Meal Planning Mama

I've got mail!

2011-11-08T20:37:00.002-07:00

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?

Some weekly inspiration!

2011-08-15T19:13:00.001-06:00

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...

Enjoy my friends!

Get Stuffed!

2011-08-13T14:27:00.000-06:00

A dear friend of mine gave me a giant orange vegetable.

I thought it was a zuchinni but turns out it might have been a squash at any rate my first thought was "What the HECK does one do with a giant orange vegetable?" So I stuffed it. People like it when you stuff things. It also make for an easy dinner and an excuse to blog.

I cooked some onion and garlic added ground beef, basil, parsley, oregano and peppers. Cooled it added feta, stuffed my squash and VIOLA!

Well there you have it my friends, if you ever find yourself with a giant orange vegetable...stuff it :P

Spaghetti Squash - What the Heck am I doing with it?

2011-07-20T23:16:00.000-06:00

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

The one in which I ask for blogger advice...

2011-07-06T22:31:00.000-06:00

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.

Summer is finally here!

2011-06-26T09:15:00.001-06:00

,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!!!!

Love. (And a meal plan.)

2011-06-19T20:33:00.000-06:00

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!

I planned. And we followed it...

2011-06-15T19:37:00.000-06:00

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.

Food, food glorious food!

2011-05-15T10:17:00.001-06:00

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.

AHEM.....

2011-05-10T21:17:00.000-06:00

187 hits and not one blasted comment?!?!?! What am I doing wrong!?!?!?

It felt good to click on that button.

2011-05-08T09:38:00.000-06:00

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)

RECIPES

Crispy Baked Chicken with citrus Teriyaki sauce
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tbsp. sake
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. mirin

For the chicken:
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 large eggs
1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3)
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
To make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, sake, sugar and mirin in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 6 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. In a second bowl, lightly beat the eggs together. Place the panko in a third shallow bowl or pie plate. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Butterfly the chicken breasts into halves so that you have 4-6 pieces total. Lightly season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Using tongs and working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture to coat both sides. Shake lightly to remove any excess. Then dip into the eggs and shake gently to remove any excess. Finally place in the panko, turning to coat well. Transfer to the prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces. Once all the chicken pieces are in place, spray lightly with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden. Let rest a few minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with the teriyaki dipping sauce.

Southwestern Stuffed Mushrooms

Total Time: 45 min
Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts, chopped small
6 Portobello Mushrooms, Stems Removed
6 Tbsp Olive Oil (about 1 Tbsp for each mushroom)
1 Tbsp Butter
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Coriander
1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Bell Pepper, Chopped (whichever color you prefer)
3/4 Cup Corn
3 Oz Fresh Spinach, Roughly Chopped
1 Tomato, Chopped
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Lime, Juiced
1 Small Bunch Cilantro, Chopped
2 Green Onions, Chopped
6 Ounces Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

Directions:

Brush the portobello mushrooms with olive oil and let them bake in an oven heated to 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Heat up the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add in the chicken, cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.

When the chicken is cooked about halfway through, add in the chopped pepper and corn.

Cook another minute or two until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add in the spinach and stir it a few times until it wilts.

Remove the pan from the heat and add in the tomato, sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and green onions.

Add the mixture to each of the six mushrooms and top with cheese.

Bake the finished mushrooms in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

LETTUCE WRAPS

Ingredients
16 butter lettuce leaves
1 pound lean ground meat (beef, pork or turkey)
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!

Sweet & Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

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

OMG.....It's fixed kinda...

2011-05-01T21:04:00.001-06:00

I missed ya!!! I will post a plan tomorrow!

Always thankful...

2011-03-20T17:35:00.000-06:00

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 recipe is merely words on paper..."

2011-03-15T21:06:00.000-06:00

"...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.

2011-03-15T20:56:00.000-06:00

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 wonder...

2011-03-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Why does the weekend go so fast?

2011-02-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

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

The theme this week....LOW CAL :)

2011-02-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

The sun is shining.

2011-02-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

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!)

Holy Snow Batman!

2011-02-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

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.

The stuff I would cook this week, if only......

2011-01-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

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 hit 70!

2011-01-29T09:27:00.002-07:00

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!!!

My Get up and Go, got up and went!

2011-01-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

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

You mean I have to work for 5 days in a row?!?!?!

2011-01-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

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

So, somedays I get ready in the dark.....

2011-01-02T21:51:00.001-07:00

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.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

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.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2010-12-24T15:44:00.002-07:00

Well another year has come and gone! I just wanted to take a minute and wish you all a very very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Meal Planning Mama is taking a break from planning this week, I promise to bring you a spectacular plan for the 1st one of the new year!!!!

Enjoy the ones you love this season....and well truthfully enjoy them everyday!!!

I made it!!

2010-12-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well my friends, I made it through week one of work. I like my new job, (that's good right?!?!?!)but hate the time away from my kiddies (expected right!?!?!) I truthfully did not cook once last week, darling Mr. M did, and WOW he may have something there! I offered to get him a Meal Planning Mister site, but he graciously declined.

At any rate, I am off to go get the ingredients I need for some Christmas baking today with Missy Lu. I wish you all a safe and happy holidays!

Monday- Enchiladas

Tuesday - Honey-spiced chicken thighs, salad and rice

Wednesday - Cheater chicken souvlaki & grilled veggies

Thursday- Take out

Friday - XMAS EVE!!! Our traditional Xmas eve munchies, spinach dip and whatever else we rustle up!

Saturday - Xmas Day -Breakfast Creme Brulee French Toast.
Dinner -Prime rib roast, yorkshire pudding, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and peas

Sunday - LEFTOVERS!!!!

Spicy Honey Chicken
Recipe by Our Best Bites

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs
2 t vegetable oil
Rub:
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Glaze:
1/2 C Honey
1T Cider Vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there! Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2T honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

I'm gonna warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It's sugar, and it's gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It's totally worth it once you taste this stuff.
If you don't have a bbq, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Creme Brulee French Toast

* 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons corn syrup
* an 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
* 5 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

The final countdown....

2010-12-11T09:56:00.001-07:00

Yes the last few days before I return to the workforce. It makes me want to bake, and cook and well truthfully ~~get my day drunk on~~ enjoy a glass or two of vino. This week we made some fun Christmas crafts, decorated the house and got a little bit of shopping done.

Mr M. will be taking over the cooking for a while, so in all truthfulness I have no idea how much of my planning will actually be followed through. He was joking this morning and told me his plan was Monday- tomato soup, Tuesday- Tomato soup and grilled cheese, Wednesday - Fancy nachos, Thursday - out Friday - out....We could be in for a bumpy ride folks!

So my friends! Enjoy this meal plan and we will see you next week !

Monday - Tacos requested by my darling daughter

Tuesday - Pork tenderloin marinated in PC Memories of Kobe (a garlic tamarind sauce), roasted potatoes and green beans

Wednesday - I am going to see Carrie Underwood with 14 other women!!! Mr M can make the minis tomato soup and grilled cheese!

Thursday - (Missy Lu's Xmas Concert) Cheater chicken souvlaki, grilled veggies, pita and tzatiki

Friday - W.I.N.E.& Appie night (Women In Need of Entertainment.)Mr. M and the minis can Make your Own Pizzas!

Saturday - Best Baked Manicotti from Mel's Kitchen Cafe!

Sunday - Leftovers

Return to work delayed by a week....

2010-12-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

My very last plan as a stay at home Mommy. And truthfully I have absolutely nothing witty to say. Like nothing. So eat, drink and be merry this week!

Monday- Steak sandwiches on garlic toast with sauteed mushrooms and onions

Tuesday- Lemon Butter Chicken, couscous and salad

Wednesday- Pasta bake and Caesar salad

Thursday - Better than ever beef enchiladas

Friday- homemade chicken fingers, oven fries, veggies and dip

Saturday- Chicken w/feta and sun-dried tomato

Sunday- Sweet and sour chicken, basmati rice and baby bok choy

Lemon Butter Chicken
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.

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients
1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup zesty Italian Dressing
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 cup shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, broth and dressing in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; toss to coat. Cover with foil.

Bake 50 min. or until ravioli is tender.

Remove foil; stir. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

*Note: if you like extra sauce, double the sauce ingredients – pour half over the chicken and follow the baking directions in the recipe and pour the other half in a small saucepan. Cook the sauce on the stovetop at a simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces and thickens. Serve it on the side of the chicken.

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

The one where I don't talk about food...

2010-11-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

So my dear readers, I am about to embark on a new journey and truthfully, I'm not sure what to feel. I have been an at home parent for 2 1/2 years and on Monday, like 6 sleeps away, I will be setting foot (cute heeled feet) out into the big bad world of...WORK. Now before you all start in on the whole "every Mom works" rants, I have to say I agree. I've worked harder as a Mom, with worse hours and sometimes questionable benefits, than I ever did in the big bad world of sales and marketing. But truthfully, I'm scared. I'm scared that my house/children/relationships will fall apart. I'm afraid that my children will never again wear matching clothes and that their ponytails will be askew...ok truthfully that happens lots with me (PICK YOUR BATTLES). I'm afraid that the laundry will fall behind, and that Mr M (who thankfully will be staying home for a bit) will forget library day on Wednesday and hot lunch Fridays. I'm afraid that the world I've worked so hard to create will crumble in my absence.... Man, I must think I am pretty good at my current job! All kidding aside, the thing that worries me most is failure. I am putting myself out there, in the big bad world, and in doing so I am taking a chance...WHAT IF I FAIL?

So for all you readers who have taken the plunge, I need your tips and tricks of survival. How did you make it?

Soup & nuts....well not really nuts but thats what my house is like today

2010-11-28T09:22:00.001-07:00

Ask and ye shall receive :) Quick and easy soups, 30 minute meals and well desserts, they'll have to wait (sorry Tiffany-Anne)But Ash I do have a great gingerbread recipe I'll post soon! This weeks soups were inspired by a blog I found Taste and Tell I HEART this blog! I hope you do too!

Monday - Curried Butternut Squash soup

Tuesday - French Onion Bread Soup

Wednesday - Butter chicken, and Naan bread (both from the Presidents Choice Blue Label)

Thursday - Honey Cornbread Muffins & Quick Homemade Tomato Soup

Friday - Leftovers / Clean out the fridge night

Saturday- Christmas Party

Sunday -Pork tenderloin marinated in PC's Kobe marinade, with baby bok choi and couscous (sounds fancy SO EASY)

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
Found at Serious Eats (original recipe from Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
6 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
6 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoon honey
Salt and pepper

Directions
Heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic and onion. Cook until soft, but not brown.
Add the butternut squash, stock, and curry powder. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the butternut squash is soft. Turn off the heat. Pour in the honey.
Using an immersion blender, puree into smooth. If you don't have one, then process in your blender in batches. Ladle into bowls.

French Onion Bread Soup
Adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray March 2008

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef broth
1/2 baguette, cut into small cubes
2 cups shredded gruyere or monterey jack

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the onions are caramelized, about 45 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add the beef broth, reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan.

Divide half of the bread cubes among four small ovenproof bowls and cover each with 1/4 cup cheese. Divide the soup among the bowls, then top with the remaining bread and cheese. Set the bowls on a baking sheet and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Honey Cornbread Muffins
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 can whole kernel sweet corn, drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add honey, eggs and salt. In a small bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal and baking powder. Mix into butter mixture. Stir in milk and corn. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Quick Homemade Tomato Soup (courtesy of Canadian Living)

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can stewed tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onions and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Using immersion blender or in blender, puree reheat if necessary.

