Weekly Menu 2/13 - 2/19

I'm making up a new recipe for Wednesday, and Friday is also a new recipe for me. Can't wait to try them! :)

Weekly Menu 2/13 - 2/19
Monday - Shake & Bake Porkchops w/ Pasta-roni & Salad
Tuesday - Pizza Factory for Valentine's Day!
Wednesday - Chicken Verde Enchiladas w/ Pico De Gallo & Chips
Thursday - Spinach Ravioli Alfredo w/ Garlic bread, Broccoli & Salad
Friday - Zesty Crockpot Chicken & Vegetables w/ a Salad
Saturday - Carnitas Tacos w/ Guacamole & Chips
Sunday - Chicken Stir-Fry over White Rice w/ a Side Salad

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm back and I'm baaaad.... Well, bad at sticking to my weekly menus that is... :P It's been craaazy here, but now things have settled down and I'm going to continue my blogging (because it makes me happy). I've pretty much been making the "same ole same ole" for dinners since I had my son because things were chaotic; I just needed simple and familiar. It's been 7 weeks and it's time to get back into trying new recipes!

    Today I made Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie dough...

 and also regular chocolate chip cookie dough...

 Both are delicious! I made some of the oatmeal ones so the girls and I can give them to our neighbor (whom we adore!).

I then put together a home-made lasagna and I'm baking it as we speak!

Recipes and pics are coming a.s.a.p.!

Weekly Menu 12/3 - 12/9

Okay, I think this will be easy to stick to for the week. I'm still doing the pantry challenge (trying to eat what's at the house) but I'm buying ground beef for Sunday & Wednesday - I have a good excuse though! I'm supposed to be eating a lot of beef (iron-rich) since I get anemic (due to my weight-loss surgery). I refuse to go a whole week without beef just to save a few bucks... that's ridiculous. This is my health we're talking about! All the other stuff we already have (except I have to pick up some fresh lettuce/salad stuff). Other than that I think we're good to go for the week! Now, if only I can stay away from a grocery store longer than 1 day...

Saturday - Shake-n-Bake Chicken Tenderloins, Baked Beans, Salad
Sunday -  McCormick Chili & Cornbread
Monday - Amy's Salsa Chicken Enchilada's, Chips/Salsa
Tuesday - Crunchy Onion Chicken, Baked Potatoes, Salad
Wednesday - Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper, Salad
Thursday - Meditteranean Herb-Crusted Tilapia, White Rice, Zucchini
Friday - Stouffer's Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad

Mexican Pizza's are easy and delicious!

I don't have to use a generic picture of a random Mexican Pizza when I put it my menu plan anymore! I finally made some Nov. 28th and took pics just for you. :) Do you see the beauty? I sure do! It tastes even better too! Yuuuuum!

Ingredients:

Yellow Corn Tortillas

Oil (to fry the tortillas)

Cheddar Cheese

Re-fried beans

Pico De Gallo (click HERE for the post with for my own recipe)

Lettuce

Avocado

Sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry 2 tortillas at one time - side by side. While that's happening, heat your beans either in the microwave or in a separate pan on the stove.

2. When your tortillas start to look crispy put your cheese on top of 1 tortilla. Add some of the beans on top of the cheese and place the second tortilla on top of the beans (like a bean & cheese "sandwich"). Transfer to a plate. 

3. You can then put whatever toppings you want on it! We love to put my Pico De Gallo, shredded lettuce, avocado and sour cream.

**NOTES:

- You can put sauce inside before you "sandwich" your tortillas together too. My husband likes Taco Bell's Spicy Ranchero Sauce (you can get it at Walmart or wherever) so I put some in his before I closed it.

Well, on to Plan-B...

Little did I know (as I've been planning my December menu for weeks now) that my husband works funky weird hours all December that totally messes up our dinner time routine. Usually at the latest he works till 8pm, but now he's going to get home around 10:30pm. Miserable, I know...
Now I have to either come up with dinners that are good when re-heated, or do what I did yesterday and make 2 totally separate dinners. That remind me... I have a quick simple "recipe" for you all (below). I will revise my weekly menu and post it later today.

