bookworm cooks

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of October 4, 2009

2009-10-04T15:15:00.006-04:00

Hello folks! It has been an interesting week around here. Mini-me started cross country (XC) at school and we had two meets. This upcoming week planning is going to be crucial since the kid has 3 XC meets this week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It seems that XC is only this month so it is a very short season but we also have karate! We had taken September off from karate (we needed to get the swing of middle school since the kid is now in accelerated math - good thing since we were able to see what kind of homework we will be getting). We are going to try and get back into karate once per week for October then we will bump it up to twice/week in November.

ACK! We will be busy but we will stay active and we will keep it healthy! Salads and extra veggies will be added everywhere!

Sunday ~ I will set some Braised Short Ribs simmering while we watch the Cowboys game! Dinner should be ready by the end of half-time! Check out this recipe because it screams fall (or colder weather)! There will also be a big dinner salad (ya know ~ lettuce, cucumbers, tomato [the last Jersey tomato to be found] and carrots) AND just because I have it in my fridge, broccoli! I am actually hoping there are lots of leftovers so I can use it in my morning eggs.

Monday ~ an absolute favorite of everyone: TACO Salad...this is completely interactive. I put everything in separate bowls/containers and everyone makes their "own" salad. Avocados, sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, beans, taco-seasoned beef! I may make some corn bread to go with this is I can find a "healthy" recipe.

Tuesday: Oven-"fried" Chicken. This will be a mix of boneless skinless breasts & thighs (I have a package of each and I will use half for this meal and half for Wednesday). A noodle side dish will accompany some green beans & spinach. I hope there is leftover corn bread!

Wednesday: Butternut Squash Chicken Chili ~ I saw this recipe the other day and I have been thinking about it ever since. When I looked in my freezer and realized I have boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs I got very excited.

Thursday: Pork Chops and Applesauce! What a combo! I will also make some mashed potatoes and curly cabbage!

Friday: Big Man is grilling up some steak! Baked potatoes and a big ole salad are sure to be found and since big man loves 'em I will fry him some onions & mushrooms!

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of September 27, 2009

2009-09-27T22:37:00.002-04:00

And the menu, once again! Sorry about last week, I did write a menu but not in blog form! It is actually still up on my fridge. This week brings back karate classes (we took a 2-month break due to summer & back to school) and the first cross country meet for the kid. I am thinking we are going to ease back into karate and go to Friday and Saturday classes since the CC meet is on Wednesday. Next week may be even crazier...there are 3 meets! Planning is going to be even more important because I insist that we all eat together. My kid is only 10 and I figure every year it will get harder to eat dinner as a family but I will always insist that we do so as often as is possible!

Sunday ~ tonight Big Man made stuffed peppers. He used the last of our garden tomatoes in the mix! I made a big ole salad!
Monday ~ Sirloin Steak, potatoes, corn on the cob (I hope this isn't the last of the sweet Jersey corn) and more salad.
Tuesday ~ Breakfast for dinner ~ This is one of my family's faves (especially the kid) and it has been on the menu for a couple of weeks but we haven't gotten to it for some reason or another.
Wednesday ~ Spaghetti & sausage with a Salad
Thursday ~ Whole Roasted Chicken with roasted veg
Friday ~ Pork Kebab with Grilled Veg (zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms, onion) all served over cous cous.

With the early warning signs of Fall upon us, I find I am craving soups! I am on the lookout for good, low-calorie vegetable soups. Please hit me up with any recipe suggestions!! Thanks in advance!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of September 13, 2009

2009-09-13T17:53:00.002-04:00

Sunday ~ Pork Chops with Cabbage & potatoes
Monday ~ Steaks with Black Beans & rice
Tuesday ~ Burgers & dogs with Tuna Mac (the big man& the kid love this stuff ~ me not so much ~ I will have a regular salad.
Wednesday ~ BBQ Chicken with alfredo pasta & broccoli!
Thursday~ Beef Cubes with cous cous and veggies
Friday ~ Pork Cutlets with cabbage & potatoes (I know there will be leftover cabbage from Sunday night ~ I never make the whole head of cabbage! and the big man absolutely loves this meal!)

I was able to plan this menu mainly from stuff I have in the freezer and the pantry. We are doing some serious budgeting but it is all working out!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of September 7, 2009

2009-09-06T22:22:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe that it s Labor day already! Summer is over but around here it is just beginning. You see I live in southern New Jersey (google Atlantic City, NJ or Ocean City, NJ ~ I live between these places on the mainland and we are very seasonal. Basically, between Memorial and Labor days we are invaded by tourists. I love this and I hate this! It is a fine line but this weekend is the unofficial end to the tourists and summer. Locals will take to the beaches and start enjoying some of the "touristey" stuff we have avoided for the last 2 months! I can't wait to get to the boardwalk for some rides and caramel popcorn!

I started school last week and the karate kid starts on Tuesday. I did a lot of planning today and me and the big man went shopping at Target & Acme to prepare! Planning lunches and dinners is going to be essential to keeping me organized and on budget.

Monday ~ we are going to a barbecue with friends in the afternoon and then barbecue at my mom's for dinner.

Tuesday ~ Turkey (meat) Loaf with mashed potatoes & veggies & a salad (If you are remembering last week's menu you might think I am repeating but I never got to making this)

Wednesday ~ Big Man will work the grill while I walk with the girls! Grilled Sausage with peppers & onions sandwiches, corn on the cob and homemade potato salad

Thursday ~ Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes, applesauce and cabbage

Friday ~ Big Man found a shrimp recipe that he is making! Sorry but that is all I know!

Saturday ~ anothe night where I will not be cooking. The big man and I are attending a very good friend's wedding.

gotta love ...

2009-08-31T17:20:00.002-04:00

when a plan comes together!!

NOT!

I woke up this morning and put together my short ribs, put them all in the crock pot....turned the crock pot on low....and went about my business.....

Came home and the house didn't smell like short ribs...

I FORGOT TO PLUG THE FUCKING THING INTO THE FUCKING WALL!!!!

So, leftover Burgers from last and short ribs for tomorrow!

I am trying not to cry but that is a whole other story...I start school tomorrow and I am just a tad stressed and I have been trying to make lists so that nothing gets missed...

so I am frustrated that I didn't even notice a little stupid plug not being plugged in!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of August 30, 2009

2009-08-30T20:08:00.003-04:00

A couple of days ago my husband received a letter from Unemployment telling us that his claim will be exhausted after his next call-in and there are no extensions available at this time. So, we have to budget and plan better than ever! We inventoried the freezer and the cabinets, we looked through the sale ads...I pretty much planned tonight all the way through to Labor Day Monday.

