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Monday, May 12, 2008

Menu Monday

Week of May 12-16 Menu

Monday:

Teriyaki Chicken (used bone-in breasts, just added about 15 minutes to the cook time)
I doubled the glaze - it's so good on top of the rice!

Jasmine Rice with Lemon & Peas (Relish! Recipe)

Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

Tuesday: Knit Night

Carnitas

Black Beans & Rice

Chips, Salsa & Guacamole

Wednesday:

Mini Meatloaves

Oven Roasted Multi-colored potatoes

Green Beans sauteed with Garlic

Thursday: Orange & Herb Marinated Pork Loin Chops(Relish! Recipe - From the freezer)

Basmati Rice Pilaf

Roasted Carrots, Pepper & Onions

Friday: Dinner out?

Labels: menu monday

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 10:04 PM 1 comments

Monday, May 05, 2008

Done, like dinner...

Dinner.

Lately it's been a 4-letter-word around here... In light of the fact that I now have 2 kids... Holy crap!! I have 2 kids!! Also - the fact that one of them is a 4-week-old colicky mess in the evening....The name of the game is simplicity, shortcuts, and letting go. This means taking help from the store... and a more relaxed approach to things. No this isn't that "Semi-Homemade" crap.... it's real life. Anyone who knows me knows this: I love to cook! I KNOW how to cook, I just barely have the time right now. I still am using natural vs. additive-ridden, organic vs. pesticide-riddled, and I am just trying my best to keep things as balanced as I can.

Menu Monday week of May 5-9, 2008

Monday (Cinco de Mayo!)

Fish Soft Tacos (Tilapia) (Relish! Recipe)
Grilled on grill pan - Brush with Olive Oil, season with salt & pepper & grill. Squeeze lime juice on too & serve with Pepperjack Cheese
Guacamole (Trader Joes pre-made)
Chips
Refried Black Beans
Corn

Tuesday:

Thai Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce (Relish! Recipe)
Sesame Sugar Snap Peas (Relish! Recipe)
Jasmine Rice (frozen, microwavable, from Trader Joes)

Wednesday:

Almond-Crusted Chicken (Relish! Recipe)
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Packaged from Trader Joes)
Broccoli

Thursday:

Pasta

Friday: Dinner out with Dad

Also, the added challenge of trying to be as dairy-free (for me) as reasonably possible... I had an iced Soy Vanilla Latte the other day @ Starbucks... it wasn't half bad. Vanilla Rice Dream on my Kashi this morning. But, I absolutely had Cheddar cheese on my BBQ Beef sandwich yesterday, without apologies.

So, the next few weeks will probably continue to be a little tough as I/we continue our adjustment. I realized yesterday that we're still trying to run on 1 kid time. Thinking it will still only take an hour to go to the grocery stores... when in reality, it now takes easily twice that... when you factor in the baby needing to be nursed, changed, etc. Getting 2 changed, clean, dressed, and out the door, into the car... We're figuring this out... cause we're adaptable like that!

Labels: baby daze, domestic goddess, Family, food, menu monday

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 9:28 AM 1 comments

Monday, March 10, 2008

Getting Ready...

I've been such a blogging slacker lately... cause hello? Tired... and 36 weeks pregnant. Okay... enough said! ;)

I have an OB appointment tomorrow... and an ultrasound scheduled to see whether Ashley is head-down yet. Please, please be head-down!!

Also.. I found a really cool meal-planning site via another blog... although my pregnant brain can't remember which blog... so sorry I can't give credit where credit is due. It's $7.00 a month... but really... a small price to pay...

Anyway.... in the interest of simplifying my menu-making/shopping list/meal prep process as we get closer to baby day... I thought this would be a great thing to try out. It's great!! You pick 5 of 15 available meals, tell it whether you're feeding 4, 6, or 8 people... and it imports the recipes, shopping list, etc. into a PDF... all beautifully organized, and neat... ready to be printed out. I love it.

There are also 10 freezer meals available per month... and I already have one all set and ready to go. It's Pork chops in an Orange-Herb Marinade. Prep took like 5 minutes, and when the time comes to cook it, I just need to defrost, drain marinade, and grill. Love it! :)

The freezer meals come complete with a checklist to stick on the fridge, including prep-instructions, and side dish suggestions. And, there are labels you can print out and stick directly on the freezer bag with directions on preparation, too. Ahh.... yay! I really needed some recipes of freeze-ahead meals for when the baby comes. Also, I don't have the luxury of a chest freezer any longer... so they have to fit into my regular freezer. Most look like they do, into the freezer bags, or disposable aluminum pans.

Anyway... for this week my meal plan is as follows:

Monday: Panko-Crusted Pork Chops served with veggies (Trader Joes frozen Organic Foursome with butter & garlic) and mashed potatoes

There's no official recipe for this... but I take boneless pork loin chops, salt and pepper both sides, brush top and sides with Maille honey mustard, and cover with a mixture of Panko and Italian bread crumbs seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil, and baked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes (they were really thick chops... )

Tuesday: Knit night - Pasta with Barilla sauce and (frozen Trader Joes meatballs)
Wednesday: Honey Glazed Chicken (Relish recipe) veggies, brown rice
Thursday: Sauteed Chicken with Paprika cream Sauce (Relish recipe) roasted fingerling potatoes, sugar snap peas.
Friday: Dinner out

Labels: barefoot - pregnant and in the kitchen, menu monday, pregnant

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 5:41 PM 0 comments

Monday, January 21, 2008

Menu Monday Week of Jan 20-25

Sunday:

Quick Pasta with Mushrooms, onions, and Tomato Vodka Sauce (Jarred from Trader Joe's)

Monday:

Having James & Mish over for dinner...

