Shopping List for 1-30-12

Hubby is a bit laid up this week so I am using a lot of convenience items---

For meats--you will need a whole chicken, 2 lbs hamburger, bacon

For veggies--lettuce, onion and tomatoes (for tacos)

Frozen section--one frozen lasagna and frozen garlic toast, frozen stir fry, frozen veggies (we are having the steam in the bag asparagus), frozen egg rolls***(see note at bottom of page), frozen chicken breast

General Groceries--Spices=McCormick Sicilian Chicken rub; a taco seasoning packet, taco shells or tortillas, rice, polenta, plus other taco stuff, sweet and sour sauce for the egg rolls

Monday-I have a late meeting and therefore I take advantage of the delay bake feature on my oven. I use a Stoeffer's Party size lasagna and start it at 3 so it is fully baked by 5 and we pull the foil off the top when we come in and throw in garlic toast while we set the table and get everyone settled.

Tuesday--Tacos. I usually don't like to use the seasoning packets for taco meat, I feel they have a chalky taste, however awhile back I got some for 10 cents a packet so this time I will use them. Most of the time I prefer to just brown the meat with onion and then I dump in about 1/4 cup of Ortega taco sauce and 1/4 c water and that seems to work really well. This time I will most likely also brown my hamburger with both onion and bell pepper.

Wednesday--Stirfry. I make brown rice (the kind that takes 45 minutes to cook.) I will cook one frozen chicken breast, I pull the chicken from the large sauce pan (if you have a wok you could use it) I then stir fry the veggies. Most likely I will just use salt and pepper to taste. I will dice the chicken and add it back in with the veggies. When the stir fry and chicken are done I will dump the cooked rice in and combine. We are having store bought frozen egg rolls with this meal, but at the bottom of the page I will share my recipe for egg rolls.

Thursday (another late return home) I am going to cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker. I bought a Sicilian Chicken Rub by McCormick (they used to have one of those recipe ready packets for chicken which I have used before, but not this time*darn* so I bought a bottle of the Sicilian for $2.25) I will take the chicken out of the deep freeze that morning. I will remove the plastic and run it under the faucet to get it sticky. I will then rub a couple of generous palm fulls of this Sicilian spice over the chicken and throw it in the slow cooker on 8-10 hour setting.

Typically I'd mix up my own spice rub but this time I am going to let the McCormick Company do it for me. I most likely have all those spices on hand but at 6:30 in the a.m. I don't want to think that hard...

We also will have quick cooking Polenta and steam in the bag asparagus.

Friday--Breakfast for Supper. Most likely we are going to have waffles. I follow the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cook book. And bacon.

*****My recipe for homemade egg rolls.

You will need wonton wrappers (found in the produce section) a bag a pre-made coleslaw, green onions. Bulk italian sausage, soy sauce and some form of teriaki sauce, or Asian marinade sauce that sound good to you.

Brown the italian sausage and drain. You may only need half, start there. Add about 4 diced green onions, half a bag of the cole slaw, a sprinkle or two of soy sauce and a good squirt of which ever Asian sauce you have. Mix together. The coleslaw should be good and coated so add more sauce if you need to. Wrap up the egg rolls as it shows you on the package and deep fry. I have a dutch oven that I put about 3 inches of oil in try to keep it around 350. Cook until they look golden brown and delicious and drain. I pull them from the oil using tongs and drain them over the oil in about 10 different directions. They are probably not the healthiest food, but shucks, they are good. We serve ours with sweet and sour. Sometimes they are so good you don't need sauce!

This is a picture of the chicken pot pie I made a few weeks ago! I had already cut into it and thought---ooo I should get a photo!

Menu For Jan 30 2012

Monday--Frozen all ready prepared Lasagna

Tuesday--tacos

Wednesday--Stir fry and egg rolls

Thursday--Chicken cooked in the crock pot, steamed vegges and polenta

Friday--Breakfast for Supper (probably waffles and bacon)

Shopping list for 1-23-12

Pork Loin I really like the pre-marinated ones in the meat dpt at the grocery store. Quite often I have a coupon or they go on sale. I usually pick these up for $5.99. Also it was nice enough we grilled it. Takes about 40 minutes.

Polenta--I buy the quick cooking polenta found in the natural food section at the grocery and I prefer to make it with chicken broth and I serve it with butter and honey. We also steamed frozen broccoli for this meal.

Steak Last week I was able to pick up some thin steaks as a manager special in the meat section and used some for fajitas last week, this week I made steaks (they took two minutes to cook they were so thin, but quite tender and EVERYONE gobbled them up) I sauteed some bell pepper and onion to serve on top. And made a package of Knorr brand alfredo for a side.

Spaghetti--look at earlier blog for recipe.