I'm just saying, these better warm your soul!

2010-11-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's snowing. Yep, I said it S-N-O-W. and it's beautiful, and it makes me want soups and stews and casseroles (and hot toddies, and fireplaces and snuggies) What are some of your favorite keep warm meals? How do you warm the souls (and toes) of your family?

On another note, this Sunday is Grey Cup!!! Which means an excuse to make some fattening munchies, drink some beer and watch football!! I think in the States you just call it Sunday ;P I tested out Tidy Moms Beer Cheddar Dip last year and it was gobbled up, so I'm making it again for a whole new set of friends!

Enjoy my friends and stay warm!

Monday - Shepards Pie

Tuesday - Taco Soup

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Crockpot roastbeef

Friday- Lasagna

Saturday- Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken Stirfry

Sunday- Grey Cup Party!!! Chili, beer cheese dip, wings, 7 layer dip...mmmmmm
Chili
1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casing (we use mild...the chili has quite a kick as is.)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 envelope chili seasoning mix
1 16 ounce can of kidney beans, drained (optional)
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 15 ounce can of chicken broth

Crumble sausage and ground beef into large skillet. Add onion. Over medium high heat, partially cook sausage, ground beef and onion. Place cooked meat mixture in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on:

Low-8 hours OR
High-4 hours

I am also making Tidymom's Beer Cheese Dip found here http://www.tidymom.net/2010/01/beer-cheese-buffalo-chicken-dips.html

Beer Cheese Dip
from TidyMom.net

2 - 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup beer*
1 envelope Ranch Dressing Mix
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Beat the first three ingredients until well blended.
Stir in cheddar cheese by hand.
*if dip is too thick, add a little beer to thin it down

It's time to give back!

2010-11-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

Did you know that "The HungerCount 2010 survey found that 867,948 people used food banks in March 2010, an increase of 9.2 per cent or more than 73,000 people compared with the previous year. The figure was 28 per cent higher than in 2008." ? And that 38% of that number was children under 18?!?! (source CBC.ca) Makes you stop and think doesn't it? Makes my heart hurt a little, and makes me so thankful that I have the ability to feed my family without worry.

I am writing this post to encourage my readers (all 62 of you :>) to do something. To be kind! To get out there and volunteer or donate. Sponsor a family for Christmas this year. Participate in HEELing hunger Talk to your children, remind them how fortunate they are. Encourage them to do something for the local food bank. Let us put an end to hunger. strating in our own homes. Who knows what we can do if we all just try?

To read more of the CBC story http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/11/16/food-bank-survey016.html

Damn, I'm hungry

2010-11-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! This weeks menu is one I am looking forward to with lots of yummy favorites and 2 new found recipes. I am looking forward to Monday's Panko Mozzerella Sticks I found on Pass The Sushi I think the kids will love them! And Tidy Mom's Pizza Buns look DIVINE!! I mean really, who doesn't like pizza!

I thought I'd try something new and put the plan first and then the recipes, that way the meals won't get lost among the recpies. So now, if there is something you'd like the recipe for simply scroll down and Viola! Let me know what you think!

And as always, I'd love to hear from you all. Tell me your plan for the week, share a favorite recipe or simply say HI!

Until next time, Happy Planning (and eating!)

Monday- Chicken Wings, Panko Mozzarella sticks, veggies and ricotta dip

Tuesday - Lemon butter chicken, steamed veggies and rice

Wednesday - Pizza buns, salad

Thursday - Shrimp fetticini Alfredo

Friday- Spaghetti Squash with tossed veggies

Saturday - Out!

Sunday- Shredded chicken nachos with peppers, salsa, sour cream and guacamole

RECIPES

Ricotta dip
1 container ricotta cheese
lemon juice to taste
salt to taster
pepper to taste

Mix.

Lemon Butter Chicken
Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing
1 lemon, zested and juiced ( or if you don't have one just use the juice)
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.

Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
5 tablespoons sweet butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 (12 ounce) box angel hair pasta

Directions
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the garlic, cream, nutmeg, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir often. Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth. When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY. While the sauce cooks, boil noodles for 3-5 minutes. Place pasta on serving plates and spoon sauce over pasta.
Home Made Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
2 cans refrigerated pizza crust
garlic salt
Italian Seasoning
1 cup sliced and chopped pepperoni
1 cup shredded cheese (we used Provolone and Pepper Jack)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Ragu® Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce for dipping

Directions
Preheat oven to 425
Dust a large cutting board or piece of wax paper with flour and roll out each pizza crust.
Season each crust with garlic salt and Italian seasoning.
Top with cheese and meat
Starting with a short end, roll crust into a tight log
Slice into 1″ sections
Place on lightly greased pan and bake for 10-12 mins.
Serve with Ragu® Sweet Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce for dipping

Panko Mozzerella Sticks
Ingredients:

16 pieces string cheese, removed from wrappers
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
3 tbs milk
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tbs dried parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
Canola oil, for frying

Directions
Slice the string cheese in half.
Place the flour in a small bowl. In another separate bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the parsley, salt, pepper and garlic, stir to combine. In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs with the milk to combine.
To assemble, one by one, dust the cheese in the flour, tapping the excess off. Next, dip the cheese in the egg mixture, covering completely. Then lastly, roll the cheese in the panko crumb mixture. Gently remove and place on a baking sheet. Place the sheet in a freezer for 20 — 30 minutes to flash freeze sticks.
To cook, fill a medium saucepan with the canola oil until it reaches a height of about 1 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until hot.
When hot, add the mozzarella sticks, 8 pieces at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow the cheese to bubble and leak. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3.Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4.Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Cocktail Deeva's HEELING Hunger, you know cause I like it when people eat....

2010-11-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if you've heard of the one and only Cocktail Deeva but if you haven't you are probably living under a rock, or in a cave or maybe in like Flin Flon or some other equally crazy place in Canada. This woman rocks, seriously seriously rocks. From the very tips of her Jimmy Choos all the way up to the top of her cute lil noggin. It just so happens that her cute lil noggin came up with an amazing way to #bekind So check out HEELING HUNGER and support the fight against hunger with CocktailDeeva and @suzieswapper

I didn't make the soup.

2010-11-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

So I confess, I didn't make the soup. You know the one, in the pretty pumpkin bowls...yep that's me the sucky one who never made the soup. Maybe this week, maybe.

This week I am featuring some great looking recipes from other food blogs I happened to find this week. I was purusing foodgawker.com, typed in shrimp and Annies Eats popped up. Her shrimp enchiladas look so good!! And that butternut squash I was saving for my soup...I'm going to make butternut squash mac and cheese from Christine's Cuisine. And last but not least I have some cauliflower begging to be cooked and what better way to do it than with roasting it with curry. I found this great recipe at A Big Mouthful
So my friends, eat, drink and be merry this week! See you next Sunday!

xoxoxoxox
Monday- Tacos (at the request of my Missy Lu)

Tuesday -Bombay Sloppy Joes
Sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp paprika
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water

Turkey:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 large white onion, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!)
Kosher salt
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 to 6 hamburger buns

To make the sauce, warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper. Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro. Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve.

Wednesday - Shrimp Enchiladas
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 lb. medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red bell pepper, diced
¾ cup onion, diced
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. salt
Dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. heavy cream or half-and-half
¼ cup sour cream
6 oz. shredded cheese (such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.), divided
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
8-10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray

Directions:
In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer and let cook without moving, about 1 minute. Flip the shrimp over and continue to cook until just pink and opaque, 30-60 seconds longer. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside. When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite sized pieces, if desired.

Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the diced bell pepper and onion, and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the oregano, salt, garlic powder, cayenne and flour to the pan; stir well and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook just until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the tomatoes. Return the shrimp to the pan as well, and mix everything together until the sauce is well blended and the cheese is melted.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Scoop 1/3 cup of the filling and sauce mixture down the center of a tortilla. Sprinkle lightly with some of the reserved cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam side-down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling, tortillas and cheese. Spray the tops of the finished assembled tortillas lightly with cooking spray. Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool at least 5-10 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Ingredients

1 small butternut squash
12 ounces medium sized (elbow, shells, etc.) pasta
kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. powdered mustard
2 cups milk
4 ounces (1 cup) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces (1 cup) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
1. Adjust on oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and lay the halves cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake squash for 25-35 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted into the flesh meets no resistance. Scoop 2 cups of flesh from the squash and mash it with a fork or puree it in a blender or food processor. [Any additional squash can be pureed and frozen]
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, add about a large pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente according to package directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
5. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the foaming subsides, add in the flour and mustard. Whisk constantly for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in the milk.
6. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-6 minutes, until the mixture has the consistency of heavy cream.
7. Add the cheeses, ½ teaspoon salt, squash, stirring until the cheese melts.
8. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta and stir thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Roast Beef, Yorkshire pudding and roasted curried cauliflower

Cornbread recipe, for my baby sister :)

2010-11-02T12:58:00.001-06:00

This one is for you lil sis xoxoxox

Cornbread
Ingredients

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
5 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg, beaten

Directions

Sift dry ingredients and make a well then add milk, oil and egg. Stir together until clumpy. Put in greased pan and bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes.

Spaghetti?

2010-11-02T12:51:00.000-06:00

Mr M. is not a spaghetti fan. At all. He thinks of it as kind of a "lazy" meal, I personally think it is because he hasn't yet had a truly mouth watering over the top delicious bowl of Spaghetti. So to remedy this I am asking, no BEGGING, for you to please share your spaghetti recipes with me. Post me your tricks and tips in some hope that I can sway the tastebuds of my darling Mr M. Pretty, pretty PLEASE?????

My 100th post! (Oh and a meal plan!)

2010-10-31T08:46:00.001-06:00

WOW!!!! I never thought I could do it! And I only have you guys to thank! Your support and kind words are what keeps me going (well than and the need to eat....). I promise I'll try to make my next 100 posts just as exciting!

This week we have some delicious recipies. I don't know if you have ever cooked pork tenderloin but it is SUPER simple and my kids (Picky Polly's that they are) actually like it. The Squash soup in pumpkin bows, is a actually a food network recipe that I have been dying to try. A friend (Thanks Robbi!) passed along their last issue and I was in heaven. It looks a little more complicated that some of the other recipes so I will post a step by step for you all after I am done. I am super excited to try another Pioneer Woman recipe, she always has great food and the baked potato soup was originally forwarded to me from another friend (Thanks Nicki!) with rave reviews!

So my friends, from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for following me through my 100 posts and ENJOY!!!!

Monday -Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Pan Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable_oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped (or 1 small onion, chopped)
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Pinch each salt and pepper
1/4 cup white wine or sodium-reduced chicken broth
1 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth
1 tbsp each butter, softened, and all-purpose_flour
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In skillet, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil over medium-high heat; brown pork all over. Transfer to foil-lined baking sheet; roast in 400°F (200°C) oven until juices run clear when pork is pierced, about 18 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, in same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat; saut?hallots until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper; saut?ntil mushrooms are golden, about 6 minutes.
Add wine; cook until evaporated, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Add broth; cook for 5 minutes.
Mix butter with flour and add to sauce along with parsley; simmer, stirring, until thickened. Stir any juices from pork into sauce. Serve with pork.

