Today I received mail. It was addressed to Meal Planning Mama. It was a pretty box. It had pretty stuffing in it and product. Like good stuff I love. And no instructions....NO INSTRUCTIONS.....so in my generally preferred method of communication of 140 characters or less (errr more) what does one do with a box of free stuff?
I spent much of my lazy afternoon yesterday hopping from recipe to recipe on the internet, a long forgotten love of mine. I found some delicious inspiration and thought you'd all love to see what treats I found.
The first was 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta found on Oh She Glows Doesn't it look delicious??? (P.S. I don't know the internet rules on posting other peoples pictures on your site, so I just decided to link you instead. Can anyone enlighten me?)
The second was Heirloom tomato and avocado salad with crispy wontons and spicy cilantro dressing found at Food & Style and guess who just so happened to pick up fresh cilantro AND heirloom tomato's at the Framers Market this past Saturday!
I also came across an AMAZING recipe in House and Home magazine this month for Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Quinoa Salad. I can't find the recipe on the internet yet, but will post it when I make it.
My final inspiration for the week came from the local Farmers Market where I found purple beans and Firecracker Jack's Barbeque sauce. I am thinking I will serve the beans sauteed with some slivered almonds and a bit of lemon juice as for the BBQ sauce...it tasted GREAT on this...
A dear friend of mine gave me a giant orange vegetable.
A few weeks back a friend came for dinner and brought me a spaghetti squash. Now I'm going to be honest here so get in nice and close cause after all it's kind of a secret... I've never cooked with one... Yes, it's true. In all of my culinary adventures I have yet to tackle the spaghetti squash. It seems oddly foreign to me and as such intimidating. I'd like to cook it tomorrow, or the next day so any advice is GREATLY appreciated.
Do you cook with it often? Or ever? Is it a side? or used in a main? Once again I'm ending this post with....HELP.
xoxoxo
Meal Planning Mama
Is it a sign when your non interactive FB page and your EXTREMELY active under the influence twitter account (you should follow me there I'm funny @MPMtweets ) are far more active than your blog? Does this mean I am good-ish at social media, (I have a fairly decent "klout" score)but essentially SUCK at blogging? Can a blogger revamp her style? How EXACTLY does one do this? AND where EXACLEY should MPM go from here?
My friends, it would appear MPM is at a crossroads in her bloggy life. I suck these days at meal planning, and that is because my dearest of husbands (not that I have extra "dears" to pick from...) does a lot of the cooking. Like most of it. AND I find that when I am not the one who actually cooks, it becomes rather difficult to plan. Would anyone be interested in reading random musings along with some cool recipes and the meal plans I do actually do? Or is it time to toss in the MPM towel?
My friends it looks like it's one of those times when MPM needs a little bit o'HELP.
,As we head into the long weekend my thoughts turn to the lazy days of summers past. This will be my first summer in 3 years where I am working! I have been fortunate enough to spend the last 3 at home with my girlies, lazing in the sun, heading to the beach, enjoying popscicles while watching the clouds roll by. This year will be different and I'm ok with it. A little sad but none the less ok.
As the weather gets nicer the food in this house gets lighter and easier to prepare, well with the exception of the nachos for Monday ;) As always I love hearing what you and your families enjoy eating, so please share some of your favorite summer recipies and maybe we can inspire each other! Until next time....
Monday - Loaded Nachos - For the adults in our house I take a chicken breast, cook it up dice and toss in Franks red hot. I layer jalapeno, and red peppers, green onion, fresh tomato and shredded cheese. On the kiddies side I take some of the afore mentioned chicken before I toss it and layer peppers, chicken and cheese.
Tuesday - Spinach salad with grilled shrimp from Cooking Light
Wednesday - Burgers and veggies and dip....I recently decided to try wrapping my burger in a lettuce leaf instead of using a bun...delicious and fewer calories!
Thursday - Something on the road...IF I am organized enough I will make these Chicken Club wraps to eat while we drive
Friday, Saturday and Sunday we will be camping!
HAPPY CANADA DAY EVERYONE!!!!
I am a lucky woman. Truly. I have a great Dad, who has always supported and loved me. He has taught me many valuable life lessons and stood by my side when I needed support (and all those times I didn't) He sometimes calls me to remind me how proud of me he is. He is a great Dad.
