Input and ideas requested!! :)

Here is your challenge, should you choose to accept it:  Send one delicious, nutritious, and in every way satisfying meal idea from the following pictures.  HA!  :) (Can you read them?  They are lists of what I have in my 2 freezers, my fridge, and my pantry.  It is "clean them all out" week!  Translation: Kathy has blown her grocery budget out of the water lately, and must not by anything but milk this week.)  :)  I also have my ripe organics box arriving today . . . thank goodness!

I'll post what I come up with as I come up with them! 

Hope you are all having a good week . . . and that Joey is better!! 

Love,
Kathy

P.S.  Ann Marie, your pasta salad recipe was phenomenal!  Thanks so much for posting it!! 

Loving Spring, hating the allergies!

Grilled fish--yum!  I would love some pointers ladies!  I'm preparing my shopping list.  This is my morning to go to the store and Joey fell asleep on the chair…it's been a long week for him, so I'm inclined to let him nap (Monday night to the ER because he was coughing so hard he was vomiting and could not catch his breath in between…scary but turned out ok, and a long night nonetheless.  Wed to the doctor for a follow up on his double ear infections (yes, he HAS tubes!), still has the ear infections and also Strep.  Long story short…he needs the nap!)

I didn't know that Sean was preparing for First Communion.  So cool!  Can't wait to see the pictures!

Friday night: Picnic at our garden plot…grilled hamburgers with homemade buns, corn on the cob, coleslaw.

Burger idea:  I saw this recipe for a fun twist on burgers and we are big fans:
Mix into meat before preparing patties:
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
seasoned salt

Saturday: Beef Brisket, baked beans, broiled veggies, salad
Sunday: grilled fish, grilled veggies, quinoa salad with tomatoes and cucumbers
Monday: Chicken burritos, salad
Tues: leftovers
Wed: curried scallops and veggies, rice
Thurs: Vegeterian chili with meat!

Have a great week!

Love,
Ann Marie

Another weird week

Hi all! It's another week that's got some abnormalities. . .  Mom and dad for dinner Thursday so that we can take Sean to his First Communion rehearsal, a possible date night tomorrow night, Liam's folks coming in for the weekend for the Communion festivities, and dinner at a friend's house on Sunday.  Busy busy! Hope you all are well!

Tuesday: oven fried chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, peas
Wednesday: grilled salmon, broccoli, quinoa salad with tomatoes and cucumbers
Thursday: pork tenderloin, brown rice,sautéed greens (kale? Spinach?), grilled eggplant/tomato/basil/mozzarella stackers
Friday: Parmesan pasta salad, thanks to Ann Marie!
Saturday: will anyone be hungry after 2 pm reception? Tortellini soup and/or sandwiches
Sunday: dinner at the Lindstrom's
Monday: baked ziti and a vegetable to be named later, salad

Pasta recipe for Ann Marie

Ann Marie - sorry I am just now getting around to answering your question about a pasta recipe! And I hate to disappoint you, but I have no recipe.  Sorry! But I can tell you what I make all the time when Liam is out of town. :).

Basically, I just make a pesto pasta in the food processor with everything I have in the fridge.  If its summer, I make "normal"pesto. . .basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan. But in the winter I make it with whatever greens and whatever nuts I have on hand.  Kale, spinach, almonds, walnuts, whatever!  I have also been known to cook some broccoli with the pasta and then throw it into the food processor too.  If its green, it goes! :) Throw some course sea salt in there too.

Once I have the pesto mixed with the pasta, I add whatever veggies I have on hand.  In the summer, that's always tomatoes, and then maybe grilled eggplant, red onion, zucchini, squash, etc.  in the winter it might be roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, onion, etc.  (these are bite-sized pieces).

In a pinch, it's just as good plain, with just the pesto and cheese.  I usually use whole wheat pasta, and choose the shape depending on what goes in it.  Chunky grilled or roasted veggies go best with shapes like penne or bow ties.  If its just pesto, I use spaghetti or angel hair.  Sometimes I make the pesto creamy with yogurt, sour cream and/or cream cheese.  Literally, I use whatever is in the fridge, and it has never been bad! :) (yes, some are better than others!!)