Tuesday -Squash Soup in Pumpkin Bowls (Courtesy of the Food Network magazine)

Ingredients
For the Bowls:
4 small baking pumpkins (such as hooligan or sugar pie), acorn squash or sweet dumpling squash
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt
For the Soup:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, chopped
Kosher salt
2 sprigs thyme
1 medium butternut or kuri squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons
heavy cream (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
For the Toppings:
Pepitas (hulled green pumpkin seeds)
Sourdough and/or pumpernickel croutons
Paprika, chili powder or Spanish pimenton
Crisp prosciutto, serrano ham or bacon
Fried onions
Fried sage or parsley leaves

Directions
Make the bowls: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Use a paring knife to cut a large circle around the stem of each pumpkin (make a zigzag cut, if desired). Remove the lid and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Sprinkle the inside of each with 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and salt. Place the pumpkins and lids on a baking sheet; roast until tender, 20 to 35 minutes, depending on their size.
Meanwhile, make the soup: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Strip the thyme leaves into the pot, increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash and sugar and cook, stirring, until glazed, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the squash is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender, crack the lid to let steam escape and puree until smooth; return to the saucepan (or puree directly in the pan with an immersion blender). Stir in the heavy cream, if desired. Season with salt and pepper, and top as desired.

Wednesday -Parmesean chicken fingers and oven fries

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (***make a few extra for tomorrows meal!***)
2 eggs
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or fresh bread crumbs
4 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each pepper and paprika
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Between sheets of plastic wrap, pound chicken with flat side of meat pounder or with rolling pin until 1/2 inch thick. Cut lengthwise on diagonal into 4- x 1-1/2-inch strips. In bowl, whisk eggs. In shallow bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and paprika.

One at a time, dip chicken strips into eggs, letting any excess drip back into bowl. Dredge in cheese mixture, coating generously and pressing to adhere. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate, layered between waxed paper, in airtight container for up to 24 hours. Or freeze for up to 2 weeks; bake frozen, adding 5 minutes to baking time.)
Arrange on greased baking sheets; drizzle with butter. Bake in 425°F oven until golden, crispy and no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes.
Oven fries :

As many potatoes as people
cut like fries
place foil on a baking sheet
toss potatoes in a bowl with olive oil, and seasoning salt
spread potatoes on baking sheet
cook at 350 for 40 mins or until done

Thursday -leftovers for clubhouse wraps
Ingredients
lefiover chicken strips
lettuce
tomato
bacon bits
mayo ( I roast some garlic and make raosted garlice mayo mmmmmm)
tortilla shells
shredded cheese

Take leftover chicken fingers and warm in a frying pan on the stove.
When done, take a trtilla shell, spread mayo, layer chicken, lettuce, tomato, bacon bits, and shredded cheese. Wrap it up and ENJOY!

Friday - The Pioneer Woman's "Favorite Meatloaf"
****text copied from The PW's website****
Ingredients

Meatloaf:

1 cup Whole Milk
6 slices White Bread
2 pounds Ground Beef
1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ teaspoons Seasoned Salt
¾ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
⅓ cups Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
4 whole Eggs Beaten
10 slices Thin/regular Bacon

Sauce:
1-½ cup Ketchup
⅓ cups Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
Tabasco To Taste

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.
Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.
With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)
Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.
Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Saturday - Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
2 large baking potatoes—peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3 cups milk
Salt and pepper
1/2 head cauliflower, cored and chopped
1 bunch scallions, white and green portions thinly sliced separately
4 slices bacon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, 2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the cauliflower and scallion whites, cover and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup milk, then puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Microwave the bacon at high power until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes; crumble. Divide the soup among 4 bowls and top with the shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and scallion greens.

Sunday- Chicken Wings, veggies and ricotta dip

Ricotta dip
1 container ricotta cheese
lemon juice
salt
pepper

The first one in a while :)

2010-10-24T11:10:00.001-06:00

I have missed this. Sunday mornings, coffee in hand planning my meals for the week. I think I need to make changes to my site, like adding pictures and shopping lists, but they will come I promise. In the meantime, share your plans with me! And until next week...Happy Planning!

Monday - Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients2 tablespoons liquid honey
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger, root
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3 pork, tenderloins

DirectionsIn bowl, combine honey, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. (Make-ahead: In shallow glass dish, pour honey mixture over pork, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.)
Brush pork with half of the honey mixture; place on greased grill over medium-high heat. Close lid and cook for 10 minutes; turn and brush with remaining honey mixture. Cook for 8 minutes or until juices run clear when pork is pierced and just a hint of pink remains inside.
Transfer to cutting board; tent with foil and let stand for 5 minutes. Refrigerate 1 of the tenderloins until cold; wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Thinly slice remaining 2 tenderloins.

Tuesday - Taco Soup in the Crockpot
Ingredients1pound (500 g) hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 14 oz cans of kidney beans
1 14oz can brown beans
1 can Niblet corn or frozen corn
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can water
1 bag cheese flavored nacho chips

DirectionsBrown ground beef in on stove, add taco seasoning and water. Drain and add to crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on high for 3 - 4 hours or low for longer. Serve topped with cheddar cheese and crushed cheese taco chips.

Wednesday - Leftover soup
Thursday - Tortellini with Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes4 cups small (1 inch/2.5 cm) cauliflower florets (1/2 head)
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon butter, melted
350 grams fresh or frozen tortellini
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or basil
Salt and pepper
2 cups milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Canadian Parmesan cheese

DirectionsPreheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower florets, tomatoes and garlic with butter; spread out evenly, placing garlic pieces to one side of the sheet. Roast for about 20 min, stirring twice (without mixing in garlic), until cauliflower and garlic are browned and tender and tomatoes have burst open.
Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Whisk flour, thyme and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each, salt and pepper into Milk. Pour into pasta pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, whisking, for about 3 min or until thick. Remove from heat. Mash garlic and stir into sauce then stir in remaining roasted vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide tortellini among serving bowls and spoon vegetables and sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Friday - Out for a Friends Birthday!

Saturday - Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms
Ingredients4 servings
15 min 5 min prep
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (or more!)
4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
2 cups small mushrooms, halved,or quartered if using larger mushrooms
1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled

DirectionsIn a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil.
In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, the mustard and garlic.
Add the chicken and coat both sides with the mixture.
Transfer the chicken and mixture to the skillet; saute until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
In the skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil.
Saute the mushrooms about a minute; add the broth/wine, thyme and remaining tablespoon of vinegar.
Cook stirring until the mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.
Serve the chicken, topped with the mushrooms.

Sunday - Shredded BBQ pork sandwiches in the crock pot!

Slow Cooker Cran-Apple Butter

2010-10-23T09:49:00.000-06:00

The day after I got my computer back I was cruising cooking blogs (surprised?) and I stumbled across this blog Mommie Cooks, who by the way has some AMAZING looking recipes. At any rate I found her recipe for Cranberry Apple Butter and was immediately intrigued, more so because I went a little overboard at the fruit stand the other day with in the apple department :)but nonetheless you could practically SMELL the apples cooking in the crock before I even pulled it out of the cupboard!

So my friends, my first recipe after a looooooong hiatus is from Mommie Cooks for Super Slow Cooker Cran-Apple Butter

10-12 Apples, Chopped
3 Cups of Whole Cranberries
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of White Sugar
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp of Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Cloves
4 Shakes of Salt

Throw it all in your slow cooker and cook it on low for 12 hours. When the butter is done, put it in the blender in small batches, remember to vent frequently for steam.

Enjoy my friends! And stay tuned for tomorrow's weekly plan! I missed you all!!!!!

OMFG

2010-10-19T19:13:00.002-06:00

My computer is fixed!!!! I will post my meal plan tomorrow!!!! I HAVE MISSED YOU!!!!XOXOXOXOOXXO

My computer is toast

2010-09-22T11:04:00.002-06:00

Sorry peeps, my beloved laptop has died. I will be back with some planning ASAP!

I'm a twit

2010-09-13T20:29:00.002-06:00

or is it a tweet? I don't get it but I'm going to give it a go.....FOLLOW me on TWITTER @MPMtweets!

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.....

2010-09-12T09:23:00.000-06:00

Did ya miss me? Go ahead, admit it, it's hard not to miss me. :) Let me give you a mini update on where I have been and what I am doing these days...Last week we packed up and headed off on a crazy adventure that brought us closer to home, you know that place where your heart is. We have started the next chapter in our lives and well that landed me with this view...

Life is grand my friends, Enjoy!

Monday - Better Than Ever 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.

Tuesday - Maple-Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Caramelized Apples
Ingredients

2 (1/2-pound) pork tenderloins
Cooking spray
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium Granny Smith apples, each peeled and cut into 16 wedges (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°.

Trim fat from pork. Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Combine mustard, 2 tablespoons syrup, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; brush over pork. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of pork. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink).

While pork is baking, heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add apples, and saute 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to low, and add 4 tablespoons maple syrup. Simmer 10 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Cut pork crosswise into slices; spoon cooked apples over pork.

Wednesday- The PW's Simple Sesame Noodles (with veggies)***recipe copied from link***

Ingredients

12 ounces, fluid Thin Noodles, Cooked And Drained
¼ cups Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Sugar
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Pure Sesame Oil
½ teaspoons Hot Chili Oil
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Tablespoons Hot Water
4 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

Thursday- Sloppy Joes

Friday - Tequila-Lime Chicken ***recipe copied from link***
Ingredients

* 3 whole Limes, Juiced
* 5 cloves Garlic, Peeled
* 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
* ½ cups Cilantro
* ½ cups Tequila
* 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
* Pico De Gallo
* Refried Pinto Or Black Beans
* Mexican Rice
* Sour Cream
* Avocado Slices
* Homemade Flour Tortillas

Preparation Instructions

Combine lime juice, garlic cloves, sliced jalapeno, salt, cilantro, and tequila in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. Turn on the blender/food processor and drizzle in the olive oil until it’s all combined.

Slightly flatten chicken breasts with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Place in a plastic bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag and marinate for several hours or (preferably) overnight.

When ready to cook, remove chicken from bag and place on the grill. Cook until completely done. Toward the end of cooking, top chicken breasts with grated Monterey Jack and allow to melt. (You can also top chicken with cheese and melt under the broiler.)

Serve topped with pico de gallo or salsa, alongside refried black beans, Mexican rice, sour cream, avocado slices, fresh flour tortillas…and whatever other garnishes make you smile!

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Steak on the BBQ~!

Next week I promise.....

2010-09-08T16:33:00.002-06:00

We are moved and settling in! I'll be back on Sunday with plan, I PROMISE!!!!

Super Duper Easy Guac....

2010-08-30T17:35:00.000-06:00

I have a love affair with guacamole. No seriously, I could eat it everyday. At any rate I found the easiest and least expensive way to make guac is....

1 ripe avocado, mashed and smushed
a few shakes "garlic plus"
a few shakes cumin
a few shakes garlic powder
a squeeze of lime juice
and if I feel like it a splash of salsa

Yup. That's it. See told ya, super duper easy!

The one where I don't plan....

2010-08-29T08:06:00.002-06:00

So this week we are moving. I plan to use the next few days to clean out the fridge and freezer with whatever is left so I don't have to move a bunch of perishables 8 hours away. But since I'm kinda a big deal and people rely on me to provide them with ideas for eats this week I will link you to some other amazing meal planners!
And to all my friends here in the Elk Valley, you will be missed!