My daughters are pretty darn lucky too. They have a great Daddy. He loves them something fierce and does his best every day to make sure they know that.
So today I will raise my glass to all those great Dad's out there! Cheers!
Monday - Salmon cakes with Lemon Yogurt Dill
Tuesday - pulled pork, red onion, roasted garlic, green pepper pita pizzas
Wednesday - grilled chicken and pineapple sandwiches
Thursday - Shrimp and mango sweet thai chili skewers on the BBQ and rice
Friday - Southwestern chicken pasta salad
Saturday - TBD
Sunday - TBD
Indian Rub Grilled Chicken Breast with Coconut Rice and Caramelized Banana
You could also use this rub on boneless chicken breasts or thighs. If it's not BBQ season, you could also simply roast the chicken in the oven on a baking sheet. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Chicken Rub:
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on (can use boneless, skinless if you prefer or thighs would be good as well, I think)
Coconut Rice:
2 cups long or short grain rice
3 cups cold water
Pinch cinnamon
1 cup light (low fat) coconut milk
4 tsp. sugar
Caramelized Bananas:
2 firm bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Method
Prepare rub: combine all spices, garlic and oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pre-heat grill or BBQ. Rub spice mixture onto chicken and place on grill. Bone-in chicken breast will take about 10 minutes per side. If using boneless, it will take less time.
Prepare the rice: Rinse rice in colander until water runs clear. Place all ingredients except sugar into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil , cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. Add the sugar, cover the saucepan and place over very low heat for an additional 5 minutes.
Prepare bananas: sprinkle bananas with sugar and cinnamon. Preheat a non-stick skillet over high heat and spray lightly with oil. Cook the bananas for 2 minutes on each side or until the sugar has caramelized.
To serve: Place coconut rice on serving plates and top with the banana slices. Place the grilled chicken beside the rice and enjoy!
Well for a few days. Like Monday. AND Tuesday. And then, well, we had leftovers. I couldn't waste an entire pork tenderloin (I sometimes forget they come in twos....) So I took the one leftover and from that abandoned the weekly meal plan. But not really, because I left myself a buffer day this week. Oh *le sigh* I wish I could be better at this whole bloggy meal plan thing. So for the 2 of you that still read my blog, THANK YOU and here you go!
Monday - Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken Stirfry
Tuesday - Pork Tenderloin with cous cous and asparagus
Wednesday - Salmon with baby bok choy and rice
Thursday - Lime grilled chicken breasts with avocado salsa recipe courtesy of Canadian Living
Friday - tomato, mozzarella, basil and chicken salad
Saturday - Steak, baby potatoes and ceasar salad
Sunday - Whatever Mr M wants!
Sweet & Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry
Serves 4-6
SAUCE
½ cup ketchup
4 tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup chicken broth
THE REST
2 tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 small onion
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced
¼ cup oil
2-3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 red/green or yellow pepper, or all 3!
2 carrots diced
2 cups snow peas
1 ½ cups cashews
toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Combine sauce & set aside
In a bowl combine corn starch, sugar & salt, add chicken and toss
Heat Wok or deep frying pan, add oil and heat to hot
Add chicken, ginger garlic & onion
Stir until chicken is opaque ( 1min…)
Add peppers & carrots stir 2-3 minutes
Add peas & sauce, cook until sauce boils
Add noodles (if using, can also use rice)
Add cashews & sprinkle with sesame seeds
ENJOY!
Pork Tenderloin Rub
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb pork tenderloin
Mix garlic, salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Rub over tenderloin, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes.
Tomato, Mozzarella and cherry tomato salad
Cold Grilled chicken
Fresh Mozzarella
Tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Cut tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella into small bite size pieces
Grill the chicken the night before…
Grape work well…If using regular tomatoes, remove the seeds so its not too juicy.
Combine with fresh basil - you can leave the basil in leaves or chop, depending on your taste.
Add garlic salt & pepper to taste
Add enough balsamic vinegar to coat, and have some at the bottom
It is best if you make it a few hours ahead.
You have to taste it and add whatever it needs more of before you serve it. I served it with slices of baguette, but it could stand on its own or go with pita or anything else you have around. Add pasta if you want it to be heartier… but the pasta will suck up a lot of balsamic… so you will need to add more.