Chicken Enchiladas --I follow the Campbells soup recipe. Believe me, not much for left overs with this meal!!

Pizza night--- i don't know yet if we'll make from scratch or pick some up. We have a medical appointment late that afternoon so I think we'll grab a take and bake!

Menu Jan 23-27

Gone over the weekend so post is a bit late!

Monday--Pork Loin (Hormel Brand bought it as a mgr special and got a great deal)

with polenta and steamed broccoli

Tuesday--Steaks with onion and bell pepper with Alfredo side (Knorr/Liptons brand)

Wednesday--Spaghetti

Thursday--Chicken Enchiladas (Campbells soup recipe)

Friday--Pizza Night!!!!

Menu 1

Ahh the joys of potty training! Asher is doing quite well for 2 1/2. Last week at movie night at church Asher said he needed to use the potty and did successfully! However only one successful day this week at home! Oh well. A couple times he at least tried! One thing we try to keep him on the potty longer is we bring the personal DVD player in and set it on the vanity. It seems to help. The thing that makes it really hard because he is very much a "me do" little boy but lacks the dexterity to do a lot of the dressing, or undressing that is necessary so it isn't lack of trying, accidents just occur do to him being 2. I am sure this is a frustration that has faced many a parent!

Well, I didn't intend to predict the weather, but it was too cold to make the fish outside today!!! Ha! However, it worked fine on the stove. We do have a fry daddy, but I decided to just use a deep cast iron pot on the stove to deep fry the fish.

Sweet Potato Fries-Today I just made frozen sweet potato fries b/c I had gotten them during a good sale last month. However, in our family we love homemade sweet potato fries.

I think perhaps you'd need one Sweet potato for each person. Cut them into fry shape.

place them in a gallon zip top bag. Now remember I don't measure anything I go my look... to the bag add EVOO enough to coat the sweet potato fries maybe a quarter cup? Then I add season salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, parmasean cheese (the shredded kind if possible), sugar zip the top and shake the bag evenly coating all the fries. Dump the fries onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until the look golden brown and delicious.

Shopping list for 1-16-12

First of all, I was lucky enough to get to the meat case when they had some meat that was ALMOST to its due date so I snatched some up! I was able to get two lbs of hamburger and a family-sized tray of thinly cut round steak! In the freezer section Walmart also had some frozen fish marked down to $4.50!

I tend to shop by the week just buying what we need for the week. However, I will stock up on some things. For example, when turkeys were marked down at Thanksgiving time I bought three of them and two hams when they were marked down for Christmas. I also tend to buy about 10 bags of frozen veg when I stock up.

This week uses a lot of celery, onion, carrots, and hamburger!

Monday I am already putting the Hamburger to good use by making the slow cooker Spaghetti Bolognese. I am sure you can find the recipe at realsimple.com

However it calls for ---ground chuck, 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, 2 carrots, 1 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 c tomato paste, 1/4 c dry wine (red or white), tsp oregano, tsp thyme, salt and pepper to taste.

***the thing I like about this recipe is you don't have to pre-brown the hamburger!!!! Throw it all in and cook on slow. When you get home make the noodles and serve!

Tuesday--We are having left overs! One of the left overs is some butternut squash soup I had frozen last fall. I use both butternut and acorn squash. I have also made this same recipe using sweet potatoes. Bake the (like 1 butternut and 2 acorn)squash like you normally would. While it is baking saute a couple diced carrots, one small onion diced, and 2 stalks of celery diced. Add a clove of diced garlic towards the end. Cook until they are tender.

Take the squash out of the oven and scoop the flesh into the pot and add one quart box of chicken broth. If you need more liquid, add more broth if you have it, if not just add water. You want it to BARELY cover the veggies. If you have an immersion blender use it at this time and blend until smooth, if not, carefully scoop it out and blend in a regular blender and return it to the pot. This soup it VERY thick and creamy even though it doesn't have cream in it. I use cloves, cinnamon, ground sage (go light of this) salt and pepper for taste.

Wednesday--grilled chicken salad. Go crazy.

Thursday--fish fry. I was able to pick up some frozen white fish so we will use that. I use Shorelunch batter, frozen sweet potato fries and frozen green beans. I will deep fry the fish (this is one of those 'hit the spot' meals at our house!!!) We have a burner on our outside gas grill and we do it out there to keep the fish smell out of the house. Hopefully it won't be -40 or snowing that day!

Friday--Poor Mans chop Suey--1 lb hamburger, 1 c diced onion, 2 c celery 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 can water, 1/4 c soy sauce (I'll probably back that off) 1/2 c raw rice (I use brown) 1 can bean sprouts, 1 can mushrooms.

Brown the meat, onion and celery together. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Transfer to an oven safe dish and bake at 350 for one hour.

1-16 thru 1-20 menu

Hi All!!! This is the menu at our house for this week!