This Week for Dinner (Meal plan up today)
The Double Dipped Life (up Monday)
I'm an Organizing Junkie (Meal Plan up Monday)

Betty Crapper

Can I Get The Recipe?

Domestic Dame

The one where I wing it....

2010-08-22T08:33:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a week. Our house is officially sold and MPM, Mr. M, Lu and Lex are on the move! That said I sold our table, so dinner time will be interesting for the next 2 weeks, well until move day :)

Yesterday Mr. M and I celebrated our anniversary. We had a gift certificate to an AMAZING Italian restaurant in Fernie! For those of you from the Elk Valley, you MUST try Mezzuluna!!!! The food was great, and with the exception of the cafeteria bell to let the servers know food is up, the ambiance was pretty cool too. We ate like kings!

At any rate, I don`t know how good I will be at following my own meal plan this week, but I couldn't leave you hanging so without any further ado.....

Monday - Tacos Supreme Courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

Tuesday - Lemon & Garlic grilled chicken & corn on the cob

Wednesday - Asian lettuce wraps from Our Best Bites

Thursday -Kickass Sirloin Steak Sandwiches These are seriously YUMMY

Friday - Over to the Kerk's for a Bye-Bye BBQ...yes, we are the ones leaving :(

Saturday - Munchies....cheese, crackers, meats, hummus, maybe shrimp

Sunday - Homemade Pizzas...I might even try Jane's secret ingredient

Week 1 - clean it out!

2010-08-15T08:21:00.000-06:00

So using my list, I think I did pretty well. My goal is to have NOTHING in my freezer and very few things in my pantry. I hope you can help me by sending me some recipes!
Have a wonderful week, and keep enjoying summer!!!

Monday- Sweet & Spicy cashew chicken stir-fry (use frozen veggies, cashews, stir fry noodles, and chicken breasts)

Tuesday - Tuna Tortas with Pico de Gallo (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

2 can (6 oz.) solid white tuna packed in water
8 ounces Roma tomates, rinsed, seeded, cured, and chopped (see notes)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
6 tablespoons lime juice
2/3 cup minced red onion
4 fresh serrano chilies or other small hot chilies, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 sandwich rolls (3 oz. each), split in half horizontally

Preparation
Drain tuna well; flake into a bowl with a fork. Stir in tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, onion, chilies, and salt.
Mound tuna equally on sandwich roll bottoms and set tops in place.

Wednesday- BBQ Italian sausage, salad

Thursday- Tuna Vegetable Couscous Salad courtesy of My Cooking Hut
Ingredients:

Couscous, 200g
Water, 1 litre
Cherry tomatoes, 200-250g
Parsley (finely chopped), handful
Mint (finely chopped), handful
Sweet corns, 1 small can
Tuna in brine, 1 can
Cucumber, half
Lemon, 1 or 1.5
Black Olives (chopped and some keep whole), 50g
Feta cheese, 70 – 80g
Extra Virgin Olive oil, 4 tbsp (or more if needed)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:
Boil 1 litre of water in a saucepan and put in couscous and cook it according to the instruction on the packet. Once cook, strain and let it cool.
Chop parsley, mint, black olives. Halves cherry tomatoes. Cut cucumber and feta cheese into cubes.
In a large bowl, put in the cooked couscous. Mix in cherry tomatoes, black olives, parsley, mint, feta cheese, sweet corns, tuna, and cucumber.
Squeeze juice of 1 (or 1.5) lemon and mix with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.
Then, drizzle in about 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Give it a good mix.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Garnish with a few black olives.

Friday- BBQ Burgs. 'nuff said :)

Saturday- Beer Bum chicken (yes I will ACTUALLY make it I promise)& beans

Sunday- Use left over chicken for either bbq chicken pizza or chicken salad sandwiches

Kitchen Inventory....

2010-08-14T11:11:00.002-06:00

So I have challenged myself to clean out the cupboards and freezer as we may be relocating verrrrryyyyyy soon ;)

So to start the inventory....

FREEZER
~~1 roasting chicken~~ (that I have been intending to cook FOREVER)
2 1 package mild Italian sausage
~~2 1lb packages ground beef~~
1 package bratwurst sausage
8 chicken wings
1/2 bag of frozen chicken breasts (~~4-6~~ left)(2-3)
1/2 bag of fries
1 bag frozen blueberries
1 bag frozen raspberries
1 box containing 6 packs of Edamame
~~1 bag chopped stir-fry veggies~~
some freezies.....

Pantry
1/2 bag shells pasta
1/2 box cannelloini
1/2 bag basmati rice (that keeps not cooking properly)
2 1 box couscous (1 parm and garlic)
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chunky clam chowder
6 3 cans of tuna
~~1 bag chow mein noodles~~
1/2 bag cashews (hmmmm :) )
3 2 cans baked beans
1 bag croutons

Now, what to make......

Bad, bad, Meal Planning Mama....

2010-08-09T15:20:00.002-06:00

I know. I am bad. But I'm real real sorry, I promise. You see we kinda went away for 4 days and stayed for 8....It was super cool. Kinda like me. :)

When we got home my BFF, her practice hubby (aka the roomie) and the mini were on our door step and starving. So MPM apologized, and made food....(actually Practice Hubby bought lunch but meh, who's counting :)

So this week will bring you the first of many clean out the cupboards/freezer/fridge meals until we hit the lovely month of September, I'll explain more later....wish me luck!

Monday - Lemon chicken, broccoli/carrot/celery/grape tomato salad, pita and hummus

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 - BBQ pork chops, corn on the cob and rice

Wednesday- ~~Beer bum chicken, salad and rolls~~ Chinese food from the Arrowana

Thursday- ~~BBQ chicken pizza~~ Linguini chicken alfredo with spinach

Friday- ~~Burgs on the BBQ, served with guac and salsa mmmmmmmmm~~ "tiki" shrimp w/ sweet thai chili and veggies

Saturday- Out for a friends 30th!

Sunday- Taco salad

SORRY.....

2010-08-09T10:23:00.001-06:00

We were away, just got back, meal plan up later today I PROMISE!!!!!

2010-08-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

I must apologize today. First for not posting about sushi last week and second for the rather uninspiring meal plan this week. Although Thursday is really cool...Thanks Dine and Dish for the idea! Happy planning my friends!

Monday- away

Tuesday- away

Wednesday- driving home....

Thursday- "Walking Tacos"

Friday- Red Thai Curry

Saturday- BBQ chicken, corn on the cob & couscous

Sunday- Beer bum chicken on the BBQ, side salad and rolls!

Mmmmmmm Summer

2010-07-25T16:00:00.001-06:00

Well summer seems to have arrived here, finally! And with it lighter meals and many improvisations. So my words today are short and sweet....

Enjoy! :)

Monday- Cheater Chicken Souvlaki, grilled veggies, pita and homemade hummus

Lemon Hummus:

1 can rinsed chick peas
olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
salt and pepper
1 squeezed lemon
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp cumin

Garnish with a drizzle of yummy olive oil, a dash of paprika, or pine nuts

Through it all in the processor, tweak, and eat!! Yummm

Tuesday- Girls are coming over for SUSHI night! I'll post pics and recipes I promise :)

Wednesday- I will take the leftovers from Monday and toss them with some feta cheese and wrap them up in leftover pita for Greek wraps

Thursday - 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.

Friday - My new favorite sandwich

light rye bread
sundried tomato turkey
roasted garlic mayo
hummus
orange and green peppers
cucumber
romaine lettuce

Saturday and Sunday we will be eating with friends, so the menu is yet to be determined!

I forgot the title....

2010-07-18T04:05:00.003-06:00

Well my friends another week has passed. I am a year older and ok with it....i think. I didn't get my favorite cake I have had every year since I was little (angel food topped with whip cream, strawberries and cherries) but I am ok with it....i think.

I am hoping you can all share some of your favorite summer salad recipes with me! I am looking to slim down and want to make some more healthy choices. So please feel free to contribute your salad recipes in the comments section or on my facebook page!
Have a good one my friends!

Monday- Steak and Ceasar wraps, OR to cut carbs, steak ceasar salad
We are making steak instead of tacos tonight and have one extra which I will grill and slice thinly to use in wraps....

Tuesday- Lemon Dill Salmon Skewers with quinoa & kale

Ingredients
4 centre cut salmon fillet
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp grated lime rind
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Directions:
Remove and discard skin from salmon; cut into 1-1/2-inch (4 cm) cubes to make 24 pieces.
In large glass bowl, mix together dill, oil, lemon rind and juice, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Add salmon cubes and toss to coat; let stand for 10 minutes.
Beginning and ending with lemon wedge, thread salmon loosely onto 4 metal skewers, reserving marinade. Place on greased grill over medium heat; brush with marinade. Close lid and grill, turning twice, until fish flakes easily when tested, about 10 minutes.

Wednesday- Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad (can you tell I'm on a couscous kick???)

Ingredients
3 tbsp (50 mL) balsamic_vinegar
2 tbsp (25 mL) prepared pesto
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive_oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
3/4 cup (175 mL) whole wheat couscous
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 green_onion, sliced
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 sweet yellow pepper, quartered
1 cup (250 mL) halved grape or cherry_tomatoes

Directions
In small bowl, whisk together vinegar, pesto, oil and pepper; set aside.
In large bowl, combine couscous with 3/4 cup (175 mL) boiling water; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork; fold in chickpeas and green onion.
Cut eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices. Place eggplant, zucchini and yellow pepper on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until tender-crisp, about 10 minutes.
Cut eggplant and zucchini into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide strips. Cut pepper into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Add grilled vegetables and tomatoes to couscous. Add pesto mixture; toss to combine.

Thursday- Homemade pizzas on whole wheat pitas
My favorite of the day is garlic and olive oil on the pita, topped with spinich, feta, and whatever meat I have on hand

Friday- Chicken & Veggie Teriyaki Skewers

Quick Teriyaki Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup mirin
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 slices gingerroot
1 tbsp cornstarch

Saturday- Burgers on the BBQ

Sunday- Out!

Damn that girl in an Igloo.....

2010-07-14T06:57:00.000-06:00

My friend, let's call her Square, has a ridiculously fabulous blog called From an Igloo. It is seriously cool. She kinda makes me want to be craftier, hell I even bought fabric to make her One Hour Sundress. This from the girl who failed Grade 8 sewing, a MANDATORY course at my all girls Catholic school....SERIOUSLY FAILED SEWING. But I digress.....where was I heading with this one.....oh yeah cookies!

Yesterday Square posted this recipe Best Ever Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies They were inspired by the old snack and a half ice cream treat, does anyone else remember them??? 2 yummy oatmeal cookies sandwiching vanilla ice cream and covered in a thin layer of chocolate mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Well DAMN her, I just so happened to have all the ingredients to make them in my cupboard, well except the chips but when in trouble sub SMARTIES. Now I know this is a Canadian candy but my American friends you must have SOMETHING similar!

At any rate, the cookies were made and consumed warm and out of the oven,

then again with ice cream for desert,

and well I think they were a hit......

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-07-11T08:06:00.000-06:00

While perusing one of my favorite "foodie" websites foodgawker I came across some yummy looking summer salads. The first I am going to try this week is from the parsley thief there are some seriously good looking pictures of food on her website! The second is from FatFree Vegan Kitchen Now we all know I love my meat, but this recipe looks so so good!

