Week Four:

Day One:

Slow Cooker Chicken With White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 (4oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
6 slices of bacon
2 pounds chicken tenderloins (about 8 pieces) OR 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cup into strips
salt & pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup dry white wine
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 tsp minced garlic

Directions:
In slow cooker, combine onions & mushrooms.

In a large skillet, fry bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon, reserve for garnish. Discard all but 2 tbsp bacon fat.

Season chicken with salt & pepper. Cook chicken pieces in bacon fat over med-high heat (3-5 minutes) until browned. Place browned chicken into slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, whisk together cream of chicken soup, white wine, italian seasoning and garlic. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Ladle chicken with white wine sauce onto plates and garnish with crumbled bacon.


Day Two:

Barbeque Meat Loaf

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 medium onion, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp worchester sauce
1/2 cup water (to thin sauce if necessary)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form this mixture into a loaf and place into a shallow pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, mustard, worchester and the water (if the sauce is too thick). Pour this sauce over the meat loaf.

Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices.


Day Three:

Fettucine Alfredo*
*this recipe makes enough for two servings for a family of 4 - can be frozen & enjoyed later OR recipe can be halved.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
3 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley (or 3 tbsp dried)
1 box fettuccine

Directions:
Cook as much fettuccine as you would like according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter over med-low heat. Add cream & simmer for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley. Spoon alfredo sauce over pasta.


Day Four:

Summer Harvest Soup

Ingredients:
1 large zucchini
1 small summer squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup great northern beans
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup pasta sauce
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
1/3 cup rotini pasta, added 20 minutes before serving
salt & pepper
grated parmesan & romano cheese (optional)

Directions:
Wash squashes well and cut into 1 inch pieces. place into crockpot with diced onions & tomatoes. Rinse beans in hot water and add to crockpot.

Add broth, pasta sauce & water. Stir in italian seasoning.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours, until beans are tender. 20 minutes before serving, stir in raw pasta.

Serve with grated parmesan & romano cheese if desired.


Day Five:

Stuffed Pork Roast

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground sage

1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp butter, melted
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tsp minced garlic

1 (2 lb) pork roast

Directions:
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add chicken broth, apples, onion and sage. Cook 5-8 minutes until softened. Remove to a medium bowl and add egg, bread crumbs, melted butter, garlic & salt & pepper. Mix well. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Either "Butterfly" or "Roll Cut" the roast.

Butterfly: To stuff the pork loin, you'll need a place to put the stuffing. You can do this in two ways. First, the simplest way is to butterfly the roast. Using a sharp knife cut down through the center of the roast and fold it open like a book. You will then want to pound the meat to a uniform 1-inch thickness. This will allow you to roll the roast back up once it's stuffed. The other way to cut the roast is what's called roll cutting. This technique takes a little more patience (and maybe some practice) but it gives you more flexibility and doesn't require pounding to thin out the meat.

Roll Cut: To roll cut a roast, place the trimmed roast on a cutting board so that one end is directly in front of you. Take a very sharp knife and begin cutting on the side, parallel to the cutting board about 1 inch (more or less is up to you) from the board. As you cut, "unroll" the roast. This is kind of like unrolling a roll of paper towels. The great advantage to this technique is that once you really master it you can cut a roast to 1/2 inch thickness or less.

Stuffing: At this point you're ready to spread the stuffing over the pork loin. You want to make an even layer of the stuffing you are using to give the finished product a nice spiral pattern when it is sliced. Roll the pork loin gently so as not to displace the stuffing. Tie it securely with kitchen twine, but not so tight that you squeeze out the stuffing.

Cook for about 1 hour at 375 degrees or until done.

*special thanks to about.com for providing the info about Butterflying, Roll Cutting and Stuffing. :)


Shopping List for Week Four:

2 pounds chicken tenderloins (about 8 pieces) OR 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
6 slices of bacon
1 (2 lb) pork roast

1 box fettuccine
1/3 cup rotini pasta
1/4 cup great northern beans

butter
2 cups heavy cream
eggs

3 onions
1 large zucchini
1 small summer squash
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 granny smith apples

frozen pearl onions

4oz can sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup pasta sauce
2 cans chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine
italian seasoning
fresh garlic
salt & pepper
bread crumbs
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp worchester sauce
3 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley (or 3 tbsp dried)
grated parmesan & romano cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground sage

Week Three:

Day One:

Crockpot Sweet & Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 cup water

Directions:

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Toss chicken pieces in flour then move to skillet. Brown chicken pieces and remove to crockpot.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix juice concentrate, water, sugar, ketchup, vinegar and salt. Pour over chicken in crockpot and toss to coat.

Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6 hours on low, stirring occasionally.