Sunday ~ Burgers and pasta salad
Monday ~ Short Ribs and mashed potatoes. I am using this recipe.
Tuesday ~ Leftover Burgers with Grilled sausage
Wednesday ~ Grilled Chicken
Thursday ~ Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday ~ Leftover Spags & balls with a chicken (leftover) caesar salad.
Saturday ~ Homemade Cheese Steaks
Sunday ~ Turkey (meat)Loaf
Monday (Labor Day) ~ we are going to a party most of the day. We know we all be tired and not in the cooking mood so there will be plenty of TurkeyLoaf leftovers!

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of August 23, 2009

2009-08-23T14:00:00.002-04:00

Sunday~Pork Chops, "fried" cabbage, mashed potatoes, and apple sauce
Monday~ Stuffed Peppers ~ This is a BigMan specialty! He makes the most yummy stuffed peppers and we get to use some red peppers from our garden.
Tuesday~Chicken Cacciatore
Wednesday~Cajun Grilled Chicken, Red Beans and Rice and a Salad
Thursday~Steak Night ~ steak, baked potatoes, and a big old salad!
Friday~Pork Kebabs with Grilled Veggies

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...ay

part of my menu plan

2009-08-16T22:15:00.004-04:00

This week I am only planning for Monday and Tuesday because on Wednesday we are hitting our favorite almost-local butcher shop. As I pick up lovely things from the butcher shop I will plan the rest of this week and lots for the upcoming weeks!

Monday - Grilled Chicken with cous-cous and grilled asparagus!
Tuesday - we will be spending the day at the lake with friends so I am hitting up some sauce & meatballs out of the freezer. I know we will not want to cook when we get home so I am making sure we do not have any excuse to order take-out!
Wednesday - I will update this after trip to Butcher shop. Change in plans...we are going to see the Air Show in Atlantic City so we will not be going to the Butcher Shop! Fortunately, I took a London Broil out of the freezer and hubby put a wonderful marinade on it!
Thursday - " "
Friday - " "

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - August 2, 2009

2009-08-02T22:06:00.003-04:00

Hey Folks!

I hope you are all enjoying what is left of your Sunday! I am super busy but I wanted to pop in to tell you that there will be no real menu plan this week! Tonight we ordered Chinese and tomorrow we are grilling some burgers & dogs. Tuesday we are heading out! We will be traveling into the mountains of Pennsylvania to a tiny town called Shickshinny! We will be there until Friday after dinner! Saturday, I will be hosting my husband's fantasy football draft. Yeah, lucky me!

Even thought I am technically NOT menu planning this week, we will be having a big ole clam bake one night! I gotta bring some goodies from Jersey - so clams & corn it is!! I have also been asked to bring hard rolls & bagels & NJ tap water!

And, even though technically NOT menu planning this week, here are the menu planning details!!

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of July 26, 2009

2009-07-26T16:12:00.002-04:00

Can you believe that is the last week in July?!?! Summer has gone fast & slow all at the same time! I have been enjoying the extra time I have with the husband & kiddo. Having my menu planned out (at last mostly planned out) has been a HUGE help with out crazy summer stuff. We have been trying to do as much as we can but we have been home for dinner most of the time.

The menu:

Sunday: Beef & green beans Chinese-style. I found (and made) this green bean recipe and it was spicy deliciousness!! The husband likes the green beans so much that he immediately asked to have it with beef over rice. How could I not make good on his request. I will try & make more of the sechuan sauce so that it will go over rice.

Monday: Breakfast for dinner! One of our favorites! Pancakes & sausage with a fresh fruit salad.

Tuesday: BBQ chicken. I am not sure about the side dishes yet! We will hit a produce stand and I will choose something yummy to go on the grill with the chicken.

Wednesday: Karate night for the kid. The husband has been walking with me during this hour so we are going to make Boboli pizzas (never got to them last week) when we get home. I will make a big salad. There should be chicken left over from Tuesday and we can make a BBQ chicken pizza or chicken in the salad.

Thursday: Pork Kebabs with tons of grilled veggies (mushrooms, onion, peppers & zucchini at least) with cous cous.

Friday: Salmon & Steak. I have small amounts of both in the freezer. We will throw them on the grill with some veggies. Voila! A quick & easy dinner.

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

grocery shopping

2009-07-22T13:34:00.002-04:00

I have been spoiled because for the most part my husband has been doing the bulk of the grocery shopping. He has been laid off and has had the extra time which has been great because he really follows the sales. He also has been going to a wonderful meat market and Sam's Club whenever needed. The bulk & local shopping has helped with the budget!

Ok, I totally spun off topic..

I do that a lot...

Today, the husband and I went to the store because we needed some stuff. Most of the times when I only need a few things I will walk to the market around the corner. Ya know, for like milk and stuff. Anyway, we went to the store and I found a couple things I am very excited about.

The first: the store had this sale for 4 for $20 (mostly meat stuff & hot dogs). We picked up two packages of Jennie-O Ground Turkey and two packages of filet mignon wrapped in bacon (each package had 2 cute little filets). So dinner tomorrow night will not be boboli pizzas as planned but filet mignon with some sort of twice-baked potato (I have a great WW recipe)

The second: I finally found at my grocery store the Low-Fat frozen waffles on sale!! These stupid little waffles are freaking expensive and I was going to wait until they were on sale. Well my friends, they were finally on sale and I bought 2 boxes.

The third: was a bit of a splurge. I bought a healthy cooking magazine! It boasts 182 slimming recipes. I love slimmed-down recipes!

The fourth: my PR friend sent me a coupon for a free WW bread product. I grabbed the WW bagels. I love bagels but a decent bagel is like 6 points! These babies only have 2!

I will keep you all posted about my finds today! I am very happy that I went grocery shopping! Holy Sh*t!! What is wrong with me?!?!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of July 20, 2009

2009-07-20T19:27:00.002-04:00

Summer is so hard to menu plan! I am still doing it but it is hard!!

Actually, the hard thing has been blogging. Maybe I am in a slump or maybe I just want to play in the sunshine with my husband and daughter as much as is possible.

So here goes:

Monday: Braised Short Ribs. I used this recipe!

Tuesday: Chicken & Green Beans

Wednesday: Leftover Wednesday. We will def have leftovers from Monday & there are other leftovers. The kid has karate and the husband is going to walk with me & my friend while kid is in class.