Also I am taking suggestions for sugar free/low/no carb recipes! I need some menus to help out a friend! So please leave me comments here or on my fb page and help a sista out!

Monday- Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated, "30 Minute Suppers", Summer 2010
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup {packed} fresh basil leaves
juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cups + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt & pepper, to taste
1 pound Campanelle pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces baby arugula

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta, according to the package instructions, until 1 minute less than al dente. Drain & rinse under cold water.
Meanwhile, combine the pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, basil & lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the 2/3 cups olive oil & process until incorporated.
Rinse & trim the chicken breast. Then slice them down the middle, so that you have 4 thin pieces of chicken. Drizzle them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil & season generously with salt & freshly ground pepper. Grill for about 3-5 minutes per side {depending on how thin they are}, or until they are cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board & cut into thin slices.
Combine the pasta, tomatoes, arugula & sliced chicken in a large bowl. Add a bit of the dressing at a time & toss, until the salad is well coated with the pesto. You may not need all of it {If making ahead of time, or you end up with some leftovers, save the dressing to re-hydrate the salad later on}.
Check the salad for seasoning & serve.

Tuesday -Israeli Couscous Summer Pilaf
Make sure to use a firm, flavorful cucumber with a minimum of seeds. Hothouse cucumber is a good choice for this if you can’t get a small, firm variety straight from the garden or farm market.

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
1 heaping cup cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large stalk celery, strings removed and diced
2 scallions, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh dill, or more, to taste
10 to 12 basil leaves, thinly sliced, or more, to taste
4 medium firm, ripe apricots or 3 medium firm, ripe nectarines, pitted and diced
1 heaping cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes (red or yellow, or a combination)
1 medium firm, ripe avocado, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or less if you’d like a lower fat dish)
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or more, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Mixed baby greens, as needed
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the Israeli couscous and cook at a rapid simmer for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water until the couscous is at room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, combine the couscous with the remaining ingredients except the last two. Toss well to combine.

Line a large serving platter with some greens. Mound the salad over them, letting some of the greens show along the edge. Sprinkle the top with the toasted nuts. Serve at once or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Wednesday - bbq burgers and (leftover) salads

Thursday - OUT! It's my birthday!!!

Friday - homemade pizza

Saturday- Potluck picnic with friends at "the farm"

Sunday - Tacos, or nachos (at the request of my 6 yo)

Vote for me!!!

2010-07-07T07:27:00.003-06:00

At Top Mommy Blogs!

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=mealmama

Or click the link on the right hand side of the page!

A well stocked freezer.

2010-07-04T09:50:00.000-06:00

First I must wish a Happy 4th of July to all my American friends! I hope you all enjoy this day! We were camping in the States this weekend and hit up my favorite box store, cause what's camping without Costco right?!?!?! Hence the title, a well stocked freezer. My challenge now is planning meals that are already in my house, well with the exception of a few fresh veggies!

So without any more grumbling, happy planning!

Monday -Adobo-Marinated Pork Chops with Grilled-Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 pounds pork chops
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
Cooking spray
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

Directions
Combine first 6 ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish. Trim fat from pork. Place pork in dish, turning to coat; cover and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning pork occasionally.
Prepare grill.
Remove pork from dish; discard marinade. Brush with oil. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest portion of pork. Place on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 25 minutes or until thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions. Serve with Grilled-Pineapple Salsa.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Ingredients
5 (1-inch) slices fresh pineapple (about 4 1/2 pounds)
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
Cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced crystallized ginger
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 drained canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced

Directions
Preheat grill.
Place first 3 ingredients on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side. Discard stems and seeds from bell peppers; dice pineapple and bell peppers. Combine pineapple, bell pepper, onion, and remaining ingredients; toss gently.

Tuesday -Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions, and Cheese

Ingredients
6 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Cooking spray

Directions
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Wednesday - Buttermilk-Garlic Chicken Kebabs (From this months issue of Canadian Living)with flatbread and tzaziki
Ingredients
3-4 -boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1"-2" chunks
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp dried oregano
juice and zest of 1 lemon
pepper and salt to taste

Directions
Combine buttermilk, onion, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, zest, and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken and let marinate for up to 24 hours.
Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes before grilling. Preheat BBQ to high. Thread chicken onto skewers, sprinkle with salt. Place skewers on grill and reduce heat to medium-low. Close lid and cook 15-20 minutes, turning once or twice, until done.

Thursday - Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta
Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked penne
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup vertically sliced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, chopped
6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
q/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 2 tablespoons cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and basil.

Friday- BBQ burgers on the grill and salad

Saturday-Something curry....any suggestions?

Sunday- Steak caesar salad

My confession.

2010-06-28T20:07:00.001-06:00

I know you all think I am some amazing uber organized supah Mama but I must confess....tonight we had nachos.

Now that you are done reeling from the shock, it's true. I am by no means perfect, nor am I uber organized AND as much as I love my mad skillz, (in the kitchen and other places :P) I must be honest.... sometimes we just do the best we can. Today was one of those days. The marinade I was going to make said it had to rest for at least an hour, which I did not have, because my almost 2 year old was to busy eating dirt and licking yogurt off of the dog. So we had nachos. And Caesars. Yes the drink, not the salad. I'll try the pork again tomorrow.

Delish!

2010-06-27T20:43:00.000-06:00

Late is always better than never, right?!?!? Not much to say this week I am home from another road trip 1400 kilometers in 4 days with the 2 minis...*sigh* They were great, the friends we saw always make me smile, and the sun shone the whole time!

I will admit last week I didn't make the salmon I intended but I am going to attempt salmon again. And a big HAPPY CANADA DAY this Thursday to all my fellow Canadians! Maybe I'll make a cake....

Monday -Balsamic Honey Pork Chops , and mixed greens
Ingredients
1 lb pork chops pounded to about 1/2 inch thickness
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup local honey
2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
1 tbsp minced onion
1/4 tsp salt
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp grapeseed oil

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients except the grapeseed oil in a large zip-lock bag and marinade for up to 8 hours, a minimum of 1 hour. Marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking to ensure really tender pork. You can even prepare the marinade and pork in advance in the zip-lock bags and freeze for later, it will marinade as it thaws which couldn’t be more convenient! Once the pork has finished marinading the balsamic honey mixture, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the leftover marinade, and season each side of the pork with salt and pepper and add the oil to the hot pan. When the oil shimmers, add the pork and cook on each side for about 4 minutes, or until the pork is cooked through. Remove the pork from the pan and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Tuesday -Asian Salmon , green beans and rice

Wednesday - leftovers, it's a big salmon....

Thursday -Tracie’s Couscous Salad
Adapted from Tracie Farmer (via “Paula’s Home Cooking,” FoodNetwork.com)
Ingredients
1 box flavored couscous (garlic or Parmesan), cooked (recommended: Near East)
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 Vidalia or red onion, chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 to 3 limes, juiced

In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients with the olive oil and lime juice, to taste.

Friday - Orange Infused Teriyaki Chicken with salad

Saturday -Tacos

Sunday- BBQ ribs, roasted veggies and garlic bread

I swear I see sun!

2010-06-20T08:16:00.000-06:00

Well my friends yet another week is upon us, and I am trying to fill it with healthy meals. Sometimes I fail (mmmmmmm bacon wrapped burgers) but this week is looking might fine if I may say so myself, and since it's my blog, well I can, you know say so myself.....

So enjoy your week, and please if you want to share your plans leave it in the comments section! I am always looking for inspiration!

Monday - Roasted chicken breasts topped with bruschetta and feta cheese (not topped for the minis)

Bruschetta

Ingredients

5 ripe tomatoes- any variety but plum or off the vine work best

1 medium sized red onion

1/2 cup roasted red peppers drained of oil

garlic use as much or as little to suit your taste

1/2 cup fresh basil chopped (or use a quarter as much dried)

a few teaspoons of salt (see explanation below)

a few tea spoons of sugar(see explanation below)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup feta

Directions

Cut tomatoes and onions into a fine dice, put in bowl. Chop red peppers into small dice, add to bowl. Add garlic, start with a few teaspoons, the adjust to taste later. Chop basil, or add to bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix. Add vinegar first, otherwise the oil will not let the vinegar coat the mixture. Add oil, taste for seasoning- too salty add a little more sugar, too sweet add a little more salt. Mix well and refrigerate for at least two hours (the longer the better)

Tuesday - Salmon on the BBQ, rice and steamed green beans

Wednesday - BBQ bacon wrapped burgers served with Veggies and dip
Ingredients
1/2 cup shredded cheese (can use more!)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
3 tablespoons ketchup or favorite barbecue sauce
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons seasoning salt (or to taste)
black pepper
1 lb ground beef (do not use extra lean ground beef!)
bacon, slices

Directions
Set grill to medium-high heat. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except the bacon. Form into 4-6 patties. Wrap one or two slices of bacon around each pattie, then secure with toothpicks. Place the patties on a greased grill. Cook until well done. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

Thursday - Clubhouse wraps

Friday & Saturday - out with friends

Sunday - Nachos!

And the winner is.....

2010-06-19T08:19:00.000-06:00

#5!!! ModernMom said...

I voted for you on Top Mommy Blogs.clicked right on through:)

Fab giveaway and great to meet you.
Hope you can pop over to my blog sometime!

She also picked Straight Time, so ModernMom please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prize! Congrats!

No Bake Granola Bars!

2010-06-17T14:58:00.000-06:00

I am told these granola bars are "gluten free" So I am posting this for all those with gluten allergies. I know some people who have also substituted the peanut butter for peabutter if you have peanut allergies.

No-Bake Granola Bars

8 min | 8 min prep

24 bars
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
In large bowl, combine cereal, rolled oats and raisins; set aside.
In small saucepan, combine brown sugar and corn syrup.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in peanut butter and vanilla; blend until smooth.
Pour over cereal mixture; mix well.
Press into ungreased 13"x 9" pan.
Cool; cut into 24 bars.

On Vacation

2010-06-13T09:54:00.000-06:00

Well I am still thoroughly enjoying my cooking hiatus. Vacation is awesome, the full extent of my cooking has thus far consisted of Lexie's favorite "Peda-Jam". I was treated to some yummy Sushi on Friday with amazing friends and last night my sister and the bf shared their love of Thai Food and ordered in some delicious food. (Maybe I'll eat it for breakfast...maybe)

We arrive home Wednesday after dinner and will be camping this weekend for fathers day, with some great friends. So yes, it's another short week. But if you are stuck for recipes try a few of my favorites from this site: Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir-fry, Lettuce Wraps, or the cheater chicken souvlaki! And until then, happy planning my friends!

Monday- away

Tuesday- away

Wednesday- away

Thursday - BBQ roasted chicken, salad & rolls

Friday - Shredded chicken Greek wraps
Ingredients
2 cups shredded bbq chicken
1 tomato, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup feta cheese
oregano
parsley
garlic powder to taste
tatziki
whole wheat tortilla wraps

Directions
Combine ingredient in a bowl (not tzatziki) Take wrap, spread tzatziki, add fillings and wrap it up!

Saturday - OUT

Sunday - Steak on the BBQ for Daddy's day! Happy Daddy's Day Mr M.!

Grown up Yummies....