Day Two:

Spaghetti with Ranch Meatballs

Ingredients:
Spaghetti
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Ranch Meatballs
1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp ranch dressing mix powder
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, diced
1 pound ground beef

Directions:
Make ranch meatballs first: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine bread crumbs & milk. Let soak 5 minutes. Add ranch dressing powder and onion; stir to combine. Add ground beef & egg. Mix well. Form into 20 small/medium meatballs (they will shrink in the oven). Place meatballs on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook for about 25 minutes until browned & cooked through.

Boil spaghetti according to package directions. Heat spaghetti sauce and add in as many meatballs as you would like to top your spaghetti. You can freeze the rest in a ziploc bag. They can be reheated any time for a number of uses or just eaten alone! Yummy!


Day Three:

Carribean Grilled Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small can corn
1 avocado, cut into pieces

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
1 tsp old bay seasoning (or more but the shrimp get spicy)

Directions:
Sprinkle shrimp with old bay seasoning (to taste). Grill shrimp until pink & cooked through. Set aside.

Combine the seven dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to combine. Add cilantro, corn and avocado and toss again. Enjoy!


Day Four:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/Rootbeer Sauce
(and no, the end result does NOT taste like root beer!)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 boneless pork loin roast (around 2 pounds)
2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans root beer (do NOT use diet)
1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce (Found with the ketchup in the grocery store)
Sandwich Buns

Directions:
In a skillet heat oil over high heat. Brown roast on all sides (about 6-10 minutes).

Place roast in slow cooker. Add 2 tsp salt, pepper, onion and one can of root beer. Cook on low 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

About 30 minutes before serving, in a saucepan, heat remaining can of root beer, chili sauce and 1/2 tsp of salt to boiling over med-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until glossy & reduced.

Remove pork from slow cooker, discarding liquid. "Smash" pork roast until shredded. Place pork on buns and spoon chili sauce mixture over top OR mix shredded pork with sauce and serve that way. Either way is good!


Day Five:

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients:
2 medium roma tomatoes, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp basil flakes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper (to taste)

1 pkg stove top stuffing (6 oz)
1/2 cup water
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Make bruschetta ahead of time by combining first six ingredients in a small bowl and allowing to rest in the refrigerator for one hour to overnight (the longer the better!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bruschetta in medium bowl and add stuffing and 1/2 cup of water. Stir until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

Place chicken into 9x13 pyrex dish. Sprinkle with cheese, top with stuffing mixture.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

The bruschetta tastes good on it's own if you ever need a quick and easy appetizer!


Shopping List for Week Three:

6-7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound ground beef
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
1 boneless pork loin roast (around 2 pounds)

frozen pineapple juice concentrate
2 cans root beer (do NOT use diet)
Spaghetti
spaghetti sauce
canned corn
1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce (Found with the ketchup in the grocery store)
Sandwich Buns
1 pkg stove top stuffing (6 oz)
shredded mozzarella cheese

2 onions
fresh ginger
2 limes
fresh garlic
Avocado
fresh cilantro
2 medium roma tomatoes

flour
olive oil
vegetable oil
brown sugar
ketchup
balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
water
italian bread crumbs
milk
ranch dressing mix powder
egg
soy sauce
white sugar
red pepper flakes
basil flakes
old bay seasoning

What is London Broil?

A good friend in Canada called me today and said "What the heck is London Broil? The butchers here don't know what it is I am asking for." So I thought I had better clear it up for all of my non-american friends & family.

According to Wikipedia, London broil is a North American beef dish usually made by broiling or grilling marinated flank or round steak and then cutting it against the grain into thin strips.

So basically it is a thick flank or round steak (usually around 1 1/2 inches thick here) that weighs one to two pounds. They're available here everywhere and are usually on sale for pretty cheap, making it an attractive option for those of us trying to save our pennies. Sorry for any confusion! xo

Week Two

Day One:

Awesome & Easy Chicken Enchiladas
*This recipe makes enough for two dinners of 4 rolled tortillas each - one for tonight & one to freeze for another time.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
1 pkg mild taco seasoning mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
2 1/4 cup water
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
8 medium sized flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 (16 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives

Directions:
Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer until no longer pink - about 10 minutes. Shred the chicken using two forks back to back and pulling the meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside.

Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat & cover to keep warm.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilis, taco seasoning, half a bunch of the chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder and garlic powder. Turn heat to medium-low and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Can add 1/2 cup more water if needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 or 9x9 baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half the cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam side down in the prepared pan.

Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle the remaining green onions and sliced olives over the cheese. Bake in the oven until filling is heated through and cheese is melted and bubbling - about 25 minutes.


Day Two:

Grilled London Broil Salad

Marinade Ingredients:
5 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey

1 london broil (1 - 1 1/2 pounds)
1 packaged salad mix

Directions:
Blend all marinade ingredients together in a food processor. Pour into a ziploc bag and add london broil. Marinate for at least one hour, no more than four.

