Busy Week!

Busy but fun week ahead! Here's my menu:

Monday: Baked Chicken Taquitos, chips and salsa, fresh veggies
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff (I absolutely love this recipe! I substitute stew meat and use Simply Apple juice rather than the wine), egg noodles, green beans
Wednesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cheese Quesadillas
Thursday: Babyback Ribs, Baked Potatoes, Spinach Salad
Friday: Cobb Salad (have you tried BoltHouse's Yogurt Ranch Dressing--it' in the refrigerated section! Yum!) and cheese toasties
Saturday: Mom's night off! :)
Sunday: Dinner at Grandma's house!

Buckle fracture....oh no!

So, we had a blast this past weekend at a condo in Eden with some of our great friends! Their kids were ski racing at Wolf Mountain resort, so we decided to go up and watch the kids race and make it a family skiing/boarding weekend! Well, we really had a fun time with one exception....Chase broke his wrist! Such a bummer! The first day we got there, the boys went night skiing. Sure enough, Chase was doing the half pipe on his snowboard and hit some ice. He tried to catch himself with his hands, and snapped his left wrist. So many snowboarders break their wrists, it's like skiers tearing their ACL, it just happens a lot! Saddest part of the story--Chase has been preparing for piano Federation for the past six months. He's memorized and polished two very challenging pieces for him. Now no Federation, no piano recital, and he can't finish his basketball season. So sad! But he's being optimistic about it--he's excited he doesn't have to practice piano for 6 weeks, and he's excited to get a hot pink cast! Crazy kid!

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: It's my Birthday! I'll let Jud take care of this meal!
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Pizza and Spinach Salad
Wednesday: Steak Fajitas (Fajita marinade)
Thursday: Baked Slowcooker Chicken, potatoes and carrots (I put them in the bottom of the crockpot instead of the foil)
Friday: Meatball Subs, fresh veggies, and chips
Saturday: Mom's night off!
Sunday: Dinner at Grandma's house!

15 man tubing run!

We had a great time this weekend with my family at a cabin in Heber that my parents rented. The highlight was the tubing at Soldier Hollow. Imagine a 15-person, hooked together, down the big hill, tubing run! It was hilarious! You really fly with that many bodies! Landon was next to me in the mass of tubes, and giggled hystericallly the ENTIRE time! It was hilarious!

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Cheesesteak Subs, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and pears (I can't wait until I can bottle some more, I'm running out! :)
Tuesday: Scratch Baked Macaroni and Cheese and green peas
Wednesday: Slowcooker Split Pea Soup with Bread Bowls (of course I'll use my bread machine!!!), and spinach salad
Thursday: Baked Chicken and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Taquitos(you have to scroll down for this recipe), and Southwestern Salad
Friday & Saturday: We promised to take the kids boarding and skiing this weekend! I'm always too tired to cook afterward, so I'm guessing grilled cheese sandwiches!
Sunday: Roast, Potatoes, Carrots and Dinner Rolls

Have a GREAT week!

March...yay!

My favorite month is upon us! Not just because I was born in the wonderful month of March (although that helps!). But it's also the time when Spring starts showing it's face! I love the little crocus flowers that start peeking through this time of year, and I'm hoping to see our daffodil varieties that we brought home from Amsterdam and I planted in December (I know, crazy!). Ahhh, spring! May it come soon, and may it last long!!!!!
Here's my menu for the first week of MARCH!
Monday: Provolone Turkey Bagel Melts (Layer turkey, tomato, and Provolone cheese onto cheese bagel halves. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried basil. Broil until the cheese is melted), hummus and carrot/celery sticks
Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings (I'm using leftover chicken from last week. Makes it easy! And try making your own dumpling mix!)
Wednesday: Beef Enchiladas, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Spanish Rice (BTW--my enchiladas I make are so easy! Fill tortillas with shredded cheese and ground beef browned with onion, salt, and pepper. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Mix 1 1/4 cup El Pato Enchilada sauce (less for less spicy) with 1 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes. Pour over filled tortillas and then generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how crispy you like your enchiladas! Yummy and easy!
Thursday: Puffed Oven Pancake, fresh berries, spinach salad (Just FYI, I basically triple this recipe twice and put it in a 2 9x13 pans)
Friday: Pizza and Green Salad!
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: Ham and Twice Baked Potatoes, Spinach Salad, and rolls

Better late than never!

Yesterday, my grocery shopping day, I decided to take my three oldest skiing and snowboarding! We had a great day trying out a new resort! The weather cooperated and I even got a bit of a sunburn :) But, I didn't get my menu and grocery shopping finished. Better late than never, right?