2010-06-10T08:18:00.002-06:00

Yes, I have a problem. I use the word "yum" or a variation of it far too often. Perhaps it comes as a result of spending copious amounts of time with the minis but at any rate I am sorry. I pledge to find another word to describe the yummy things I post here ;)

My Friend Xann makes great food. She is what I consider a "foodie" I always look forward to munching with her because without fail my taste buds thank me, generally so do my hips because Xann cooks fresh, low fat, YUMMY, things. She recently shared a few of her hummus recipes and a chutney recipe that were meant to be passed along. Truthfully, my children would probably rather eat worms than try either of these, but they are ummmm how do we say P-I-C-K-Y eaters.

At any rate my grown up friends toast some pita, or cut up some veggies and enjoy!

Green Chutney (great on Turkey burgers!)

Ingredients
1 pkg mint
1/2 bunch cilantro - about equal amounts of each
1/3 of one chubby jalapeno - more or less to taste
2 cloves garlic
1/2 smallish red onion / or 1/3 med onion (too much can easily overpower the herbs) roughly chopped
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp white sugar

Directions
Wash herbs, shake off excess water, dry well - discard any hard stems but keep tender ones
Grind leaves, chili, garlic and onion ( I use a food processor ) Add salt, sugar, lemon juice and vinegar, mix well and serve!

Black Bean hummus:
Ingredients
1 can drained rinsed black beans
1 green onion.. green part chopped
olive oil
1 tablespoon Tahini
1 squeezed lemon
1/2 tsp sambelolek
salt an pepper
1/2 tsp cumin

Directions
Throw this all in together in the food processor, taste and alter...yummm

Lemon Hummus:
Ingredients
1 can rinsed chick peas
olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon tahini
salt and pepper
1 squeezed lemon
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp cumin

Directions
Garnish with a drizzle of yummy olive oil, a dash of paprika, or pine nuts

Throw it all in the processor, tweak, and eat!! Yummm

That's it. I'm OUT

2010-06-06T17:52:00.000-06:00

I'm kidding! I couldn't leave you all hanging for the rest of your culinary lives without a meal or a plan from Meal Planning Mama! That just wouldn't be fair. But I am leaving on Wednesday for a week. (Can I get a WOOHOO?!?!?! I may be a little excited, mmmm just a little) Now I will be honest I begged and pleaded for someone, ANYONE to share their meal plans with you all, or hell, even a meal would have been nice, but NO ONE stepped up, so you are left alone to flounder through the week.

All kidding aside, here are a few other GREAT sites that offer meal plans and recipes. Jane at This Week For Dinner has some great meal plans, I frequently scour her site for ideas. I also enjoy Our Recipe Box and A top Mommy Blog favorite Can I Get the Recipe?

As for me I only have two meals this week, so without further ado...Enjoy!

Monday - Spiced Chicken with Couscous (from the magazine Real Simple)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin, kosher salt, black pepper
3/4 cup couscous
3/4 pound cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
1/4 pound thinly sliced snap peas
1/2 cup torn basil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with paprika, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and cooked until browned and cooked through (approx 6-7 minutes) Meanwhile, place the couscous in a large bowl. Add 1 cup hot water, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the tomatoes, snap peas, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and toss to combine. Slice the chicken and serve with couscous.

Tuesday - Butter Chicken and Naan bread (and yes, I cheat Presidents Choice makes a wicked sauce and the naan is on special this week!)

I'm famous!

2010-06-03T06:41:00.002-06:00

My first guest post at Practical Mum

The Giveaway!!!---CLOSED-----

2010-05-31T19:58:00.001-06:00

This giveway is a more than a little bit special. I have to be honest it overwhelms me that people want to hear/read/see what I am cooking for my family. My blog started because I grew tired of emailing my meal plans to an ever growing list of friends and family, well that and I was bored (read that as 4000 people in this town bored, REALLY BORED) I had no idea what work a blog actually entails, but I don't mind cause as Ree would say "I love ya more than my luggage"

This giveaway is also special because I get to showcase some of the immense talent from some seriously good people here in my small, small, town. These amazing people can be found roasting away many an hour on the farm. I am totally serious. I get FRESHLY ROASTED COFFEE BEANS right here, in the middle of NOWHERE.

So. The giveaway, one lucky reader gets A Blue Collar Coffee / Meal Planning Mama gift pack! The gift pack will include 1 pound of freshly roasted Blue Collar Coffee, 2 Meal Planning Mama coffee mugs and 1 yet to be determined special goodie prize!

-MANDATORY ENTRY-
Visit Blue Collar Coffee Company and tell me which Blend you would want to enjoy.

-Extra entries_
1) Follow Meal Planning Mama on Facebook and tell me you do!
2) Join Blue Collar Coffee Company on Facebook and tell me you did!
3) Follow Meal Planning Mama on Google friend connect
4)Vote for me on Top Mom Blogs, I'll know if you do, plus you should tell me so that I really know :)The link is on the right hand side on of this page.

The contest will be open until June 14th! Good Luck!!!

A menu and a teaser

2010-05-30T10:28:00.000-06:00

Another week has passed by, my gypsy friends have traveled on, the weather is once again crap-tastic, filled with rain and clouds, and I am seriously lacking motivation to do anything. But I did it for you, cause I promised I would, and well, cause I'm awesome ;)

On my facebook "like" page I have promised a giveaway when I reach 200 likes, I am teaming with a local business to "roast" up something yummy, so invite your friends! And I'll keep you posted! (Maybe even a special prize for whomever invites #200?!?!?)

Also I will be away with my minis for a week in June, is anyone interested in guest blogging their families meals that week? Or sharing a meal or two? You can contact me via email, facebook or post a comment here!

So without further ado, another week of yummy meals from your favorite Meal Planning Mama!

Monday- Garlic chicken & roasted veggies
Ingredients
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Tuesday -Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas with yogurt (originally posted in Readers Digest) ***Super Yummy and next to no fat!!***
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh gingerroot
1 tbsp curry paste or curry powder
4 cups cooked chickpeas (2 19 oz tins)
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
4 oz fresh baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions; cook until very brown. Reserve half the onions. Add garlic and gingerroot to the onions in the pan and cook gently 1 to 2 minutes. Add curry paste and cook 1 minute longer.
Add chickpeas and stock or water, and bring to a boil. Cook gently 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until just wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with yogurt spooned over the top of chickpeas and sprinkled with reserved onions.

Wednesday -Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)with salad and roasted potatoes (Sent to me by KC! Thanks KC!!)
Ingredients
2 pounds short ribs (trimmed)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 inch ginger grated
4 green onions sliced
1/2 onion grated
1 Asian pear grated
1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted and crushed

Directions
Mix the marinade and marinate the ribs over night in the fridge.
Remove ribs from the marinade discarding the marinade.
Grill the ribs until they are slightly charred and caramelized on both sides

Thursday - Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake and salad
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce)package small elbow macaroni
Cooking spray
1 cup prechopped onion
1 cup preshredded carrot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound lean ground sirloin
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel), divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Lightly coat pasta with cooking spray. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot, and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add ground beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Add pasta to beef mixture in pan, stirring to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place milk, flour, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1 cup cheese, stirring until smooth. Pour cheese mixture over pasta mixture; stir. Top evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Friday - Beer Bum Chicken, rolls, veggies and dip

Saturday - BBQ chicken pizza

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 center 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.

Some of the camping deee-lites!

2010-05-27T07:20:00.000-06:00

I am spoiled when it comes to camping food. Plain and simple spoiled. Some of my favorite weekend items included Tracy's Blueberry yogurt muffins, Ziplock bag omlettes (it really works!!!!) and our rotisserie ribeye (I'm drooling over here)

These muffins are MOIST. Now you know I loves me some blueberry muffins and this recipe is a keeper! Thanks Tracy!

3 cups bran muffin mix (or natural bran)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tblsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or more!)

Preparation:
Combine dry ingredients and stir. Add wet to dry ingredients (do not over mix). Fold in blueberries and bake at 375F for 20-25 min. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing. Serves ~24 muffins.

Enjoy!

The rotisserie rib eye was our 30 person potluck dinner. One of the couples brought the meat and Mr C. rigged up a rotisserie for the campfire. I don't think we can all profess our love anymore than we did that day for my favorite Godfather, Mr C. It was DIVINE!

Now I didn't have a picture of the Ziplock omlettes as my batteries died BUT they are a new camping must!

Ziplock Omlettes

2 eggs
1 splash of milk
1/2 cup chopped peppers
1/2 cup chopped ham/sausage or bacon
salt & pepper to taste

Next get a big pot, one where the baggie won't touch the sides while it is boiling. Bring water to a boil, put bag inside and cook until done (about 10 minutes total, watch them!) Mr M took them out about halfway through and broke them up a little to ensure they cooked through.

The meals, the trip and fun guests!

2010-05-25T07:40:00.000-06:00

Ok. The camping trip...AWESOME. The friends, the food, the beer, did I mention the FOOD!?!? I promise I will post some entries about the food, once the appropriate people send me the appropriate pictures...(AHEM Tray & Tanja GET ON IT!) Let's just say the blueberry yogurt muffins and crab dip Tracy brought were amazing! And feeding 30 people with a rather large hunk of rib eye roast over a flaming campfire, well truthfully I am still drooling! We ate, we drank, oh man did we drink, and generally we had a most unbelievable time. But enough about me....no wait my blog, still about me :P

This week is ~~busy~~ INSANE with Miss Lu's dance tech rehearsal tonight and performances tomorrow and Thursday, and company. We have our favorite band of gypsies living chez Meal Planning Mama for the next few days so without further ado....

Tuesday - Chicken burgers, salad, and sweet potato fries

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1/2 cup green pepper strips
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 cup your favorite Barbecue Sauce
4 whole wheat rolls, split
4 Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese Slices

Directions

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Grill chicken 8 min. Meanwhile, cook and stir vegetables in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Turn chicken; brush with barbecue sauce. Grill 7 to 9 min. or until chicken is done, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining sauce. Serve on whole wheat buns!

Wednesday - Taco salad
Ingredients

1 bag iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
Red onion, chopped
Cilantro
1/2 can corn
1/2 can black beans
1 avocado, diced
shredded cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
1 package ground beef
Newman's Own Southwest Dressing
Thin tortilla chips

Prepare ground beef according to directions on the taco seasoning packet. Layer the other ingredients in order, starting with lettuce on bottom. Pour hot, cooked beef on top.

Thursday - Buffalo Chicken Wraps (not buffalo'ed for the kiddies....)

Ingredients

2/3 cup franks red hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup ranch dressing salad dressing
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
4 10-inch flour tortillas (warmed)
1 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions

Pre season chicken with garlic powder, salt and black pepper to taste. Combine 1/3 cup of hot sauce and 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a large plastic storage bag. Add the chicken and shake a bit to ensure chicken is evenly coated with marinade. Marinade chicken at least 30 minutes. Grill chicken until done. Slice chicken into strips. Place chicken in bowl and add 1/3 cup of hot sauce and dressing and cheese, mix well. Place chicken mixture and lettuce down the center of the tortilla. Roll tortilla in same fashion as a burrito. Cut in half. Enjoy!

Friday -Salt & Pepper Pork Chops, grilled veggies and rice

Saturday -salmon...either this Wasabi Salmon or I have a "Sweet & Salty Mango rub I might try.

Sunday- Nachos, & chicken wings

SORRY!

2010-05-24T21:40:00.002-06:00

We just got home...meal up tomorrow!

And the kickoff to summer is here!