I am prefacing this blog with an apology. I know I was gone for a really really really long time. AND I know that in the wonderful world of blogging this is NOT a good thing. But I'm back and I promise I'm going to make it up to all of you by sharing my meal plans (whether I make them or not) once again!
This week marks the 'Canadian Start of Summer' with May Long. Ahhh yes, the fabulous May Long Weekend, the official kick off to BBQ, Patio, and CAMPING season! This year we will be embarking on the Second Annual High School Reunion Camping Trip. Last year we had 18 adults, 12 kids and 3 dogs. We've had a few add in this year, a few drop out this year and a few families grow. Whatever the weekend brings, it will be a good time had by all.
So without further ado, my meal plan for the first half of the week, I will update our camping plans later this week!Cheers!
*****EDITED to fix the crap-tastic job I did the first time*****
Monday - Cajun Chicken Ceasar salad
Tuesday - Soft Corn Tortilla Arrachera tacos, if I can find the seasoning...
Wednesday - Portabello Mushroom Burgers (Thank you House & Home Magazine!)
Thursday - Riggin' up and heading out! Clubhouse wraps on the road!
Friday - Camping Food TBD
Saturday - Camping Food TBD
Sunday - Camping Food TBD
RECIPES
Portabello Mushroom Burgers
Yield:
6 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 4" portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed
6 whole wheat buns, toasted
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
1 bunch arugula
Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare barbecue for grilling at medium-high heat. Whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, oregano and lemon juice in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Brush mushroom caps with vinaigrette and set on grill. Grill until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes per side. Serve immediately on whole wheat buns spread with mayonnaise and dijon mustard and top with arugula.
No, you dirty people the "NEW POST" button in my dashboard. It was is the best morning ever, kisses and loves from my babies, homemade cards and presents, recipes surrounding me, coffee and Bailey's (Hey, no judging, it's Mothers Day!) Freshly made French Toast (my fave!)
I've missed blogging, and planning and cooking for that matter! I hope you've missed me, or at least noticed I was missing! For those new readers, welcome and for my old friends, welcome back. I hope you will comment, or share your menus, favorite meals or just a few words to keep me going. Until next time, happy planning!
Monday - Crispy Baked Chicken with Citrus Teriyaki Sauce from Annie's Eats
Tuesday - Southwest Stuffed Mushroom caps from Mommie Cooks!
Wednesday - Salmon in a Sesame - Ginger marinade with grilled asparagus
Thursday -Lettuce Wraps (recipe below)
Friday - Maple mustard pork tenderloin with garlic baby bok choy
Saturday-Leftovers/clean out the fridge
Sunday -Sweet and Spicy cashew chicken stir fry (recipe below)
I was reminded this week how lucky I truly am. I was privileged to be able to help a twitter friend work on a special project for one of the most amazing Mommies I have had the honour to stumble across. If you haven't met Heather Hamilton yet, I HIGHLY recommend you do. Heather is one of the strongest, kindest, sweetest people I've encountered on the web. She has shared the trials and tribulations of parenting a child with special needs and has recently been dealing with the loss of her little Zack. I've read her blog and it made me so thankful for the things I have in my life. I truly believe the world is better place because of people like Heather and even though she doesn't know me I will be keeping her family in my thoughts. If you are looking for a great cause to donate to help her family make Zack's Dream room come true at Toronto's Sick Kids :)
So remember, cherish the people in your lives. Make it a priority. One great way to take time for each other is to sit down and eat together or get the (older) kids involved in cooking! This weeks meals lend room for both. I'd love to hear someways you spend time together, or share your meal plans with me and as always, happy planning!
Monday - Maple soy salmon with asparagus and cous cous
Tuesday - Slow Cooker Pineapple-Pork Tacos
Wednesday - Cheater chicken souvlaki with veggies
Thursday - Sesame ginger pork tenderloin, jasmine rice and garlic baby bok choy
Friday - Fancy nachos (ground beef, peppers, and cheese)
Saturday - Homemade burgers on the BBQ with ceasar salad and these homemade garlic croutons (thanks Tiffany!)
