
3 large bell peppers, red, yellow, and orange
1 large red onion
salt and pepper

Directions
In a large zip-top plastic bag combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, salt, and steaks. Seal bag and shake and squish to thoroughly coat steaks.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onion to hot oil and saute until soft and caramelized. Salt to taste.
While veggies are caramelizing, heat grill, grill pan, or frying pan.
Remove steak from bag and grill or sear until cooked all the way through.
Slice chicken and serve with warm tortillas, peppers, sour cream, cheese.

Wednesday -Honey and Spice-Glazed Pork Chops, roasted potatoes and veggies

Ingredients 
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add honey mixture. Cook 10 minutes or until done, turning pork once.



Thursday - Seafood pasta found on Sparkling Ink 

Ingredients
12 ounces dried linguine
4 + 2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks
4 garlic cloves
1 cup frozen peas
1 lemon, juice and zest
a small handful parsley
14 ounces shrimp/crab meat
coarse salt & black pepper
grated parmesan for sprinkling

Directions
Start heating up a large pot of salted water. While the water is heating for the pasta, prepare the rest of the dish. In a large pan, heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add in well rinsed and chopped leeks. Saute for 10 minutes without browning until very soft. Mix in finely chopped garlic, thawed peas, lemon zest and chopped fresh parley. Cook for a minute.
When the water is boiling, cook the linguine just until tender following the package instructions. Drain the linguine lightly and return to the pot with some water still left. Scoop the leek mixture over the pasta following with the crab meat. Squeeze in lemon juice and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss until the butter has melted and all the linguine is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle lightly with grated parmesan and parsley.

Friday -Away!
Saturday- Away!
Sunday - Steak on the BBQ!

Home!

We survived.  Not only did we survive our first camping trip of the year, but we had a great time.  Nothing better than chilling with my fam, oh and hitting up Costco.... :)

This week I am featuring a recipe from Budget Bytes.  A blog with amazingly yummy sounding dishes and cost effective to boot!  Go over and check out her blog, I promise it's worth the trip :)

Hope you all had a great Easter!  Happy Eating!

xoxoxoxo
Mealplanningmama

Monday - Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Tuesday - Guacamole salad   served in tortilla bowls found here
(Guacamole salad recipe courtesy of Budget Bytes)
3 medium ripe avocados
3 large roma tomatoes
1/4 red onion
1 clove garlic
1 small lime
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 whole (or less)jalapeno
1/4 tsp salt
about 10 cranks fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can black beans

Dice the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro and place them in a bowl. Dice the jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro very finely while leaving the tomato in larger chunks (approximately 1/2 inch square). Dice the avocado about the same size as the tomatoes. Save the avocado for last to minimize the time that it is exposed to oxygen and reducing the likely hood of it turning brown. Once the dressing is mixed in, the acid from the tomatoes and lime will keep the avocado from turning brown during storage.
In a small bowl combine the olive oil, juice and zest from the lime, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the diced vegetables and stir to combine!

 Wednesday -Choo's chicken marinade, basmati rice and roasted veggies
3/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. soy sauce
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/4 c. wine vinegar
1 t. parsley flakes
2 cloves garlic-mashed

Mix all ingredients together. Let your meat of choice (our favorite is chicken) marinade for 20-30 minutes or as long as 24 hours. 

Thursday -steak caesar wraps

1 head romaine lettuce
4 whole wheat tortilla shells
1 large or 2 small steaks, sliced THINLY
1 cup croutons
parm cheese

Grill steak until desired doneness, Slice thinly.  Take tortilla shell, spread caesar dressing on shell, add lettuce, steak croutons and sprinkle with parm!  Wrap and ENJOY!


Friday - Steak & crab legs (for Mr M) , roasted asparagus and baby red potatoes


Saturday - Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork chops
Ingredients
2/3  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1  large egg white, lightly beaten
4  (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1  teaspoon  peanut oil
Cooking spray
1/8  teaspoon  salt
1  tablespoon  bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1/3  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2  tablespoons  sake or dry sherry
2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
2  teaspoons  sugar
1  teaspoon  wasabi paste
1/3  cup  thinly sliced green onions

Directions: 
Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.

Sunday - Nacho casserole!

Camping!

Hi all!!

I am currently wi-fi'ying it at at KOA so I will apologize in advance if my meal plan doesn't come up until Monday!  I will try my best for tomorrow.  If  not , Happy Easter, "see" you Monday!

xoxoxoxo

Mealplanningmama