2010-05-16T08:48:00.000-06:00

Every year millions of us crazy Canucks (no not the LOSING hockey team, it's a slang for Canadians) anticipate the arrival of Summer. May long weekend is traditionally a weekend for beers, friends, lakes, sunburns and well CAMPING! We are lucky this year to break away a few days early and extend our may long into more of a week than a weekend. So Thursday to Sunday are camping meals, and for the record next week's plan will be posted Monday not Sunday!

Enjoy your summer kickoff my friends!

Monday- Sweet & spicy cashew chicken stir fry (didn't make last week)

T-Steak and veggie kabobs on the bbq

W- Chicken, tomato & Mozza salad (leftovers for lunch Thursday )

Ingredients
2 breasts Cold Grilled chicken
approx. 1 cup Fresh Mozzarella cubed, or 1 container Mozza balls
1 carton grape Tomatoes
1 package Fresh Basil
Garlic Salt – to taste
Pepper – to taste
Balsamic Vinegar enough to coat the salad

Directions
Cut tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella into small bite size pieces
Grill the chicken the night before…OR grill and cool in fridge
Grape work well…If using regular tomatoes, remove the seeds so its not to juicy.
Combine with fresh basil - you can leave the basil in leaves or chop, depending on your taste.
Add garlic salt & pepper to taste

Thursday- Potato salad, brown beans and bbq chicken breasts marinated in ????

Friday - chili, rolls and garden salad (leftover for lunch Sat)
Ingredients
1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casing (we use mild...the chili has quite a kick as is.)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 envelope chili seasoning mix
1 16 ounce can of kidney beans, drained (optional)
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 15 ounce can of chicken broth

Crumble sausage and ground beef into large skillet. Add onion. Over medium high heat, partially cook sausage, ground beef and onion. Place cooked meat mixture in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on:
Low-8 hours OR
High-4 hours
This recipe is for the 3 to 5 quart crock pot.

Saturday- steaks, roasted baby potatoes w/peppers, carrots, mushrooms, garlic & corn

Sunday - burgers/ hotdogs , chips, veggies and dip

My Friday Night Confession....or how I REALLY made the Mexican Lasagna....

2010-05-14T19:20:00.000-06:00

I must confess. I did not make Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry tonight. Why you ask? Well lemme fill you in. Wednesday I was tired. So I called Jimmy and he cooked. MMMMMMM MMMMMMM MMMMMM DE-YA Jimmy makes a good ginger beef :)

So last night we did the pork chop thing and tonight, well tonight I made the Mexican Lasagna. Well kinda. The recipe....didn't follow. The original recipe looked like this, my modifications are in red....

Thursday - Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
~~1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning~~ cumin, chili pepper, minced garlic, minced onion, garlic powder, garlic salt TO TASTE
1/2 cup chopped onion
~~1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (low sodium)~~ 1 can stewed diced tomatoes
~~16 ounces salsa or picante sauce~~
1 2 cup light cottage cheese
1 eggs
8 corn tortillas
~~4 ounces light monterey jack cheese, shredded~~ didn't have
1 can refried beans
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
4 ounces light cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brown ground beef, drain (if necessary).
Add ~~seasoning packet~~ seasonings, onion, ~~tomato sauce and salsa.~~ tomatoes
Simmer 5-7 minutes.
Combine cottage cheese and egg in small bowl.
Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Assemble lasagna in the following order: 2 tortilla shells, spread refried beans, 1/2 meat mixture, ~~1/2 tortillas~~, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cheese, repeat.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Confused? Me too. Serve with wine, it'll be ok...I promise :)

EEK!!!! Lookie what I got....

2010-05-14T07:44:00.000-06:00

Sadly it's not a kitchen-aid mixer, or a fancy new knife but it's ALMOST as good!!!! Tracy from The Daily Mom Diaries awarded me the SUNSHINE AWARD!!!! I never win ANYTHING, well except for the really cool Rusted Chain Giveaway thanks to Tidy Mom. Ok I digress.....

TRACY from The Daily Mom Diaries gave me this cool award, I'm not sure why but to me it means I'm cool. (okay, okay, stop the snickering....) No but seriously, the rule is I have to give it to 5 other bloggers, I'ma gunna try to keep it Canadian, so let's see

1 - Cynthia - Crumbs in the Minivan And check out the new design!!!

2 - C from Life on Manitoulin

3 - Deanna from Money Saving Canadian Mom

4- Mom vs. the Boys

5.Christine from From An Igloo

Happy Friday!!!

As Lex would say....

2010-05-12T08:33:00.000-06:00

Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm DE-YA! (translation this is really good stuff)

When I was a kid my Mum would WOW me with this desert. It is easy, light and simply DE-YA :)

Chocolate Wafer Desert.....

Ingredients

Yep that's it, or if you feel like making whip cream, fly at 'er :)

Directions

Take cookies and top with whip cream, make a "log" covering with whip. Seal with Saran wrap and pop in the fridge 4 hours or until cookies have softened. When it's done it looks like this....

OH NO What happened to the rest of my cake?!?!?! hehehe.....Enjoy my friends!

Where did Summer go???

2010-05-09T13:29:00.000-06:00

So the weather here has been ummmmm how do you say COLD!?!?!? We celebrated Cinquo De Mayo with beautiful white flakes of snow (yes seriously) and as I type my toes are freezing and I may have to get gloves :)

At any rate, for those of you in tropical climates, some of these meals may be a little wintry for your tastes, but for everyone else, ENJOY!! And until next week...

Monday - Nacho Casserole
Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 can corn
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup mayo
1 cup salsa
1 bag nacho chips

Directions
Brown beef and anything else you may want to throw in...lol
Add corn, mayo, cheese, salsa

Take a casserole dish. crush nacho chips on bottom. Layer beef mix, chips, beef mix, chips top with cheese. Bake 30 mins at 350...SUPER EASY and yummy!

Tuesday - Garden Veggie & Cheese Tortellini soup
Ingredients

1-2 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium red bell pepper or orange bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into 16 wedges
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium zucchini, chopped medium
1 cup baby peas
3 (14 ounce) cans ready-to-serve beef broth (or 2 cans beef broth with 2 cans water)
1 dash red wine (optional)
1 cup uncooked cheese tortellini
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or oregano or tarragon (or a combo of two or three)
4 teaspoons tomato paste or ketchup
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese or crumbled feta

Directions
In a good sized pan or dutch oven heat 1 t.of the oil over medium high heat.
Saute the peppers, and onions, for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring often if not constantly.
Add the tomatoes, broth, peas, tortellini, herbs and paste or ketchup.
Bring to a boil,reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 5 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook another 10 minutes.

Wednesday - Honey Ginger Pork Chops, PW's simple sesame noodles and Asian broccoli
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbs rice vinegar
2 clove garlic minced
1 tsp minced gingerroot
1 tsp liquid honey
1 green onions, chopped

Directions:
In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; fry pork chops, turning once, until just a hint of pink remains inside, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate; keep warm.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine stock, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar, garlic, ginger and honey. Add to pan and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 2 minutes.

Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan, turning to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with green onion.

Broccoli
Cut 1 bunch broccoli into small pieces. Cook in boiling salted water until broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 minutes. In skillet, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook 1 tsp (5 mL) minced gingerroot; 1 clove garlic, minced; and cooked broccoli until hot. Stir in 1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper.

Thursday - Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (low sodium)
16 ounces salsa or picante sauce
1 cup light cottage cheese
2 eggs
8 corn tortillas
4 ounces light monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces light cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brown ground beef, drain (if necessary).
Add seasoning packet, onion, tomato sauce and salsa.
Simmer 5-7 minutes.
Combine cottage cheese and egg in small bowl.
Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Assemble lasagna in the following order: 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cheese, repeat.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Friday - Sweet & Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

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!

Saturday - Out

Sunday -BBQ burgers, fries and veggies

Have a slice!

2010-05-05T12:21:00.000-06:00

A while back I received a tip from an old friend about these incredibly delicious bars. Now, this friend is currently awaiting the arrival of her very first bundle of joy, so send her some happy pushing vibes (Go Mrs. Brown!) Warning these bars are addictive!

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER SLICE
Ingredients:

2 c. icing sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. melted margarine or butter
2-1/2 c. graham wafer crumbs ( I took 1 sleeve of graham wafer crackers and threw them in the blender)
2 pkgs chocolate chips

Mix first 4 ingredients together and spread in a 9 x 13" pan.

Melt chocolate chips and spread on top.

Cool slightly then cut before chocolate becomes too hard.

Ridiculously delicious.

What a week!

2010-05-02T07:22:00.000-06:00

WOW what a week!!!! I launched my facebook fan page this week! In only 3 days I have 72 fans!!! WOW! (did I say that already?) I had my first guest poster (Thanks again Shauna!) And I think I have some changes on the way (Did someone request shopping lists?)

At any rate I wanted to say thank you all for your support! It feels great to know people are there for me in my foray into the wonderful world of food and blogging.

And don't forget Mom this Sunday! Take her out for dinner, at least that's what I am hoping for!!! Until then Take Care and Happy Planning

Monday - Beer Bum Chicken, green salad and dinner rolls

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
approx 1/3 cup olive oil
a handful Montreal Chicken spice
1/2 can beer

Directions

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with spices. Set aside.
Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.
Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Tuesday- BBQ chicken pizza - using leftover chicken from Monday

1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup shredded leftover beer bum chicken grilled chicken
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 bulb of roasted garlic

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place pizza crust on cookie sheet. Spread with barbecue sauce. Scatter chicken over top. Sprinkle evenly with red pepper, green pepper and onion. Cover with cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Wednesday - Crockpot Taco Soup(this can also be made in a pot on stove)

Ingredients
1 pound (500 g) hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 14 oz cans of kidney beans
1 14oz can brown beans
1 can Niblet corn or frozen corn
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can water
1 bag cheese flavored nacho chips

Directions
Brown ground beef in on stove, add taco seasoning and water. Drain and add to crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on high for 3 - 4 hours or low for longer. Serve topped with cheddar cheese and crushed cheese taco chips.

Thursday- leftover soup

Friday - Hamburgers & Hot dogs , veggies and dip(camping)

For our hamburgers we take the ground beef and add, oyster sauce, seasoning salt, garlic salt and powder, diced garlic and shredded cheese. Then grill.

Saturday - steak, salad & beans

Sunday - WHO CARES I AM NOT COOKING!!! Happy Mothers Day!

Introducing my very first guest blogger!

2010-05-01T07:03:00.002-06:00

I am excited to host my very first guest blogger Shauna from It's a Vinyl Thing!!! Shauna's sister started It's a Vinyl Thing and Shauna "guest posts" there all the time! Don't forget to head on over and enter their Grand Re-opening contest. Shauna is a busy Mom of 3 kids and offered to give me some wicked breakfast ideas! So without any further ado........

Basic Morning Meal Plan by Shauna

My kids like to eat...a LOT! Fortunately, they got their dad’s metabolism to help them with that. Unfortunately, that means a lot of our monthly budget goes to feeding them! We used to go through a Costco size box of Cheerios in just 2-3 days feeding just 3 children. That’s insane, right? It was my life.