Sunday - Day off/Leftovers/ take out
"...a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise." (Michael Smith, Chef at Home) And improvise is EXACTLY what we have been doing with this recipe since finding it a few weeks ago. We have used pureed strawberries, lemon rind and blueberries, added flax seed, extra cinnamon, well you get the idea :) It's a great basic recipe and It comes HIGHLY recommended from the house of Meal Planning Mama, so ENJOY my friends!
Adapted from Michael Smith Chef at Home
Ingredients
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup oatmeal
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon nutmeg
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup oil
* 1 1/2 cups yogurt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup grated carrots (about 3)(We have never used them as we didn't have them!)
We usually add lemon rind and the juice of 1 lemon PLUS 2 cups blueberries
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sift together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Mix eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Stir in carrots and then dry ingredients.
4. Spoon into 6 large or 12 regular sized muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes.
So MPM is a SLACKER this week. I know how the heck am i ever going to get followers and KEEP them if I am a SLACKER? Oh wait, I think that's called life and yep, sometimes it gets in the way of the other stuff. So I'm begging forgiveness and giving you a plan. Better late than never....
Wednesday - Taco Soup ( we have some in the freezer from the last time we made it)
Thursday - Veggie stir-fry (peppers, baby bok choy, onion, ginger, topped with cashews or peanuts)
Friday - Chicken ceasar salad
Saturday - Smokies over a bonfire with some friends!!!
Sunday - Homemade burgers with pureed spinach, jalapeno, and carrot puree in the meat mixture (Hubby's idea and DELISH!!!)
I often hangout on twitter and wonder how many of the tweets are "censored" and no, not by some Big Brother patrolling the cyber world but by the posters? How do people balance their public personas with their private ones? Or do you just let it all hang out there? I often fear that I will lose followers if I am "real", you know the let it all hang out there sometimes not politically correct, or even PG-13 kinda real. But I guess then I need to decide exactly what kind of blogger I want to be. For now I will muddle through the big bad cyber world in search of my identity, pausing along the way to plan a few meals :)
Enjoy my friends! And a big welcome to my new followers!!!
Monday - Red Thai chicken curry on jasmine rice(chicken, coconut milk, pineapple, red pepper, red curry paste)
Tuesday - Some kind of tortilla pie or mexican casserole (any suggestions?)
Wednesday - Curried chicken with ginger and yogurt
Thursday - Pork Scallion (recipe below) with salad
Friday - BBQ buffalo chicken ranch burgers
Saturday - Beer butt chicken, salad and rolls
Sunday - Use leftover chicken to make either BBQ chicken pizza, or chicken pesto pizza
Red Curry Chicken and Jasmine rice
Ingredients
3 tbsp red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp salty sauce (oyster or soya)
1 can bamboo shoots
1 can pineapple
1 red pepper
Directions
In a saucepan mix red curry paste, salty sauce and coconut milk together, pour over chicken, add veggies. Simmer for 5 mins. Serve over jasmine rice.
PORK SCALLION RECIPE (Thanks Nicki!!!)
1 pork tenderloin, cut into 18 medallions, pound out so thin
Marinade for at least 30 minutes in:
2 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Honey (I didn't use the honey)
1 tbsp fresh Ginger, grated
Cut scallions into 18 spears slightly longer than your pork medallions. Wrap pork around scallions. Broil for 5 minutes or until cooked through (depending how thin your pork is. I sprinkled mine with sesame seeds.
Since becoming a working Mom (redundant I know...) I find the weekends go far too fast. It seems as though I am just beginning to relax and Sunday rolls around. Today I have a jam packed afternoon of fun watching Missy Lu skate her hiney off, proud Mama moments I am sure. So that said I must be off, it's a short and sweet intro this week!
Happy Planning!
Monday - Baron of Beef and tossed salad
Tuesday - Chicken with Twenty Cloves of Garlic
Wednesday - Better than ever beef enchiladas
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Make your own pizzas
Saturday - BBQ'ed steak and grilled veggies
Sunday - Buffalo chicken clubhouse wraps and oven fries
So despite my efforts I am not losing weight. Like at all. And it sucks. So this week I have decided to seek out low calorie meals, maybe this might help. The only recipe I have tried on this is the pork tenderloin. It's FANTASTIC. And low calorie. The beef curry stew comes highly recommended (Thanks Robbi!) And I have included some recipes from Theresa Albert, they look super yummy. So my friends, Happy Eating!