Thursday: Make your own Pizza! Boboli's were on sale a couple of weeks ago and I am thinking a pizza and salad night sounds perfect!

Friday: Fish. I think I will hit up the seafood market and get whatever looks the best! Any suggestions for summer fish recipes?

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of July 12, 2009

2009-07-12T19:03:00.001-04:00

Today is the Husband's birthday! We have been busy!

We spent the day at a friend's pool barbecuing it up and having a blast! I even treated myself to a couple of rum runners.

Tonight we will feast on a clambake! Potatoes, kielbasa, clams, shrimp, and king crab legs. All this will be followed by a Splenda Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Monday - Turkey dogs, steamed clams, corn on the cob and some cucumber & tomato salad.

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken Parmesan with the Husband's fresh basil & tomato angel hair pasta.

Wednesday - Steaks with grilled potatoes & veggies.

Thursday - Mexican-rubbed Pork Tenderloin, grilled with a side dish of rice & beans. I am going to do a variation of this recipe.

Friday - Burgers?!? or Fish?!?

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin'menu plan - week of July 6

2009-07-06T18:31:00.003-04:00

I AM SLACKING FOLKS!!

Between the holiday weekend (which was FANfreakingTASTIC!!) and it being summer I am totally slacking in the bloggy world. I have thoughts in my head just ready to be written (on all 3 of my blogs - which I will soon be combining into one cool Jen-styled site) but can't seem to get them written. I have been on the go as much as possible and I never really got time off from school. Our last day was June 23rd and I rolled right into credit completion and today we started our summer program.

And FAMILY STUFF galore!

Last week the kid finally had her birthday party. She chose to have 2 girlfriends go to lunch & get manis & pedis with her (and me). We did that on Friday.

So let us get to the menu stuff:

Monday: Turkey meatballs with Fettucini Alfredo. Of course there will be a big old salad with that!

Tuesday: Grilled Steaks with potatoes & a cucumber & tomato salad! (We went to a local meat store and these steaks were a beauty.)

Wednesday: Grilled Pork & veggie kabobs, with grilled squash, & cous cous.

Thursday: Grilled Chicken with broccoli salad and stove top (just in the mood for stuffing and this requires very little in the way of oven use).

Friday: Fish for Friday! I will go pick up something fresh from the fishman!

I will be better about my menu next week.

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of June 28, 2009

2009-06-28T23:38:00.002-04:00

MENU PLANNING IS A BIT HARDER IN THE SUMMER!

Ok, not exactly.

It is a tad bit harder to stick with the menu plan.

In a good way. Right now the farm stands are busting with the first harvests. It is inspiring so sometimes the menu changes!

This week I am having:

Sunday: Grilled Pork Tenderloins - marinated in fresh herbs from my garden, olive oil & garlic. Grilled veggies (zucchini, squash, mushrooms & onions) and cous cous. Tonight we ate out back with a fire going. It was beautiful!!

Monday: Breakfast for dinner. We love breakfast around here!!

Tuesday: My little sister and her boyfriend are coming over for dinner. The husband already has the London Broil marinating. {{You wouldn't believe the deal we got on the London Broils - $1.49/lb-we picked up 5 beauties for about $17.}} I will also be throwing some potatoes & veggies on the grill with the beef. I should have lettuce ready to be pulled out of the garden.

Wednesday: Leftover madness!! There were two pork tenderloins on Sunday but we never touched one - can you say BBQ pork sandwiches. Perfect for a night when the kid has karate! I will grab tons of fresh veggies from a stand for a pasta salad. This has to be made at least a day in advance for maximum flavor melding.

Thursday: Mix-UP night. I want salmon, I know the kid loves salmon but the husband HATES salmon. That is ok, we have this covered. In the freezer is a single chicken breast and a single steak for just these occasions. A big old salad is definitely going to accompany my salmon.

Friday: Cheesesteaks! YAY for Cheesesteaks!! By making them myself I am able to eat a much "healthier" cheesesteak if I make them myself!!! There is almost no grease involved when I make my own cheesesteaks and they are so yummy. Plus, if I make my own I can make my grilled peppers the texture I like (not too cooked-still crunchy)!!

**This week I am going to try and take more pics of food!

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of June 21, 2009

2009-06-21T21:41:00.003-04:00

Since it has been a busy weekend and I have a busy week ahead of me this is going to be super short & right to the point.

Sunday: the Husband grilled burgers tonight!
Monday: The Kid's Birthday. The karate kid is turning 10 today. The big 1 - 0. She has requested Breakfast for dinner ~ French toast and maple link sausages.
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Breasts
Wednesday: Steaks
Thursday: Salad & sandwiches
Friday: Sloppy Joes (or grilled chicken sandwiches)

There are a lot of activities this week. I am finishing up this school year and starting credit completion. The kid is turning the big double digits. It is my mother-in-law's birthday tomorrow as well. And at least 3 other things I am sure I am forgetting. AAAhhh...now to go relax a bit on this fine Sunday night....oh no...after I finish the laundry.

And here are the menu plan details. Again, thanks Jenna!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

2pt Banana Oatmeal Bread

2009-06-21T19:50:00.009-04:00

**I had a bunch of overripe bananas and we love Banana bread in my house. I have a go-to recipe but it is about 5 points per piece. I scoured the twitter wires asking for banana bread recipes. I looked over a couple and made up my own version. This is the first time I have ever done this. I am always so cautious to follow the directions to the letter.

So here is what I came up with:

Ingredients

3 cups mashed overripe bananas
1 egg
6 oz vanilla yogurt (I like Yoplait in the blue container)
1/2 cup Splenda
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup applesauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1&1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and lightly grease a loaf pan.

2. Mash the bananas and mix with the egg, yogurt, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

4. Combine dry and wet until just mixed. If you like nuts or chocolate chips in your banana bread you can fold those in now. Spoon the mixture into your prepared loaf pan.

5. Bake in preheated oven at 350F oven for about 1 hour. Check to see if the loaf is ready by inserting a knife or toothpick into the center of the loaf. It should come out completely clean when it’s ready. **Note-I experimented here with cupcakes and bread. Banana bread always seems to turn out better in the loaf pan but can be done in muffins. Just don't use cupcake papers - dough is too sticky! Muffins will only take about 30 minutes**

6. Allow to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes and then remove from the loaf pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

The Reviews:

Cupcake papers are not needed with banana bread. In fact, I now do not recommend the papers. The banana mixture kind of stuck. But at least it tasted good! The banana bread was moist and yummy! The husband likes my other recipe better (of course he likes the 5 pt/slice better than than the 2 pt/slice ~ d'uh). The kid just thought I had put nuts in my banana bread. When I promised her there were no nuts she ate 2 little baby muffins. She loved them.