Oh, two more tips.  First, Save some of the water that you used to cook the pasta and use that to moisten the final product.  Sometimes whole wheat pasta with pesto gets dry, and some of that good salty, starchy liquid helps! Second, do NOT use the canned, grated, non-refrigerated parm. for this pasta.  Get the good shredded or shaved stuff.  It makes a big difference!

That's all I've got! It's not that exciting, but its healthy and the kids like it!

Enjoying nice spring weather

It's supposed to be 70s and sunny this week - so lots of grilled meals.  Now I can finally plant the many plants the kids and I picked out last week at the nursery.  Moving them back and forth from the garage in the morning and at night got old fast!

Our menu this week:
Sun Malaysian Chicken, rice, sauteed veggies
Mon  Grilled halibut, brown rice, broccoli
Tues  Parmesan Pasta Salad, bread, fruit salad
Wed Grilled salmon packets, lemon pasta, grilled artichoke and roasted fingerlings
Thurs Split pea & navy bean soup, jicama, radish, and pickled shallot salad with feta, mixed vegetable.
Fri  Leftovers
Sat Chicken satay, grilled veggies, wild mushroom risotto, salad.

We had grilled Coho tonight and Nathan had a mild allergic reaction to it. Bummer!  This is a first with salmon...poor kid. Guess I'll have to make him a special meal a couple of times this week.

Hope you are having a great weekend!  And Happy Birthday to Grace!

Love
Betty

Busy Week!

Thanks, Ann Marie, for the post!  And thanks for the recipe . . . sounds like the kids would love it.  It will be on next week's menu for sure!  :)  As for this week, I got a little lazy with the menu plan.  Liam has training all week and, well, I'm tired!  So the kids will be thrilled . . . any week that includes pizza, tacos, AND burgers is a real boon for them!  Hope you all have a great week!

Wednesday: Taco night!
Thursday: Pasta alla Erbe (from Eating Well . . . basically just a fancy name for whole wheat fettucine tossed with greens and Parm cheese)
Friday:  homemade pizza
Saturday: Grace's Birthday Party!  Hamburgers ON THE GRILL IN THE COLD RAIN, roasted potatoes and asparagus, baked beans, salad, fruit
Sunday: Chicken pitas, brocollette
Monday: leftovers

Love,
Kathy

Treading high tides!

Hi ladies,

I am sorry to have been absent for a while.  I've been drowning in fussy babies and Steve's long work schedules, which I know are all too familiar to you all as well!  Kathy, you never miss a beat--your amazing!  While I can't always find the time to post on here, I sure have been enjoying this blog (and so have all of the hungry mouths in this house!)

A few highlights since I've been gone: we really enjoyed Jennifer's Moroccan stew (my first vegan recipe, and I feel so enlightened!)  We also enjoyed Kathy's chicken pot pie again (a new favorite), and now this week I'm stealing some of Betty's ideas.  Betty, you questioned whether or not I turn my vegetables into candy to get my kids to eat them.  Well...I did not miss the "maple syrup" etc in your turnips and carrots (and I can't wait to try them!:-)

Sun: Navy bean soup, homemade rolls, salad, steamed broccoli
Mon: pineapple and shrimp fried rice, broiled asparagus, salad
Tues: roasted Turkey breast, baked sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, salad
Wed: sauteed turnips and carrots, leftovers, salad
Thurs: fish tacos, salad
Fri: pulled pork, homemade rolls, broiled zucchini with parmesan, salad
Sat: Parmesan Pasta Salad**

**I am unveiling my very favorite recipe here.  Great for making ahead (Jennifer and Mark!) and a real winner for all of the raw vegetable loving kiddos (just hold the dressing for them).

Parmesan Pasta Salad

2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/4 pound fettucini, cooked al dente
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup small broccoli flowerets
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Toss chicken and fettucini with olive oil and cool.  Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder and toss well.  Refrigerate 1 hour or as long as overnight.

To serve, add all of the veggies.  Combine dressing ingredients, pour over salad and toss thoroughly.