I decided last year that the kids could no longer have cereal during the week before school...cereal was eating us out of house and home. They could only have cereal on the weekends. After almost a year of this, the kids have gotten to the point where most of the time, even on weekends, cereal is wasted. They don’t like the taste or texture of it anymore. Two weeks ago, the middle child told me I should just stop buying it when I, yet again, had a fit over the bowls of soggy cereal left on the table. She said they would just continue with our other breakfast foods. Now, this does mean a little more work for me every day...but it is worth it to know that they are actually full when they leave the house in the morning.

It used to be that I would get up at 6:00 am and scramble around trying to find something to make. Do we have enough eggs? Is there anything to make muffins with? It seemed like I was only doing meal plans for supper, and, since cereal is no longer an option, I needed to change that. Thankfully, my kids are okay with routine breakfast plans so I created a weekly meal plan for breakfast as an outline to follow. The chart below shows how we roll in our house…some days have more than one choice and so we just choose one depending on the week. I love having a basic breakfast menu to follow; we add things like fruit and milk to drink to round things out.

Notes & Recipes:
German Pancakes: The recipe is really simple. Preheat oven to 400 degrees - this is really important. The oven has to be hot. Combine 9 eggs with 1.5 cups of flour, 1.5 cups of milk and 1 tsp salt in a blender. Whizz it all for about 2 minutes. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and melt the butter in the preheated oven. Swirl it over the parchment paper and then pour the batter into the pan. Pop it in the oven and bake it for 22-25 minutes. The pancake will puff up nicely. My kids like to fight over the bumps and lumps. We usually top this with a 100% fruit juice concentrate that we thicken into syrup.

Pancakes:
I like to make up 6 bags of mix at a time and store them in the fridge so it is easy to mix the pancakes up. I’m not a fan of store bought pancake mix...especially when it so easy to do it myself! Doing it this way, also lets me add some fresh ground whole wheat flour to the mix.

Into each gallon-sized Ziplock bag, add 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup white flour, dash of salt, 2 tbsp sugar & 2 tbsp baking powder. Seal and knead to mix together. Store in the fridge or freezer if using fresh whole wheat flour.

When mixing it, dump the contents of the bag into a bowl, add 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, 4 tbsp oil and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until just mixed but not until smooth. Cook on a preheated griddle over medium heat. This makes around 10-12 good sized pancakes.

We have also tried oatmeal pancakes, power pancakes, and pumpkin pancakes. We look forward to trying out other versions of pancakes as well. We alternate between maple syrup and fruit juice syrup too.

Muffins
I found this great site (Super Healthy Kids) that I love to read and she has a recipe for muffin mix. I tend to make up a bag of it and then use it to make blueberry muffins. (I use her recipe for raspberry muffins but substitute blueberries and I leave off the topping.) Using a mix saves a lot of time in the morning too. I keep a gallon size Ziplock in the fridge with this in it too.

We will alternate with any relatively healthy muffin recipe too. One of our favourites is Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Blender Wheat Pancakes
This is another easy recipe. This one, also from Super Healthy Kids, is very similar to our recipe so I’ll just link up there. We like to top these with sliced fresh strawberries and real maple syrup. It’s a nice Sunday treat!

Thanks Meal Planning Mama for letting me share my breakfast plans here.

WOW great ideas! Thank you Shauna!!!!!!

Can i just say....

2010-04-30T21:39:00.000-06:00

This wine makes me smile....

And please..."practice safe sipping"

I have a

2010-04-30T07:40:00.000-06:00

Facebook Fan page!!!

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

And if anyone knows how to add the page like to my blog, lemme know!!!

Another healthy snack!

2010-04-29T10:07:00.001-06:00

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?!?!?

2010-04-28T09:13:00.002-06:00

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......

2010-04-26T08:47:00.002-06:00

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

I feel so smart this morning....lol

Starving!!!!!

2010-04-25T09:32:00.003-06:00

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.......

2010-04-23T07:55:00.001-06:00

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???

2010-04-18T16:39:00.002-06:00

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........

2010-04-16T07:04:00.000-06:00

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!

2010-04-12T06:59:00.004-06:00

=========================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!

2010-04-11T09:26:00.004-06:00

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!

2010-04-05T17:23:00.001-06:00

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!

2010-04-03T20:32:00.000-06:00

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

Easter Nests

2010-03-30T14:23:00.003-06:00

Today I was "that Mom", healthy breakfast (scrambled eggs with spinach & shredded cheddar blended into them in them, laundry in (bedding from the trailer included), fresh coconut toasted for my craft-ivity(which I forgot about and burnt most of...) beef, bean & avocado quesidillas for lunch (salad for me) , babies napping by 11, play date over for Lu. At the play date we made egg carton caterpillars (only because I finally remembered to buy pipe cleaner) and Easter egg nests. What is an Easter egg nest you ask??? Well, pull up a seat, cause frankly my feet are ACHING.

N.B. My camera SUCKS. Oh and so do my photo-taking abilities. Any suggestions for a new camera? One that will require very little on my part to make the pictures look good????

You will need:

3tbsp butter/margerine
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups rice krispies cereal ( I used no-name because it was $4 dollars cheaper!)
1 cup toasted coconut
mini eggs, mini marshmallows, foil covered easter eggs, jellybeans etc.

2 muffin tins
nonstick spray
green food coloring

In a large sauce pan melt butter. When butter is melted, add marshmallows and stir frequently until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in rice krispies.

Drop heaping tablespoons full into greased muffin tins and shape into 'nests' (I forgot to take a picture... maybe I wasn't "that Mom" hahaha)

When nests have cooled, decorate:

These taste best the first day, but if you plan on storing, use an air-tight container! Now, where's my wine......

Hershey's Better Basket: Blog Hop

2010-03-29T06:59:00.000-06:00

I came across this post this morning and thought it was a great cause. Hershey's Better Basket: Blog Hop! The rules are as follows:

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

So I am sending my baskets to:

Christine at from an Igloo - http://fromanigloo.blogspot.com/

And Moogie, from Moogie & Pap, cause she was my very first follower!

Hippity- hoppity!

2010-03-28T07:19:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe Easter is coming so early this year! We have decided to take full advantage of the long weekend and embark on our first camping trip of the year. I think we will be heading stateside, hopefully to meet up with my favorite Chicks :P So I have yet to meal plan those days as we are not allowed to bring many items across the line. Yes, the imaginary one we call the border. But I will keep you posted to the weekend meal plan.

In the meantime, share your Easter plans in my comments! I would love to know what food traditions you and your family look forward to! I know Lu cannot wait to make nests but more on that later.....

xoxoxoxo
Mealplanningmama

Monday - Chicken Strips & Sweet Potato fries
Ingredients
1 lb chicken fillets
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup corn flakes, crushed into fine crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
salt & pepper

Directions
In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, salt, pepper and paprika. Add in fillets and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix corn flakes and panko (try crushing them together a bit in a mortar or in a plastic bag with your palm to make flakes smaller) together on a plate, season with salt & pepper (and any other herbs or spices you may want).
Place one or two pieces of chicken at a time on plate, thoroughly coating each piece in crumbs.
For best results, bake on a greased metal cooling rack set atop a baking sheet. This allows the hot air to crisp all sides of the strips, instead of just one side. If you cannot get this set up, simply spray a baking sheet with baking spray and place strips directly on sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.

Honey Mustard Dip
1/3 cup low fat Mayo
1-2 Tbsp liquid honey (depending on taste)
2 heaping Tbsp Dijon mustard

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Serve alongside chicken strips.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
4 sweet potatoes
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup light mayo
1 tsp lime juice
¼ tsp curry paste

Directions:

Peel potatoes; trim ends and sides to create rectangles. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices; cut each lengthwise into 1/2 -inch wide strips.

In large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add potatoes, tossing to coat. Spread on 2 parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheets.

Bake in top and bottom thirds of 425°F (220°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until tender and edges are browned and crisp.

Curry Mayonnaise:
Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice and curry paste; serve with potatoes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tuesday - Chicken Club Wrap w/garlic mayo

Ingredients

8 slices bacon
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 plum tomato
4 large whole wheat tortillas
4 romaine lettuce leaves, chopped

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp, set aside on paper towel to drain. Drain fat from pan. Holding knife horizontally, slice each chicken breast throught the thickest part and open like a book, pound to even thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in same skillet over medium-high heat, turn once, until nicely browned and no longer pink inside, 6-8 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and slice.
Slice tomato in half length wise; slice crosswise. Spread garlic mayo over tortillas. Top with chicken, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. Roll up & slice in half

Garlic Mayo
1 large clove garlic
pinch salt
1/4 cup light mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
dash hot pepper sauce

Mince garlic with salt until smooth paste; stir into mayonnaise along with lemon juice and hot pepper. Set aside.

Wednesday – Lasagna

Ingredients

1 box lasagna noodles

1lb ground beef or other ground meat

1 diced onion

4 cloves smashed garlic

½ cup red wine

1 can tomato sauce

1 container ricotta cheese

1 container low fat cottage cheese

1 small block crumbled feta

1 egg

1 bag/bunch spinach

approx 4 cups low fat shredded mozzarella

Directions

Prepare noodles as directed. In a skillet brown ground meat ,onion and garlic. Once meat is cooked add tomato sauce and wine. Allow to simmer 5-10 mins.
In a large bowl combine ricotta, cottage cheese, feta, spinach and egg.
Place one layer of noodles on bottom of a 9 X 13 casserole dish, layer meat mixture, noodles, cheese mixture, ending with noodles. Top with Mozzarella and bake in oven at 350 for 45 mins.

Thursday – Leftover lasagna

Friday, Saturday, Sunday - Away, away, away!

Looking forward to Monday

2010-03-21T08:59:00.000-06:00

As suspected the end of the week played out differently than planned. I was a meal planning genius until Thursday hit. It all fell apart from there. Let me tell you why......I made Mojitos on St. Paddy's day, you know because they are green, and apparently St. Paddy was Cuban. Silly, silly me. So Thursday became an eat out night, too sluggish to cook if you know what I mean. Friday Mr P. showed up with steaks and garlic bread, and Saturday the boys errr I mean Men didn't want to eat so we fended for ourselves!

Tomorrow I am excited for sushi out with Mr P and the fam, after Lu's dance class. Happy eating my friends!

xoxoxoxoxo

Mealplanningmama

Monday – OUT

Tuesday – Italian Marinated Chicken & roasted Parmesan asparagus

4 chicken breasts
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing or if you don't have it available season with the following:

1 tbls. garlic salt
1 tbls. onion powder
1 tbls. sugar
2 tbls. oregano
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. basil
1 tbls. parsley
1/4 tsp. celery salt
2 tbls. salt

Mix with
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Marinate overnight. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 min.

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch pounds fresh asparagus
1 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 lemons cut in wedges, for serving (I just squirted some lemon juice on them before roasting)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
If the stalks of the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom 1/2 of each. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Wednesday – Drunken Porkchops found here with green beans and rice

Thursday - Leftover Pasta Bake ( frozen from a few weeks ago)

Friday - Steaks on the BBQ and grilled veggies

Saturday - Tomato / Chicken / Mozzarella Salad

2 breasts Cold Grilled chicken
approx. 1 cup Fresh Mozzarella cubed, or 1 container Mozza balls
1 carton grape Tomatoes
1 package Fresh Basil
Garlic Salt – to taste
Pepper – to taste
Balsamic Vinegar enough to coat the salad

Directions
Cut tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella into small bite size pieces
Grill the chicken the night before…OR grill and cool in fridge
Grape work well…If using regular tomatoes, remove the seeds so its not to 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.