Monday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Cranberry Orange Muffins (I had this soup frozen, so it was perfect for a ski day! When I make this, I add noodles to half, then freeze the other half without the noodles. When I thaw it, I add the cooked noodles. It is really good!)
Tuesday: Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers, Sweet Pepper Rice, and spinach salad
Wednesday: Night out because my hubby declared we are going shopping for baby chicks after work on Wednesday! We already have six on order, but they don't get here until the end of March and he can't wait to become a farmer! So, we're going to IFA to hand pick our chicks....
Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green salad, and my favorite French Baguettes
Friday: Open faced tuna melts, veggies and dip, chips and salsa
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: My brother in law and his family are in from Virginia! So, dinner at Grandma's house!

Mmmmm....

Here's my menu for this week, I'm hungry so EVERYTHING sounds good right now!

Monday: Smoked Turkey and Artichoke Panini, pasta salad, and fresh veggies. And because it's Valentines Day, we've got to have Chocolate Covered Strawberries for dessert!
Tuesday: Queen Elizabeth's Favorite Quiche, fresh fruit salad, muffins
Wednesday: Chicken Alfredo with Angelhair pasta and Asparagus
I cheat and use Buitoni's Alfredo sauce. You can find it in the refrigerated section. We love it!
Thursday: Halibut Sandwiches, Cottage fries, carrots and dip
I love these cottage fries: Slice potatoes quite thin into rounds and spread out on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle generously with olive oil, garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Check them often to be sure they don't burn!
Friday: Game night and dinner with friends!
Saturday: Mom's night off! Hoping for a ski trip!
Sunday: Sweet and spicy pot roast, Quinoa, Sugar toasted almonds spinach salad, Yummy bread (I make the dough in my breadmaker, but then I let it rise in a bread pan and bake it in my oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

My Weekly Menu

I have to laugh at myself! When I first started to blog, I decided I'd try a new recipe every week and post it if my family liked it. Well, that lasted about 3 weeks! I had good intentions, really! So, now another good intention that I hope will last longer: My Weekly Menu! I've had several people talk to me lately about the weekly menu I make for my family. I know this isn't any new concept, lots of people do it. I actually got the idea from a Pottery Barn catalog--a cute little white board posted in the kitchen with the menu for the week. I started to do it about a year ago, and I love it! It keeps my grocery shopping trips to a minimal (Monday shopping trips usually last me the whole week :), it saves me from the dreaded question from my children, "Mom, what's for dinner?" (I simply point to the white board--we're actually past this phase, they don't even ask anymore--HALLELUJAH!), and it gives me the motivation to try all sorts of new recipes. When it's posted on the white board, I shop for it, and I make it! I'm strict with myself about keeping to my menu. Sometimes an adjustment needs to be made, such as switching Tuesday's meal for Thursday's meal because of a BBall game or something, but in general I stick to my menu. I even have neighbor kids come and look at the menu, and then they decide when they want to approach the "Can I eat at your house?" question.

So, I've decided to post my menu here each week. Nothing fancy. I'll give the links to the recipes, if they're on the internet. Otherwise, I'll give a quick run down of the recipe. I'm hoping that those who have asked for recipes, and I haven't gotten back to them, will take a look at my blog and maybe I'll be forgiven for my forgetfulness! And perhaps it will help my mom, she's getting more adventurous with her cooking and often asks what's for dinner. So here you go....

MONDAY: Turkey Club Braid, Spinach Salad with Strawberries and sesame cashews
Turkey Club Braid
( just make a turkey/bacon filling instead of the BBQ chicken)
TUESDAY: Crockpot Mango Chicken Burritos
Crockpot Mango Chicken Burritos
WEDNESDAY: Chicken Cacciatore, Angelhair pasta, Green salad
Chicken Cacciatore
THURSDAY: Asian Lettuce Wraps and Potstickers
Asian Lettuce Wraps
(I use ground turkey instead of ground beef, and the Potstickers are from good ol' Costco)
FRIDAY: Soup and Cheese Toasties (I put up tomato/pasta/vegetable soup each summer, it's delish! But the recipe makes 10 quarts and takes ALL day to make and bottle. But if you want the recipe, let me know!)
SATURDAY: Mom's Night Off! :)
SUNDAY: Cubed Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Sesame Green Beans
For the cubed steak, crush saltine crackers, dip cubed steak in milk, dredge in saltine crackers, salt and pepper to taste, and fry in butter on the griddle. I know, it's a heart clogger! But it's GOOD!