Grill until done (super yummy on the charcoal grill) and slice into 1/2 inch strips. Serve over salad with the dressing of your choice.


Day Three:

Bacon Quiche with Hashbrown Crust

Ingredients:
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 bag frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
cooking spray

1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked & crumbled
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 small can (6 oz) sliced mushrooms
2 tsp minced garlic

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray pie pan with cooking spray. Drain hashbrowns on paper towels, squeezing out the water. Make a pie shell from the hash browns in the pie plate, spreading evenly over the bottom then the sides. Sprinkle with garlic powder and seasoning salt and then using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the melted butter. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until crispy.

In a small skillet, melt remaining tbsp of butter and saute green onions, mushrooms and minced garlic until tender. Set aside.

Change the oven temperature to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream and juice. Stir in the bacon, salt & pepper, cheese, and green onion mixture. Pour into the prepared hashbrown crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Day Four:

Chicken, Garlic & SunDried Tomato Pasta
*This makes a lot as well - could eat half & freeze half for another time

Ingredients:
1(16 oz) box bow tie pasta
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked & cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated in water if necessary)
3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried oregano leaves

Directions:
In a large pot with boiling, salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan. Add garlic and cook until garlic browns. Add the cream of chicken soup and milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in the dried parsley, oregano and salt & pepper. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken & sun dried tomatoes. Simmer for 6-8 minutes. Mix in grated parmesan.

Toss cooked & drained pasta with chicken sauce. Serve warm with garlic bread, if desired.

Day Five:

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

Ingredients:
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp butter
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 to 3/4 salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 salmon fillet (around 2 pounds)

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the brown sugar, butter & honey until melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in the oil, mustard, soy sauce, salt & pepper. Cool for 5 minutes.

Place salmon on a large, foil lined baking pan; brush with brown sugar mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.


Shopping List for Week Two:

7 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 pound salmon fillet
1- 1 ½ pound london broil
1 pound sliced bacon

eggs
sour cream
butter
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
grated parmesan cheese
milk

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
1 small can (6 oz) sliced mushrooms

sun-dried tomatoes
8 medium sized flour tortillas
1 packaged salad mix
1/2 bag frozen shredded hash browns
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1(16 oz) box bow tie pasta
1/4 cup red wine

1 small onion
2 bunches green onions
garlic bulb

brown sugar
chili powder
1 pkg mild taco seasoning mix
lime juice
onion powder
garlic powder
balsamic vinegar
soy sauce
honey
seasoning salt
cooking spray
salt & pepper
dried parsley
dried oregano leaves
dijon mustard
olive oil

Working on Week Two

It's Saturday so I am working on next week's meal plan today. I am hoping that once I have it all figured out I will just be able to post the whole week's recipes and the shopping list all at once. Trying to do it in the morning before I fly out of here to go to work is proving a little too much. :) Check back soon!

Meal Plan - Week One:

I am going to update this post with the recipes as I make them this week, creating a running shopping list at the bottom. I know it's Tuesday today but with the holiday everything kind of got crazy. We ate at my MIL's last night and had hamburgers. I don't think anyone needs a recipe for those! LOL So consider Monday a free choice day this week.

Day 2:
Cheesy Potato Pork Chop Bake

Ingredients:
1/2 pkg Ore-Ida frozen Potatoes O'Brien (or any frozen hash brown potatoes - about 15 oz)
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
4 pork chops, 3/4 inches thick
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix potatoes, soup, sour cream, milk, onion and shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pyrex baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork chops, sprinkle with salt & pepper and half of the garlic powder. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side until browned.

Remove foil from baking dish. Place pork chops on top of potatoes. Bake 25-35 minutes longer until pork chops are done and edges are bubbly. Enjoy!


Day 3:
Baked Chicken Fingers w/Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into strips
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup bread crumbs (or panko)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut each of the chicken breasts into 4 or 5 lengthwise "fingers". Place in bowl. Add the vegetable oil and stir to coat everything evenly.

In a large ziploc bag combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano and salt & pepper. Add the chicken strips, 3 or 4 at a time, and shake to coat with the crumb mixture. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Bake for 10 minutes, turn the strips over and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until nicely browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients in a food processor and blending until smooth & creamy.

Serve the chicken fingers hot or at room temperature with the dipping sauce.



Day 4:
Beef Fajitas

Ingredients:
1 lb top round steak or london broil cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 limes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tbsp honey
2 large onions, sliced
1 pkg fajita seasoning, divided
1/4 cup water
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 green pepper, cut into strips

1 pkg 8" flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa

Directions:
Squeeze the juice of two limes into a large bowl. Add minced garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp fajita seasoning. Stir to blend. Add meat to bowl and marinate about an hour.