Italian Parm Breaded Chicken (this was a special request)

Red Wine Risotto with Peas

Green Beans Sauteed with Garlic

Tuesday: Knitting Night... something quick, dunno yet

Wednesday:

Smokey Chicken Cheddar Quesadillas with Pea & White Bean "Guacamole" (Robin Miller Cookbook Recipe)

Beans/Rice/Chips/Salsa

Thursday:

Mac & Cheese with Ham (Rachael Ray cookbook Recipe)

Friday:

Dinner out with my dad

Labels: barefoot - pregnant and in the kitchen, domestic goddess, food, menu monday

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 12:00 PM 1 comments

Monday, January 07, 2008

Menu Monday

Several years ago, I had an epiphany. My husband and I like to go grocery shopping together... but oftentimes we didn't have A Plan.

As in, we'd go into the grocery store after working all day. (Mistake#1)

We'd shop when we were hungry, tired, or otherwise cranky. (Mistake #2)

We'd forget what we actually had in the pantry cupboards, and end up buying duplicate items. (Mistake #3)

We'd spend $75.00 and STILL have "nothing to eat" in the house. Yup. Mistake of all mistakes.

So, for the last 4-5 years or so.... I make a meal plan each week. I used to be a lot more anal about checking the sales, coupons, etc... which stores had what... planning my list to the exact item. And, although I could do that again... I don't necessarily want to, given the whole I have a toddler, and soon to be infant situation.

We go to Trader Joes, Costco, and Safeway most weeks. We spend quite a bit on groceries each week. I mean, yesterday, we spent about $160 between Trader Joes and Safeway. But, again, I was planning on making lasagna, and then we were having friends over, so we bought extra beer. :) Still, Travis and I have breakfast, lunch, and snacks at home every day during the week... and we eat at home most nights, except for the occasional lunch out - or the more frequent - pizza for dinner.

I really do enjoy cooking... as anyone who knows me can attest. My lasagna is renowned... and if not restrained, Jeff could probably eat 1/2 a pan in one sitting.... although not without facing severe consequences later.

My challenge is that right now, especially... I am really exhausted... so I want mostly no-fuss recipes, with lots of flavor... but that Travis will also eat.

So this week... here is my menu... we shop on Friday or Saturday most weeks, so this week my menu starts on Sunday:

Sunday: Lasagna/Garlic bread/Salad

Monday: Herb Roasted chicken with garlic and lemon/ rice/ broccoli

Tuesday: Mexican with black beans, spanish rice, chips & salsa

Wednesday: Hammy Mac & Cheese/ Salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Usually dinner out with my dad @ Chili's.

Saturday: Out of town @ in-laws

Labels: barefoot - pregnant and in the kitchen, domestic goddess, food, menu monday, recipes

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 10:35 AM 0 comments

Monday, March 26, 2007

Averting Dinner Disasters? We'll see....

Although I love to cook.... I have a BIG problem. Well, he's 3 feet some-odd-inches tall.... and HATES it when I have to be in the kitchen with the gate closed for ANY amount of time.

Sigh. So, since Jeff often gets home late.... dinners are most-often prepared with a screaming child hanging on the gate and wailing non-stop:"Open! Open! 'ichen! (kitchen) OOOOPPPPEEEN! MOMMY HUGS!"

No amount of TV, Play-doh, or anything else will Make. IT. STOP!

Fun times, I tell you! :) So, I decided to try the new Robin Miller book out.... and shop for the specific recipes.... (although I bought my copy at Costco for $11.95)

She bugs the HELL out of me on tv.... but I watch her show anyway...

Anyway.... I used Travis' nap yesterday (and Jeff was home!) to cook up a big batch of Tangy Tomato Ragout which gets "Morphed" for a couple of different recipes
this week. I also prepped the Broccoli Puree with Parmaesan, for tonight. So, ahead of the game? We'll see.... My goal is to minimize the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen while home alone with a very PISSED OFF toddler!

Anyway.... here's the menu for this week....

Sunday (last night)

~Grilled Chicken tenders with Tangy Tomato Ragout, and melted swiss
~Pasta with more of the sauce
~Blue Lake Greenbeans sauteed in garlic, butter, and olive oil (not really a recipe, but I like to make them this way!)

Monday (tonight)

~Pan-seared pork chops with tomato chutney (the Ragout gets reduced, additional herbs, spices, and chopped dried fruit added to make the chutney)
~Potato Broccoli Puree with Parmesan (already made, just needs re-heating)
~Salad

Tuesday:
~Shepherd's Pie with cheddar-spiked mashed potatoes
Salad

(I'll make these the night of, most likely.... I ran out of diced tomatoes yesterday, and could NOT find frozen pearl onions at the stores on Friday.)

I will chop the carrots sometime today....

Wednesday: Home-made Pizza (using Trader Joes fresh pizza dough... and assorted toppings....)
Salad

Thursday (Jeff's Birthday!)

Bolognese over fusilli (using/modifying the tomato ragout from earlier in the week.)
Salad.... and most likely go to Baskin Robbins for dessert.

So, yeah... there's the menu for the week.

Labels: food, menu monday, toddler tantrums

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 9:50 AM 3 comments

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