I will make this recipe again. I will tweak it a bit more but there is definite potential!

BBQ Pulled Pork

2009-06-20T12:38:00.001-04:00

I love a good BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich. I used to have a great little take-out joint that made the BEST is no longer in business. damn economy!! Anywhoooo

I found a great recipe a while back at A Year of SlowCooking! This is now my absolute favorite BBQ pulled pork recipe. It is super simple with ingredients I always have on hand. You can look through the link I just provided will give you 12 pork slow cooker recipes, but I implore you to peek around A Year of SlowCooking, Stephanie is too cute and I just love the recipes and pictures. So funny thing is, my fave pulled pork recipe comes from a person who can't even eat pork! How ironic?!?!

It may not be the prettiest in the bottom of my crock but it is yummy, yummy, yummy!!

And because I love you, here is some info from A Year of SlowCooking:
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 cups ketchup (a 24oz bottle seems to be exactly 2 cups. weird.)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart crockpot. Trim meat, and place into your crockpot. Add sliced onion. Squeeze in 2 cups of ketchup, and then pour 1/2 cup warm water into the ketchup bottle and shake. Pour the ketchup-y water into your crock. Add vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Tabasco and salt.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
Serve over rice, or make sandwiches on rolls or sliced bread.

MY TAKE: I only had a 2-pound pork loin so I used less of the liquids but I think I should have kept the liquid as the recipe called for since my family seems to like it a bit wetter. Even still, the bbq pork was AMAZING!! It had great flavor!! Barbecuey without being too sweet or too spicy.

I served mine on Arnold's Sandwich Thins (these are a new must-have) with about an 1/8 cup of 2% shredded cheddar cheese. The husband really enjoyed this sandwich!! He had 3 sandwiches plus had some of the meat on top of his mashed potatoes. The kid can be such a pain at dinner time but she ate a half-sandwich in record time!!

Here is what mine looked like:

If you are wondering, this is a 6 point sandwich!!

And worth every one of those pesky points!!

I may not be Chinese but ....

2009-06-15T22:06:00.003-04:00

I make a very pretty & yummy stir-fry.

Tonight I was on my own for dinner. The husband and the kid wanted leftover Lasagne I made last night for dinner. I had to use veggies in the fridge and I just did not want Lasagne again and they did not want stir-fry. I made a smaller stir-fry & the rest of the chicken I was going to use I I will have grilled tomorrow night. I am working the menu plan! LOVE IT!!

So, here is the recipe...sort of:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in thin strips
1/4 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow squash
1/2 can water chestnuts
1/2 can bamboo shoots
1 small handful of snow peas
1/2 small head of savoy cabbage
teriyaki sauce, to taste
soy sauce, to taste
minced fresh garlic
grated ginger
2 cups cooked rice

Heat your wok and a small amount of oil. I had canola on hand but peanut or sesame would probably be nicer. Start with your bigger veggies (save snow peas and cabbage until after chicken). Add some sauces and saute for about a minute or two, add chicken and brown, then add remaining veggies, garlic, ginger, and more sauces (to taste).

Serve over rice.
Looks yummy, huh??

Here are some Jen-style side notes:

** I simply used what I had in the fridge leftover from my last venture to the produce store. Add whatever you like. Substitute your preference of chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, tofu (if that is your thing), or just veggies.

**I prefer white rice. I have tried brown and I just don't like it. Maybe I need to grow up but I know that if I am going to lose weight and keep it off for life and truly live happy & healthy I have to lose weight eating the foods I know will always be a part of my life.

The way I made this stir-fry I wound up with one large, dinner size portion at 8 points and 2 lunch portions at 5 points. I am very excited about the leftover lunches I already have set out in the fridge. Healthy living at it its best!!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of June 14, 2009

2009-06-14T18:32:00.002-04:00

I have one full week and two days left of school. My daughter is done on Friday. I have a zillion and one things to do this week. Can you say stress??? It will all be ok and it will all be worth it. I am always last minute with everything and everything always gets done.

That being said I am trying to blog more often. I blog more & more on Bookworm on a Mission & TWCH but I need to blog here more than once per week. I will. I am also looking into combining my blogs.

Sunday: We are lucky to be in the middle of June and there has been no real heat issues (I probably just jinxed myself - lol) - we don't even have the AC on yet. So for tonight I am making a lasagne - a gooeey cheesy meaty lasagne. yummo.

Monday: Chicken Stirfry oer Rice. I have veggies left over from the other night. And stirfry is just delicious...and loaded with veggie wonderfulness.

Tuesday: Cheeseburgers on the grill or Sloppy Joes in the house. Rain is in the forecast but ya just never know around here. Potatoes to match & a salad. Unlucky for me - I am out of romaine from my garden but can't wait until the Boston Lettuce is big enough to eat.

Wednesday: Pulled Pork in the crockpot. It is Karate night for the kid so convenience & yumminess make this a winner.

Thursday: Grilled Chicken & Grilled Veggies (we shall see what inspires me at the produce store.)

Friday: Grilled Steak with grilled veggies & potatoes.

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Ya know ya wanna...

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of June 7, 2009

2009-06-08T18:03:00.003-04:00

I am late getting this up but that is ok! I am here now!! I have been very caught up with the other challenges of life (not to mention the challenges I have sought out ala @fabfatties & @mizfitonline)! I have been totally wrapped up in The Great deClutter of 2009 ~ and got really caught up on Sunday with washing every dirty anything in the house & cleaning my messy messy laundry area. Then I had to play in my garden ~ pics coming soon!

So here it is:

Sunday was a barbecue feast! We had friends over and Big Man grilled two kinds of chicken, steak, irish-garlic sausage (I don't like this one but the boys seem to love it) and cauliflower. And a fantastic romaine salad (picked from garden 5 minutes before dinner) and a garlic & herb pasta. All was delish!

Monday - we took steak out for dinner but decided to save that for tomorrow. We had a bit of a stressful day. I had a doctor's appointment this morning but that went well. We also have a sick kitty so he needed to go to the vet ~ he is 15 so this was very stressful and hubby was very worked up. Kitty is ok ~ doc thinks he has a hyperactive thyroid (we will find out def in a few days) which is treatable with meds. Stress = PIZZA delivery. I paired mine with a salad of spring mix, baby spinach & sprouts.