Slice onions and peppers into thin slices. Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions stirring occasionally for 5 minutes then remove from skillet.

Turn heat to medium-high. Add meat in marinade and peppers to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes until meat is browned.

Add onions back into skillet and add remaining fajita seasoning and 1/4 cup of water. Cook and stir for 3 minutes until heated through and thickened.

Assemble on flour tortilla adding cheese, salsa and sour cream to taste.


Day 5:

Mom's Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1-2 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
1 can golden mushroom soup, divided
1/2 cup carnation evaporated milk
1 small can sliced mushrooms (or fresh)
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tsp garlic powder
salt, pepper
breadcrumbs if necessary

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix ground beef with 1/2 can golden mushroom soup, onion, egg, carnation milk, mushrooms, mustard, garlic powder and salt & pepper (to taste). Add breadcrumbs if mixture is too sticky. Form into a meatloaf shape and put into ungreased pyrex. Cook in oven for 30 minutes.

Pour remaining golden mushroom soup over meatloaf and cook for another 30 minutes until done. Serve with vegetables & mashed potatoes.




Shopping List for Week One:

4 Pork Chops, 3/4 inches thick
1 lb top round steak or london broil
3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1-2 lb ground beef

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup carnation evaporated milk
1 small can sliced mushrooms (or fresh)

Sour cream
Milk
2 packages shredded cheddar (2cups each)
1 egg

28 oz package Frozen Ore-Ida Potatoes O'Brien (or similar)

1 pkg 8" flour tortillas

4 Onions (yellow or white)
2 limes
2 cloves garlic
1 red pepper
1 green pepper

1 pkg fajita seasoning
bread crumbs (or panko)
Garlic Powder
grated Parmesan cheese
dried oregano leaves

Olive oil
vegetable oil
salt & pepper
honey
dijon mustard
1 tbsp yellow mustard
salsa

Going back to work!

I am beginning this blog as I begin my new job. Not really new, but full time for the first time in years. I have been a stay at home mom for the last five years and now with my youngest about to start full time kindergarten in August (and a bank account that has been battered by surviving on one income) the time has definately come. I have had the pleasure of working casually at a nearby hospital while I stayed home with my kids. My employer has been there through the loss of two parents, a couple of scary health issues with my mother in law and four years of my bringing in baby pictures almost every time I came in to work. I typically worked only four shifts a month but it definately is an environment that I love to be in. I am happy and excited to be going on full time and in this economy, I feel very blessed that I was able to get a job at all. With a great hubby, two beautiful kids and an employer that appreciates me, I think I am blessed in general.

So the thing is that it is all happening really fast. In the last four days I have been offered the job, hired a summer nanny, found a daycare for when school starts, had a gazillion conversations with my hubby about how we're going to do __________ (fill in the blank). Did I mention I start tomorrow?

Before I go switch laundry loads (my newest Sunday job LOL) I thought I would try to explain what I am doing here. What my purpose for starting a blog is in the first place. Maybe you'll be interested and choose to follow, maybe you won't, but either way it's ok. I haven't been really religious about keeping up with blogs in the past but I figure that since meal planning is going to take up a bit of my extra time and since I have to write it all out anyway, I might as well share it. Here goes nothing, right?

So my new shift is from 12 noon until 8:30pm. Not great, but do-able. Weekends off with the family makes it even more do-able. Someday I may get to move to dayshift but for right now it's all good. I figure that since my husband will be home with the kids during the dinner hour and I will be at work, I had better try to think of some way to feed them. Please don't think for a second that my husband wouldn't feed them something but I really want them to have a little more variety than hamburger helper & pizza five nights a week. (sorry honey!).

And you should know that I can actually cook. I used to be able to burn water but sometime along the way I learned to cook and I love it. So I figured if I made a list of five tasty tried-and-true dinners a week that aren't that hard to pull together OR that can be made ahead to just be reheated OR could be thrown in the crockpot before I go to work AND if I made a shopping list and did a weekly shopping trip to get all the stuff I would need to have it on hand to make the food for the week then I would be well prepared. I figured I would look around and see if anyone else was doing the same thing so that maybe we could compare menus and ideas. I found that yes, others ARE doing it and yes, they will share their menus IF you pay them. Sorry, not interested. My little sister posted on facebook that she would be willing to pay for my tried and true recipes in weekly meal planning format and it got me thinking that maybe it would be a good thing to start a blog about it (no payment needed!). So here I am. With a blog. Wow.

I have put together the first week. Well, actually, that's kind of a lie. I printed out a sample menu from one of those paid sites that came with a shopping list. I looked it over and realized that I already had a lot of those recipes and mine were better so I am making the meals my way. My thought is that I will do this week, making changes as necessary, and then post the weekly menu/shopping list by the weekend so that if anyone else wants to try it out, they can. For FREE.

I welcome all comments and ideas! Thanks for coming by.

Michelle