Monday - Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin
Tuesday-Couscous Salad with Chicken and Chopped Vegetables
Wednesday-Spicy Beef Curry Stew for the Slow Cooker
Thursday-Thai Beef and Baby Bok Choy Stir-fry
Friday- Tortellini Soup
Saturday - Fish Tacos with Lime Drizzling sauce
Sunday - Mediterranean Chicken
Hmmmmmm, I just realized most of my blog post titles are about the weather. It must be an easy way to segue into a post about food, not sure I can back that statement up but let's try. Today I woke up happy, the sun is shining, Mr. M made coffee and my children have yet to fight *knock on wood* I'm thinking a nice big breakfast is what will happen shortly after I finish my plan for this week.
Last week played out well, I don't think we had one meal that was on the plan but I'm not complaining. We ate, I didn't cook. I miss cooking. But I digress.
So this week, lets see. I'm thinking fresh, and delicious. I should be thinking hearts and love but the Hubster and I are forgoing V-Day this year. My idea not his :)
As always I would love to hear from you, share your menus or just say hi and until next time...
Monday- Beer Bum Chicken, salad and rolls ('cause nothing says romance like shoving a beer can up a chickens butt)
Tuesday - Chicken Pesto pizza (using leftover shredded chicken from Monday)
Wednesday- Perogies, kielbassa and raw veggies
Thursday- Tacos with homemade guacamole
Friday- Cheater chicken souvlaki, and roasted veggies
Saturday-BBq'ed Burgers & oven fries
Sunday- Chicken wings, and taco salad ( or dressed up nachos!)
As I sit here planning this weeks meals the snow is falling outside my window. It's been falling ALL day. It's beautiful and white and looks really fluffy. It makes me think of warm things, like coffee and baileys errr I mean like soup and stew and pasta. I spent the morning with some of my favorite ladies and our brood of kidlets so I apologize for the lateness in this post. So without further ado here is yet another meal plan from good ole Meal Planning Mama!
Monday- Sweet & Spicy cashew chicken stir-fry (use frozen veggies, cashews, stir fry noodles, and chicken breasts)
Tuesday - Steak and peppers quesadillas
Wednesday- Winter Beef stew
Thursday- Pork tenderloin, rice and veggies
Friday - Munchies (meat, crackers, cheese, 7 layer dip & nachos)
Saturday- Leftovers
Sunday- Roast Beef, yorkshire pudding, veggies and potatoes
Perfect Winter Beef Stew (Slow cooker version)
Ingredients
3/4 cup zesty Italian dressing
2 lb. stewing beef, cut into 1-inch chunks
6 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
6 carrots , sliced
1 1/2 cups peas
1-1/2 lb. potatoes (about 5), peeled, cut into large chunks
1 can (19 fl oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 fl oz) beef broth
Directions
Marinate beef and cook bacon, onions and mushrooms as directed. Remove meat from marinade; discard marinade. Add meat, onions, mushrooms and remaining ingredients to slow cooker; cook 10 to 12 hours on LOW (or 5 to 6 hours on HIGH). Stir in 2 Tbsp. flour mixed with 2 Tbsp. water. Cook 15 min. or until sauce is thickened.
I had some difficulty with this post because truthfully, I probably won't cook once this week. I have to travel for work for the first half of the week which means restaurant food, then Mr M is gone for a guys weekend so I will pack up the kidlets and head to one of the other abandoned wives homes for the weekend :)I have to admit I am looking forward to it!
But I couldn't leave you all hanging for another week so here are some ideas to keep you going, and they have left my mouth watering!!!
So my friends, have a great week and enjoy!
Monday - The PW's Simple Sesame Noodles with peppers, snow peas, and baby bok choy
Tuesday - Buffalo Chicken Clubhouse Wraps (not buffalo'ed for the kids)
Wednesday- Jenny Mac's Cream of Mushroom Soup
Thursday - Tacos...
Friday - Chicken and Asparagus in white wine sauce
Saturday - Clean out the fridge or go out!
Sunnday - SUPERBOWL MUNCHIES!!!!!
I know it may not be a *special*number but it was the reassurance I needed to keep blogging. Thanks #70 :)I'llput up a plan tomorrow!!!