Tuesday - Steak & grilled potatoes with a salad.

Wednesday - Pork Chops with ???

Thursday - totally inspired by the produce market! I am very luck ~ right up the street from me is a wonderful, year-round produce market that looks upscale but it reasonably priced (I got a huge green-grocery bag full for $26). I will be making a beef stirfry with lomein noodles. The beef (sliced so wonderfully thin that it makes perfect stirfries or cheesesteaks) will go beautifully with the veggies I got today" savoy cabbage, bean sprouts, snow peas, broccoli, carrots, & peppers. I also found water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, & lomein noodles. Oh yeah, I also bought some ginger ~ I have never used fresh ginger.

Friday - Burgers. The Big Man has asked for burgers so we will have burgers! I love burgers and I love being creative with my burgers so I am not sure how the burgers will be made... yet - I will look to be inspired when I go back to the produce market. Maybe some grilled potatoes & veg. Maybe a pasta salad. Maybe both. >;-)

Menu Planning has saved my life!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of May 31, 2009

2009-05-31T18:57:00.003-04:00

The last few weeks have been crazy and stressful. I actually kind-of made a menu plan but never found time to get online to post it. I totally apologize for this!

I have been working my garden which has meant awesome salads. Nothing fresher than pulling some romaine lettuce out of your own garden and making a salad!! I planted new stuff yesterday so I will have a post about this soon.

Sunday: Andoille sausage, red beans & rice

Monday: Big Man is going to make Chicken Cacciatore over Spaghetti

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday with Spanish Rice

Wednesday: Pork Chops with some sort of noodle thing.

Thursday: Meatloaf with mashed potatoes & veg (probably cauliflower)

Friday: FISH of some sort. Not sure exactly, I am thinking about hitting the fish market on my way home & just going with whatever catches my eye! I will tell ya next week!

Menu Planning has saved my life!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

as local as one can get

2009-05-14T19:26:00.003-04:00

First Day of Planting (March 22, 2009)
36 plants in all: 9 romaine lettuce, 9 bok choy, 9 broccoli, 9 cauliflower
Let me tell ya - squatting to plant all these babies was one heck of a workout!

May 10th is officially known as Tomato Day in south Jersey. All the farm stands have their tomato plants and everyone I know plants their tomatoes on this day. Apparently, this is the day because there has never been a night of frost after this date. The next two pictures were taken before we added tomatoes.

And this is just a picture of my supplies.

Too busy planting to take pictures of the planting but it was a team event. Big Man and the kid handled the beefsteak tomatoes (6 plants), cucumbers (2 plants) & bush beans (2 plants) in the garden while I handled the green tomatoes (2 plants), red bell peppers (2 plants) & herbs in pots.
Next two pictures are the final products. 1st pic I am standing near my compost pile facing my house. 2nd pic is facing away from my house. On the far side of the garden is my compost pile.

Oh Yeah ~> and here is a pic of some of the herbs. There is an oregano pot on another table.

**All plants were grown by local farm stands before being planted in my garden.

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of May 10, 2009

2009-05-10T13:50:00.004-04:00

Sunday: Mom's Choice. Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburgers. Corn on the Cob and a Salad.

Monday: Meatloaf, Mashed P0tatoes and Salad. Big Man has requested this one before it gets to be summer. In South Jersey summer can spring up anytime now. HAHA. So he wants his favorite comfort food before we ban the oven.

Tuesday: Grilled Chicken with Broccoli& Fettuccine

Wednesday: Sloppy Joes with Hashbrowns and Salad. Quickie cook dinner. I will be home later than usual because my students will be playing in their basketball playoffs and Big Man will take the kid to karate. I guess whoever gets home first will start dinner.

Thursday: Roasted chicken. This is from last week. I forgot to take it out of the freezer so we had sandwiches that night. This is another one of those wintery type meals that must be made before it is too late!

Friday: No Oven Needed: Steak with Potatoes & Asparagus (each made in a tinfoil packet). This meal is simply summer on a plate. The only thing missing is the tomatoes but we just put them in the ground today! You will see this meal and similar ones again and again all summer.

Saturday: Pizza and a Salad

Menu Planning has saved my life!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of May 3, 2009

2009-05-03T22:22:00.002-04:00

Short, sweet and to the point this week! I am a bit exhausted. I spent the day being lazy and doing laundry. This weekend I was a lucky girl! I partied like a rockstar (ok - a bookwormy kind of rockstar who needed a day to recover) at the Dead shows in Philly. Read about it here.

This week

Sunday: I love Sunday dinners. They are always interesting. Tonight I made Chicken Parmesan with Fettucini and Big Man's Sauce. My husband makes THE BEST red sauce!

Monday: Tomorrow is my last grad school class. Breakfast for dinner.

Tuesday: Homemade Cheesesteaks with baked potato wedges and some sort of salad (possibly a pasta salad loaded with yummy veggies ~ another Big Man specialty! Damn I love that man! and his kitchen abilities.)

Wednesday: the karate kid was class at 5 so I will take her and Big Man will make dinner! Roasted Chicken with roasted veg

Thursday: Beef Kebobs (and veggie kebobs - you have to separate them because of the grill time - lol) on the grill. Big Man gets this one too! I don't grill.

Friday: Pork Chops. how? I don't know yet.

Menu Planning has saved my life!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of April 26, 2009

2009-04-27T22:17:00.002-04:00

Sorry this is late! It was finally a BEAUTIFUL weekend weather wise in South Jersey so we were out and about all weekend! It was soooo nice.

Except, I should have been working on my final for my grad class. oops. So needless to say, the time I set aside to type up and post my menu plan was used for my final! I am such a procrastinator! It is my biggest fault!

The theme of this week is stretching til payday. There was only so much grocery money this week since it was the off week in the pay cycle (spring break changed my pay dates). We did just get some good news: unemployment has been extended and big man has had some good-sounding job leads.

Sunday: Swedish Meatballs over egg noodles (noodles were on sale cheap and I had the swedish seasonings and meat in freezer) with Broccoli and Cauliflower.

Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs (all in the house, can of tomatoes on sale cheap!)

Tuesday: Sausage and Beans from a new cookbook I won in a blog giveaway. Taste This! by Gina Von Esmarch. I can't wait to try this one served over rice. (only needed to buy beans, which were on sale at Acme this week.)

Wednesday: Steaks with potatoes & veg/salad (veg/salad only thing purchased, the rest is in inventory)

Thursday: Chicken Caesar and Freezer Soup (only need to get some Romaine).