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water

Kathy, I've heard you have a good pasta recipe with lots of veggies (that you use the food processor for?)

Hope you all have a good week!

Love,
Ann Marie

April Gloom

Hello all.  Thanks for the post, Betty!  I have stolen at least one of your ideas for the week . . . I appreciate it!!  :)

Tuesday:  Chicken and noodles, green beans, Greek salad
Wednesday:  Hamburgers, baked sweet potato fries, raw veggies and dip
Thursday:  breakfast for dinner
Friday:  Tilapia, brown rice, brocolli
Saturday:  Pasta puttanesca, meatballs, roasted cauliflower, salad
Sunday:  beef roast with carrots, daikon, onion, garlic, potatoes, etc, salad
Monday: pinto bean crock pot stew with corn dumplings, collards, garlic shrimp

Its cold and rainy here . . . with a forecast for snow later in the week. (!!) Luke is trying desperately to cut all 4 of his top front teeth at once (one through, 3 to go).  Sean is stressed out over standardized tests at school this week.  Baseball is cancelled due to the weather.  Strep is once again going through Katie's kindergarten class so we're holding our breath. Grace freaked out over the thunder this morning, and Liam leaves for a 4-day trip tomorrow.  (Actually, I'm exaggerating.  He's just "on call", so we can hope for the best!)  Let's see . . . I think that covers it!  HA! :)  So we're focusing on comfort food, and maybe some chocolate chip cookies thrown in for good measure! 

Hope you are all having a sunny, warm, and wonderful week!!! 

Love,
Kathy

Springing for some new recipes!

Hello ladies,

I'm sprucing up our menu with a few recipes from the stack of library magazines I lugged home - with the kids' 50 some books..

Sat Pork Scaloppini (Cooks Country), lemon & parsley orzo, sauted carrots and turnips with maple syrup (YUM! - Recipe below), salad,
Sun homemade pizzas for lunch (normal and one gluten/vegan blah pizza), pasta puttanesca with meatballs, salad, roast asparagus and mushrooms, Hawaiian bread, salad, and artichoke
Mon Thai chicken and broccoli, rice, fruit salad
Tues White bean and kielbasa stew (Real Simple), mashed potatoes, apricot, plum & raisin bread, salad
Wed Grilled coconut yogurt marinated chicken, Jicama with radish and pickled shallot salad with feta, mixed vegetable quinoa
Thurs pulled pork, grilled veggies and salad
Fri grilled chicken sausage, sweet potato baked fries, fruit salad
Sat taco night with fruit jello
Sun breakfast for dinner?
Mon leftovers

Sauted carrots and turnips with maple syrup:

• 1 lb. turnips, peeled and cut into wedges 1/2" thick
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut in ~3" pieces.
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 3 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.
2. Add half the turnips and carrots to pan, avoid over-crowding.  Cook, without stirring, until vegetables are browned on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to plate, continue with rest.
3. Return all carrots and turnips to the pan. Stir in broth, thyme and 2 Tbs. of the maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are glazed, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and the remaining 1 Tbs. maple syrup.

Happy Birthday Erin! WOW! One year! :)

Lots of recipes this week from both my Eating Well magazine and my Cooks Inc magazine (thanks Betty!!)  

Monday:  Oven fried chicken (this is the kids' new favorite meal . . . 4 for 4!!  Its a keeper!!), mashed sweet potatoes, baby broccoli, corn
Tuesday:  Tuna and Bok Choy packets, Spinach salad with avocado-ranch dressing, brown rice
Wednesday:  Taco night!  Lots of roasted veggies for my taco (Liam's working) and more for tomorrow
Thursday: homemade pizza with all those leftover roasted veggies
Friday:  Crock pot pork chops, mashed potatoes, sauteed kale, peas
Saturday:  babysitter coming!  Mac and cheese casserole, green beans, fruit
Sunday: Chicken parmesan, whole wheat spaghetti, salad
Monday:  Bacon and chard quesadillas, corn, guacamole

Have a great week everyone.

Love,
Kathy