I was having a horrible time focusing on writing this post today. I had zip for motivation, like ZERO. Could be the late night and the wine party, could be the snuggling with my minis and watching Ramona and Beezus, could be the fact that I don't seem to be sticking to my plans lately, you know with working and all......damn work ;)
So I came up with this one, to give all 6 of you that actually read my blog some meal inspiration! So my friends, ENJOY!
Monday - Steak Sandwiches with onions & mushrooms
Tuesday - Thai Chicken Wraps with spicy peanut sauce
Wednesday - Perfect Winter Beef Stew
Thursday - Leftover stew
Friday - Chicken Nacho Bake
Saturday-Honey Ginger Chicken Bites
Sunday-BBQ Beef Soft Tacos
It's true folks. It is a full work week for the first one in 3 weeks? It's going to be a strange one. I'm not feeling very wordy this morning but the plan is ready to roll!
Monday - Taco Soup
Tuesday - Whole wheat pasta with chicken, feta, sundried tomato, and spinach
Wednesday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Thursday- Panko crusted chicken fingers and home fries
Friday- Take out sushi
Saturday- Better than ever beef enchiladas
Sunday- Wings and taco salad
As many of you know I recently returned to the world of the working. It's a really cool place to be and I do honestly enjoy the challenge of working outside of the home. I thought I would share with all of you one of my BIGGEST ANNOYANCES challenges of the whole return to the land of the adults thing and I bet it's not AT ALL what you would think.
Each morning as I drag my sweet sweet ate too much xmas goodies butt out of bed and sneak over our creaky floors to the shower in the dark, all I can think is pleasedon'twakethekidsordogpleasedon'twakethekidsordogpleasedon'twakethekidsordog. If I successfully make it into the bathroom, shower, put my face on and dress, my next challenge is using the light from the screen of my blackberry to navigate my way into the kitchen and get the coffee poured, a slice of toast or cup of yogurt and my lunch. *If* I make it to this stage without waking the kids, I continue to use my flashlight blackberry screen to find my coat, shoes, sales bag, purse and keys. I successfully accomplished this the other day. It felt great. Then I set off my car alarm. *sigh* Yep. I woke the kids.
Welcome to 2011 my friends! We rang it in in style with some great friends and a wee bit too much bubbly ;)I hope you all had a great evening too!
So cheers to you all for a great New Year, enjoy the menu and as always please feel free to share yours!
Monday - Pork tenderloin with cous cous and garlic baby bok choy
Tuesday - Thai Chicken Soup from Just Slow Cooking
Wednesday - Sweet & spicy cashew chicken stirfry
Thursday - Pork chops marinated soy sauce, olive oil, vinegar, garlic powder, minced onion, cumin, basil, oregano (Thanks Jane! )served with potatoes and salad
Friday - Guiltless Alfredo Sauce with chicken and noodles....I may make it pesto for the adults...
Saturday - Chicken Nacho Bake
Sunday - Taco Salad using any leftover chicken from Saturday
RECIPES
Thai Chicken Soup
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 cans (16 ounces each) chicken broth
8 carrots, diagonally sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 piece (2 inches) ginger root, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks lemon grass, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 can (15 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cans (4 ounces each) straw or button mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Combine chicken, broth, carrots, onion, ginger root, garlic, lemon grass and crushed red pepper in a slow cooker. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 6-7 hours or high-heat setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours. If necessary, skim off fat.
Stir in coconut milk, bell pepper, mushrooms and cilantro. Cover; let stand 5-10 minutes. Discard lemon grass. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle peanuts over each serving.
Chicken Nacho Bake
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1/2 cup Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup crushed baked tortilla chips
1/2 cup 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 slices Bacon, chopped ( I will most likely use bacon bits I already have)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups grape tomatoes
2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
1/4 cup low fat Sour Cream
Make It
HEAT oven to 400ºF.
PLACE chicken on foil-covered baking sheet; top with salsa. Bake 20 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF), topping with crushed chips and cheese the last 5 min.
MEANWHILE, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from skillet. Add onions to skillet; cook and stir 5 min. Stir in tomatoes; cook 4 to 5 min. or until tomatoes begin to pop, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Stir in bacon.
TOP chicken with sour cream. Serve with rice mixture.