Friday: Dinner on the fly! Big Man and I are going to see The Grateful Dead in Philadelphia, PA Friday and Saturday nights!

Again, I apologize for my lateness.

The menu was planned out a couple of days ago. It was an interesting week: I had the Acme guide in front of the freezer while I mapped out the week. I did it! Got us through until payday spending minimally!

Menu Planning has saved my life!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of April 19, 2009

2009-04-19T17:21:00.003-04:00

If you read my previous post you know that I went to the Farmer's Market but the Meat Market was closed....

I am making dinners out of what is in the freezer and fridge. It will be an eclcetic week!

I was gonna make seafood cakes with mango salsa but I don't really have the ingredients. This too will be ok because I found my inspiration and solved tonight's dilemma and most of the week. I swear I do my best thinking in the bathroom ~ I was washing my hands so I could make banana banana bread and I had a thought ~ seafood pasta.

Sunday: Seafood Pasta. I will use half of the shrimp and crabmeat in Big Man's red sauce and a lovely spring mix salad. I will use the other half of the shrimp and crabmeat to make seafood cakes to be made later in the week.

Monday: Manwhich. Two weeks left of Monday night classes for me! We try and make something that is easy but can be reheated when I get home.

Tuesday: Seafood cakes and mango salsa. On the side will be cous cous and a veggie salad (green beans, brocolli, cauliflower, and whatever else i can find all mixed in an oil/vinegar marinade.

Wednesday: Sausage w/ Potatoes, peppers, onions & Eggs

Thursday: Little sister and boyfriend are coming over for dinner. I found a nice big pork roast in the freezer that will work nicely for some BBQ-like pulled pork. I will make baked potato wedges and a Salad.

Friday: Filet with Roasted Red Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts.

Oh yum!! This week sounds delish!!

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

the importance and flexibility of planning

2009-04-19T15:28:00.003-04:00

About once or twice each month we head to a Farmer's Market in VL which is about a 40 minute drive. While out that way we also stop at this awesome, fresh meat market. Unfortunately, we did not check fort and they were closed ~ today being Sunday and all.

But at the Farmer's Market I got the greatest deal on some ripe mangoes. A whole box for only $3. I couldn't believe it. The mangoes look amazing; fresh and ripe! I don't exactly know what I am doing for my menu this week but you best believe there will be mango involved!

I also picked up 3 bags of grapes for $1
a bucket of red potatoes for $2
3 big sweet onions for $1
5 lemons for $1

and a couple of other things.

The trip makes more sense when the meat market is open. Also, we didn't take anything out for dinner since we were planning on being inspired by the selection at the meat market. oy.

Dinner on the fly for tonight!
In the fridge I found a can of crabmeat, in the freeze I found a half a bag of shrimp. Seafood Cakes! with mango salsa!

I walked down the bike path to the little market we have (market has great meat and small selection of produce from our local produce store - also closed on Sundays). They didn't have jalepeno or cilantro needed for mango salsa. Ugh..I am still not sure what I am going to make...exactly...some sort of fish cake with nice big salad. Your guess is as good as mine!

Ok, so I am trying figure out tonight's dinner on the fly. and meal plan with what I have in house.

Stay tuned I will have my Chive Talkin' Menu Plan up later. I have to do major inventory.

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of April 12, 2009

2009-04-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

This is a day late and I apologize!! We had a great Easter/Sunday dinner. I love Sunday night dinner ~ it is usually a bigger and more involved dinner. Last night was awesome!! Hubby glazed a ham and I made Baked Mac & Cheese and steamed grean beans and a salad!!

Monday ~ Spaghetti and Salad
Tuesday ~ Pork Packets for the Grill. This is a Big Man creation ~ Pork chops, peppers, pineapples and red onion in a tinfoil packet and grilled. This recipe is so simple and yummy! Served over rice ~
Wednesday ~ Grilled Cheese with soup and salad
Thursday ~ Filet Mignon with carmelized onion sauce
Friday~ ?? Girl's Night!! The Big Man is head to the wild mountains of PA for his annual boys' weekend!! They go for opening day of trout fishing ~ I don't think they fish ~ but is an excuse to be boys!! haha!! Daughter and I will be going to see the Hannah Montana movie and I think she will be having a friend sleep over ~ oh boy!

Ok, now you have read my menu plan, have you made yours?? Have you linked your menu plan to Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll

**I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

my chive talkin' menu plan - week of April 5, 2009

2009-04-05T20:25:00.000-04:00

The theme this week is to clean out the freezer. I went in there to inventory and it needs to be filled but there are some things in there that need to be used. I found steaks that look like they might be getting icy. They were from a week we were out of the good freezer bags and substituted.

Sunday ~ tonight we had a bit of tilapia and filet. Yummy! I love Sunday nights!

Monday ~ Tacos! My daughter just loves tacos....she wanted taco tuesday but the meat is out and ready so tomorrow it is!

Tuesday ~ the above mentioned steaks will be marinated in something delicious and then the Big Man will grill them to perfection. I never doubt his skills but especially not on the grill!

Wednesday ~ BBQ Chicken boobs (on the bone)

Thursday ~ Spaghetti with sausage

Friday ~ Boneless Pork Ribs

You will notice that there is a substantial lack of side dishes in my menu this week. Well, that is because I don't have much in the house. Big Man is hitting the produce store tomorrow to stock up on lots of veggies. I have requested lots of veggies to go in a pasta salad and some green salads for spaghetti night and lunches.

I will come back after I see what goodies Big Man brings me home tomorrow.

I hope you are menu planning!! It has been a lifesaver for me! I am more organized and less stressed after a hard day at work. I have Jenna to thank! She introduced me to the wonders of menu planning. You should totally check out Jenna's Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll. I am so happy that I did. Plus, I check back there to see who has linked and what kind of menu they have! Great way to get new ideas and recipes!!

Go ahead...

Give it a try!!

You will not regret it!

Weekly Menu Plan, March 29, 2009

2009-03-29T21:10:00.000-04:00

Short Post ~ just the facts today!

Sunday: Chicken Dinner ~ whole roasted chieken with stove top, spinach and gravy
Monday: Spaghetti and Caesar Salad
Tuesday: Pork Loin with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Pizza and a Salad
Thursday: Steak with Salad and Potatoes
Friday: Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Veggies

**More notes later in the week!! I promise..

***Are you signed up over at

Chive Talkin' Menu Plan Blog Roll ??

No, then get your hiney over there and sign up! And while you are at it >check out the cool menus you will find!