Apricot-Mustard Chicken

Chicken Tenders (or Chicken Breasts cut into strips)

Mustard 

Apricot Preserves

Salt/pepper 

Directions: 

All I do is throw some chicken tenders into a small glass baking dish, shake some salt/pepper over them, squirt some mustard over them, and put a huge spoonful of apricot preserves in there. Mix everything with your fingers (just squish everything around) and that's it. Bake at 400° for around 25 minutes and you have yourself some tangy-sweet chicken tenders! 

**NOTES:: 

- I had 1 chicken breast thawed that I had to use up so all I used was 1 chicken breast cut into strips. That fed the girls and I. They don't really like chicken in the first place.

-I served it with a side of Chicken Rice-a-Roni and a side of canned Sweet Peas. Yum! 

Another fear - conquered!

Roasting poblano peppers has always seemed way too dangerous to me (like the kitchen would catch fire or something tragic of the sort). I've finally conquered my fear, roasted those 3 peppers on the stove-top, and I feel great about it! I sadly wasted the peppers on a Chile Relleno Casserole that had no flavor, but who cares - I succeeded in fire-roasting peppers! WOO HOO! It didn't turn out to be hard/scary at all! Here's how I did it.

Fire Roasting Poblano Peppers

1. Turn your stove-top burner on HIGH heat.

2. Set your pepper on top.

3. Keep turning the pepper (with tongs) every 30-40 seconds until the whole thing is blackened and charred. (see picture below)

4. Place into a plastic bag to steam the peppers for 15 minutes (this allows the charred skin to peel off easily). 

 5. After 15 minutes take the peppers out of the plastic bag, place them on a cookie sheet (or plate, cutting-board, etc.) and peel off the charred skin either with your fingers or the back of a knife (I used both). They will look like this...

You can do so many things with roasted peppers it's unbelievable! You can make Chile Rellenos, a Chile Relleno Casserole, you can stuff them with numerous fillings (such as beans, beef, pork, rice, shrimp, etc.), make soup, Poblano Pepper & Cilantro rice, Enchiladas, Quesadillas... too many options to name!  Have fun experimenting!

**NOTES:

- When the peppers are over the fire they will more than likely make crackling noises. Don't be alarmed, that is normal.

From a FAIL to a WIN!

As you may know (or not, but anyways...) I'm on a mission to find a soup that I can say I truly love. I'm not a soup person, but since it's around the Holidays and weather is getting cooler, I want to warm up with some hot soup! I just made Slow Cooker Split Pea Sausage Soup and it's actually yummy! It has this subtle sweetness that I crave (probably from the smoked sausage) and it's nice and hearty! It tastes so healthy too! I'm still on the look-out for my faaavorite soup, but this recipe is surprisingly good enough to keep in my binder! The recipe calls for it to be cooked on HIGH for 4-5 hours, but since my husband wouldn't be home for 8 hours I decided to cook it on LOW for 8 hours. Well, FAIL. I opened the pot (after 7-and-a-half hours to check on it) to find hard peas! I guess they need the higher temperature to actually cook. I turned it on HIGH for another 90 minutes and it was then deliciously done! WIN! I think I'll actually end up making this again! :)

Ingredients:

1 pound dried split peas
10 cups water (not shown in the picture)
1 pound smoked sausage of your choice, sliced (I used Hillshire Farm Beef Smoked Sausage)
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups chopped carrot (2 carrots)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped

Directions: 

1. In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the peas, water, sausage, bouillon, carrot, celery, potatoes, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, and onion.
2. Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves before ladling into bowls.

Serve with buttered french bread and enjoy!

**NOTES:
- Like I said above, cook it on HIGH or the peas won't cook. Or I suppose if you have all day to kill then you can cook it on LOW for 7-and-a-half hours, then turn the setting to HIGH for an hour-and-a-half. Um... just stick to HIGH. :P
-It needed a little salt and pepper after I tasted it the first time, so just keep in mind to add some to your bowl (according to your taste preference).