Monday I have a meeting after school and I nights like that I love to use either my crock pot, or delay bake on my oven. This time I am going to use the crock pot (slow cooker)!

Monday--Slow Cooker Spaghetti (I am using a recipe from the current issue of Real Simple Magazine)

Tuesday- Leftovers! We are pulling out the left-over turkey and ham from Christmas and I have left over butternut squash soup as well.

Wednesday-Grilled Chicken Salad

Thursday--Fish Fry with sweet potato fries and green beans

Friday--Poor Mans Chop Suey (There have been a lot of the canned Chop Sueys on sale so the ads made me hungry for it!!! Ha ha!

So tonight since the oven was warm from the chicken pot pie, I decided to try a gluten free bread recipe and also some granola.

Here is the granola recipe

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (like you'd put on a salad)

1 cup coconut

1/4 ground yellow flax seed

2 Tablespoons oil

3/4 cup honey (mine is local honey)

mix it together, spread on a small cookie sheet and bake for 30 min at 300.

I Could also add dried fruit to this recipe, and I was going to until I noticed my craisins and raisins both expired over a year ago

Okay- So we couldn't wait and had the Shrimp Po' boys tacos on Sunday! So I had to punt and change the menu item for Thursday.

Well, on Tuesday it was beautiful so I grilled the Chicken Breasts for the salad. I always grill up the whole bag. 1) We can take a breast in lunches 2) great to have cooked on hand for another salad or I am using it in Chicken Pot Pie!

So easy. I cut two carrots into disks (I use regular organic carrots (not baby))

I dice two stalks of celery and dice up 1/2 of a small onion.

While I am sauteing the veggies I prepare a pie crust but you can totally use prepared crust or dump the "innards" into an 8x8 and top with rolled out crescent rolls or refrigerator biscuits

Then I take sauteed veggies and add them to one can of cream of chicken soup (or any cream of soup you may have on hand.) I dice up the cooked chicken breast and add it at this time.

Then assemble the pie. I bake it at 400 for one hour, or when it "seems" done.

In addition to total craziness--we are attempting to potty train our two-year-old. Yesterday he was a champ at going twice all by himself! Today---no interest! Argh! With my other little boy he just kinda decided one day---I am going to use the potty and was pretty good at it and had few accidents....I am hoping the little one gets to that point---SOON! That'd save us $40/month in diapers!

Shopping list for 1-9-12

Po' boy tacos

ready to heat breaded shrimp (I have Sea Pak Brand)--You could also use fish sticks we do it all the time

tortillas

ready made coleslaw

prepared coleslaw dressing, however I make my own from:

Miracle whip style salad dressing, a shot of apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar (or splenda) to taste, garlic powder to taste.

scallions and green pepper to chop and add to the coleslaw

(I cut up about 3 scallions and 1/3 of a big bell pepper)

I use about 1/2 bag of the cole slaw.

load up the tortillas and enjoy!

Spaghetti-

I do make my own sauce--1 lb ital sausage, one can of diced tomatoes and one can of tomato sauce and I season with basil, garlic (fresh and powder), thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. I brown my Italian sausage (or hamburger if that is what I have on hand) with diced onion and diced bell pepper and sliced mushroom.

I use corn spaghetti.

Basil pasta-

I saute mushrooms, grape tomatoes, bell pepper, onion and this time I am going to use faux crab (Louis Kemp)

and prepared basil sauce from the grocery store (back in the area by the cheese and yogurt sometimes found up by the special cheeses in the deli section)

Most likely will use corn spaghetti again

chicken salad--

if its nice enough I will grill the chicken outside, if not, I will cook two breasts on the stove and cut and serve on salad. For my salad I buy the prepared Organic salad in the clamshells and add tomatos and tons of stuff so whatever you like on salads knock yourself out!

Menu for Jan9 2012

One year ago I started planning meals one week at a time. I usually go by what I have on hand and then I ask the hubs if he is in the mood for any particular meal and go from there. Many times as long as we plan the "protein" I am pretty good and "throwing" the rest together.

Items I usually always have on hand are: chicken breasts, chicken broth (in the quart box) spaghetti fixings, chili fixings, salad fixings and Coles brand garlic toast or ready to warm in the oven bisquits

I carpool with a friend whose dad is a farmer and every spring we order a quarter cow and so for part of the year we have beef in the menus quite often.

Also--since we have two little boys (5 and 2) we have a lot of mac and cheese as well as fish sticks and chicken nuggets on hand.

So for this week we are going to have the following meals:

Monday-po' boy tacos

Tuesday-spaghetti

Wednesday-Chicken breast on a salad

Thursday-pesto pasta

Friday--we have a movie night at church and will eat there but that evening for you could also be an evening you order out, or do breakfast for supper