Not menu planning, you should try it! Discover the

The Joys of Menu Planning

I promise you will not be disappointed.

Weekly Menu Plan, March 22, 2009

2009-03-22T13:16:00.000-04:00

Sunday ~ Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli Rabe and melted cheese on top. Served with tomato parmesan noodles and cauliflower. I will also be having a salad.

Monday ~ Spaghetti with meat sauce, served with a Big Salad

Tuesday ~ Taco Tuesday!! Served with Spanish Rice and a salad.

Wednesday ~ Manwich! my daughter loves manwich night! Not sure what side dishes yet but you can bet I will eat a salad.

Thursday ~ Whole Roasted Chicken dinner ~ served with veggies, stove top, and a salad.

Friday ~ Steaks grilled to perfection...really the Big Man is amazing on that grill!! Baked Potatoes and Salad.

This past week was absolutely insane. but having my menu planned out really helped me from having a complete nervous breakdown. I am not even being dramatic ~ it was a crazy week. I am not really up for talking about it but I am trying to downsize the stress in my life and yes, this menu planning thing is the first step!! Having one thing in my life set and scheduled is helping in other areas.

If you are not yet menu-planning you should be!! If you are not yet linking to Chive Talkin' Menu Roll than you are missing out! Link your menus and check out the others there! Great ideas to be found and shared.

Weekly Menu Plan, March 15, 2009

2009-03-15T14:54:00.000-04:00

I have to start by thanking Jenna profusely!!! I am now in my 3rd week of menu planning and I absolutely love it! It feels pretty darn good to have a plan. Some days don't always go according to plan but I feel less stressed when things happen (like forgetting to take the turkey out in enough time to defrost or having a last minute meeting)! I have been trying to get more organized forever. I can be kind of scatterbrained...a lot! It feels like a huge accomplishment to get this area of my life organized. And as a added benefit, menu planning has helped with the budget...I have definitely noticed less waste. And...I have been trying like hell to lose weight. I swear menu planning has also helped in this area. I have dinners planned out so I know what I am eating and how many points it will be ~ I plan the rest of my day around that. I make extra veggies at dinner time to be used in breakfasts and I cut up extra veggies to go in my lunch!

If you have not signed up (or linked your menus) at My Joyful Haven you totally should! I am so thankful that I did!!

This weekend we went to a Flea Market and a Meat/Butcher Shop! We picked up some beautiful things at incredible prices!! At the flea market there is a couple of produce vendors (next time we go I will have to take pictures) and the produce is very pretty. I picked up a ton of veggies and something I have been wanting to try: tomatillos. So this week's menu is inspired by the beautiful veggies and fresh meat.

For Tonight's Dinner I am finally getting my hubby's amazing Turkey Noodle Soup. The stock is simmering as I write this. The aroma is making me hungry and a bit creative in this week's menu (I also am on Spring Break from grad school so I can be home at dinner time all night! YAY)!

Monday: I am going to use thinly sliced minute steak to make Cheesesteaks with a tomatillo/avocado sauce (I found this recipe in a WW magazine ~ I will post recipe/points/pics/ and my thoughts about t his recipe later in the week). I am thinking Spanish Rice and brussel sprouts. Strike that ~ I just found this recipe for Baked Zucchini Sticks and it looks yummy and will pair nicely with some homemade cheesesteaks!
Tuesday: Chicken cutlets with Broccoli Rabe with a cheesy potato side dish (I found this side dish recipe in a WW magazine ~ I will post recipe/points/pics/ and my thoughts about t his recipe later in the week).
Wednesday: Beef Stirfry (we will use more of the thinly slice minute steak). This stirfry will be loaded up with fresh produce: snowpeas, zucchini, carrots, and broccoli. All served over rice.
Thursday: "Shrimp and Crab" Cake with a tomatillo relish. This will be different from Sunday's sauce but it is a combo of recipes found in the same WW magazine. Tomatillos were a featured item and when I saw them at the flea market I had to try them. I will do a follow up to my tomatillo experiment!
Friday: Ham and Cabbage a few days late! We want to have this irish tradition but because many beautiful veggies may not make it until Friday we pushed back tradition a bit.

Weekly Menu Plan, March 8, 2009

2009-03-07T21:09:00.000-05:00

Last Week: Went really well. I like having my menu basically planned out. We had a little flub tonight ~ we forgot to take the Turkey out of the freezer soon enough and it isn't ready yet. So, we didn't have turkey tonight as planned. No problem!! We wound up eating out for lunch and it was a rather late lunch and this meant there were plenty of leftovers for us to eat dinner.

**UPDATE** Almost forgot to link back to Jenna's page ~ My Joyful Haven is the inspirations behind my sudden menu planning craze.

This week:

Sunday: Ribeye Steak with CousCous and a Big Salad
Monday: Baked Hot Dogs & Beans with Macaroni and Cheese (and leftover salad)
Tuesday: Finally Turkey Dinner (turkey, stove-top, broccoli and cauliflower)
Wednesday: Leftovers from Turkey Dinner (I want Big Man to make Turkey Noodle Soup)
Thursday: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes and spinach
Friday: Chicken Boobs and Roasted Veg

weekly Menu Plan

2009-03-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

I love Twitter. I get to meet interesting people and learn interesting things. Today @bJenna mentioned making a weekly menu plan and posting it here . I love Jenna's site - Joyful Haven with a peace sign ~ how could I not love it!

So, today I wrote out my first ever weekly menu plan. Big Man helped but he is not quite so sure of planning the whole week ahead. He likes to be a bit more spontaneous! Big Man has been out of work for quite some time so he has been doing the majority of the grocery shopping ~ we do some of it together. We go to four different stores (a butcher shop, a produce store, Sam's Club, and ACME) to get the best price. Big Man likes to shop the sales so he worries that planning too much will not work with his system of shopping. However, he is willing to try it out.

We take turns cooking. Mondays and Wednesdays I am at school so he handles dinner and I eat when I get home. Leftovers are generally used for lunches or dinners for mini-me (sometimes she can be a picky pain-in-the-ass at dinner time - she's 9 and we hope she grows out of this phase soon).

So here goes, menu for the week of Sunday, March 1st

Sunday: chicken cutlets and a roasted asparagus and Parmesan bowtie pasta side dish
Monday: Turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and broccoli
Tuesday: Pork Tenderloin, homemade applesauce, "fried" cabbage, and mashed potatoes
Wednesday: All Day Beef Stew ~ in the crockpot all day (cubed beef, carrots, green beans, corn) served over egg noodles with a salad
Thursday: Steaks with tomato-parmesan noodles and a salad
Friday: Spaghetti and Salad
Saturday: Turkey Dinner (Free turkey from Thanksgiving, stuffing, roasted veggies, homemade coleslaw)

"Healthified" Cheesy Potato Chowder

2009-01-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

This soup was so amazingly delicious and it was super-simple to make. I received this recipe in an email from Eat Better America. I used 1% milk and light sour cream instead of the full-fat-free versions. I also used fresh broccoli instead of frozen. I just prepared broccoli in the same manner as potatoes (did not mash the broccoli but cut the florets very small). I entered all the ingredients as I used them into WW recipe builder to determine points/bowl. 3 points per bowl prepared my way! And it was a huge hit with my hubby and his friend..they tore themselves away from Madden long enough to inhale a couple of bowls each...

Prep Time:30 min

Start to Finish:1 hr

makes:8 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

6	medium red potatoes (2 lb), unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1	carton (32 oz) Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (4 cups)
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon pepper
1	bag (12 oz) Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen broccoli cuts
1/3	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	cup fat-free (skim) milk
8	oz brick 2% milk reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)*
1/2	cup fat-free sour cream
4	medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)

1.	In 5-quart Dutch oven, place potatoes; add just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Drain. Reserve 1 cup potatoes; return remaining potatoes to saucepan. In small bowl, mash reserved potatoes with fork; return to saucepan.
2.	Stir in broth, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Add broccoli. Return to boiling; cook uncovered 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium.
3.	In small bowl with wire whisk, stir flour into milk until well mixed. Add milk mixture to potato mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and boils. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Stir in sour cream and green onions; cook until thoroughly heated.
4.	To serve, ladle soup into bowls.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 240 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 710mg; Total Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 5g); Protein 13g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 15%; Vitamin C 25%; Calcium 30%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Medium-Fat Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 c Dairy, 1 c Vegetables
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Lemon Cheese Danish Muffins

2008-12-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in Marlene Koch's 375 Sensational Splenda Recipes

Ingredients:
Filling:
4 ounces tub-style light cream cheese
4 tablespoons Splenda Granular
2 teaspoons 1% milk
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (I didn't have almond so I used vanilla and it didn't feel like something was missing.)
Muffin Batter:
1 large egg
3 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/4 cup 1% milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces regular nonfat lemon yogurt

2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour*
3/4 cup Splenda Granular
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Grated zest of 1 lemon (I didn't have a lemon last night when I made these muffins so I used the zest of a tangerine

STEPS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. FILLING: In a small bowl, cream together cream cheese, 3 tablespoons Splenda, milk, and extract. Set aside.
3. BATTER: In another small bowl whisk together egg, margarine, milk, vanilla, and yogurt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Stir, make a well in the center of dry ingredients and add liquid mixture. With a large spoon or spatula stir until ingredients are moistened.
5. Spoon 1 large tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup (about 1/2 full) ; place 2 teaspoons cheese mixture over each; fill cups with remaining muffin batter.
6. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing wire rack.
7. Dust with powdered sugar if desire

WW points = 3 points/muffin

The Review: Way Delicious! Hubby is requesting I double this recipe next time!

Awesome & Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-12-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe in Marlene Koch's 375 Sensational Splenda Recipes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups low-fat baking mix (like Reduced-Fat Bisquick)
1/2 cup Splenda Granular
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk (Trust me buy the big box, you will think this is crazy but after you and your family eat these muffins you will make it frequently)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 10 muffin cups in standard muffin tin with nonstick spray. (I stretched mine to fit all 12 cups)
2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, egg, canola oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. Be sure to dissolve any brown sugar lumps. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients. Stir; make a well in center and add milk mixture. With a large spoon or spatula, stir until dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Spoon into prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

My Review: These muffins are insanely easy to make and insanely delicious. At 3 points per muffin these are a great treat!

All Things Sunday

2008-12-07T20:02:00.000-05:00

The following is a list of all the things I prepared on Sunday. I will add the recipes as soon as I can. I will try and add photos to the recipes this time.

Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples and Sauerkraut (5 pts)
Twice Baked Garlic Potatoes (4 pts)
Ham,Asparagus & Cheese Individual Fritatas (3 pts)
Chicken Pot Pie (5 pts)
Banana Bran Muffins (2 pts)
Chocolate Chip Muffins (2 pts)
Lemon Cheese Danish Muffins (2pts)
Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Broccoli (5pts)

Pumpkin Fluff

2008-11-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

Got this recipe at my WW meeting today.

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free cool whip
4 servings sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
15 oz canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup fat-free milk

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a blender except the cool whip. Add cool whip to create "mousse" consistency.

Makes 6 half cup servings, 1 point each.

My Turkey Meatballs

2008-11-20T11:21:00.000-05:00

I made these delicious Turkey Meatballs the other night and they were so delish.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (you can use seasoned, I just prefer to season my own)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
seasonings (use the kinds you like - I used garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, and basil)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients. Form into balls - I used a small scooper (think ice cream scooper but way smaller)
Fry in a nonstick pan with 1-2 teaspoons of canola oil (or bake in oven at 375°F for approximately 20 minutes or until a nice golden brown color.)

I wound up with 70 turkey balls

2 balls = 1 WW point

Misc. Info - ground turkey needs to be seasoned more than ground beef (in my opinion)

Splenda Apple Pie

2008-11-19T13:58:00.000-05:00

From Marlene Koch's 375 Sensational Splenda Recipes

Ingredients:
1 prepared Single-Crust Pie
1 large egg white beaten with 2 teaspoons water
2 large eggs
1 cup light sour cream
3/4 cup Splenda Granular
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups peeled, thinly sliced baking apples (I used granny smith apples)

Streusel Topping
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Splenda Granular
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Prepare pie crust and partially bake for 10 minutes. Brush bottom and side of crust with beaten egg white and water mixture. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, lightly beat together eggs, sour cream, Splenda, flour, vanilla, and salt. Stir in apples and pour into prebaked pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for additional 20 minutes; cover edges of pie with foil as needed to prevent overbrowning.
3. While pie is baking, combine streusel topping ingredients. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle on topping. Return pie to oven and bake additionally 20 minutes.
4. Cool completely before serving.WW Points = 4 points per serving

My Review: This was such an easy recipe to follow and pie was in the oven quickly. Only thing I would add - make sure to slice apples thin. All enjoyed this pie at my house and I didn't even tell anybody there was no sugar...