Wednesday - Pesto lasagna, Farmer's Market bread, fruit
Thursday - Grilled salmon, "stackers", brown rice ("stackers" are my favorite summer garden food . . . slice and grill eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, onion, and pepper and then stack with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, and basil . . . drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. YUM!)
Friday - Beef and mushroom tacos, melon
Saturday - We are off to Milwaukee for the Meyers' wedding . . . kids get hot dogs, corn on the cob, fruit
Sunday - Farmers Market corn chowder and grilled cheese
Monday - over to Aunt Anne and Uncle Tom's new house for dinner! :)
Tuesday - leftovers or breakfast for dinner
Wednesday - Hamburgers, garden veggies, grilled sweet potatoes
Pretty easy week! You will notice that around this time of year when the garden produce is in full swing, that the menu is basically garden veggies with some twist . . . for example, "stackers" and "garden veggie pasta" are basically the same thing . . . just served a different way. Tacos tend to be "taco meat" with grilled and chopped garden veggies. Rinse. Repeat. The kids get tired of it, but I NEVER DO!!! :)
Good luck with the menu planning!
Love,
Kathy
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Back to the blog!
Back to work! Back to school! Back to the blog for dinner ideas!
Here's to hoping we can make a plan and stick to it ... and minimize last minute trips to the store on an empty stomach that inevitably end in gelato purchases and forgetting to purchase the ingredient that was the reason for the trip.
All recipes subject to change if it is too hot to cook in the kitchen.
Love,
Jennifer
Sunday: Out to dinner
Monday * Labor Day * Must grill on the "last (HOT, HOT ... we hope) day of summer"!
Chili pork tenderloin with charred corn and okra salad (ala Sunset September 2014 p.96)
Tuesday
Spicy scallop salad with green beans, bok choy and red peppers
Wednesday * School Night * Our official Crock Pot Night
Black bean and chicken tostadas
"Extra" chicken for chicken salad with kefir or hummus, grapes, olives and walnuts/almonds/chopped celery for lunch sandwiches
Thursday
Miso cod with stir fried brussel sprouts, mushrooms and Japanese eggplant (if the squirrels haven't taken them)
Friday
Grilled pizza with whatever veggies are left in the kitchen
Saturday
Grilled shrimp with pesto pasta salad OR Burgers
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Signing off for a while! :)
Hey ladies,
I think I'll sign off for a while . . . if anyone is interested in this again at some point, send me an email to let me know. Thanks! Hope all is well with all of you! :)
Kathy
I think I'll sign off for a while . . . if anyone is interested in this again at some point, send me an email to let me know. Thanks! Hope all is well with all of you! :)
Kathy
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Menu plan and burger question
Wednesday: Grilled salmon, buttered noodles, peas: my kids' dreams come true! :)
Thursday: Oven fried chicken, roasted carrots, sauteed spinach, hashbrowns
Friday: Lasagna, garlic bread, green beans, salad
Saturday: Homemade ravioli day! (First time ever - I'll let you know how it goes!), fruit salad
Sunday: Really Good chili, cornbread
Monday: Chicken and noodles, brocolli
Question: I refuse to cook more than one pound of ground beef for one meal in this family. This works fine for everything (ie tacos, spaghetti, chili, etc) but not so much for burgers. So I am always adding stuff to the ground beef to stretch it so I can make 6 bun-sized burgers. Do any of you have any secrets to success? Usually I use cooked mushrooms, eggs, bread crumbs, etc . . . last night I resorted to cooked zucchini, ground up in the food processor with (uncooked) oatmeal and an egg. It looked really gross, and the patties completely fell apart on the grill . . . but 100% of my critics gobbled it up and begged for more. (I even told them there was zucchini in it to try to make them eat less!!) :) I am looking for something that holds the patties together better. Any ideas? (It seems that the grass-fed beef already makes patties that are harder to keep together, so I am starting behind!) Thanks for your help!!
Hope you are all having a good week!
Love,
Kathy
Thursday: Oven fried chicken, roasted carrots, sauteed spinach, hashbrowns
Friday: Lasagna, garlic bread, green beans, salad
Saturday: Homemade ravioli day! (First time ever - I'll let you know how it goes!), fruit salad
Sunday: Really Good chili, cornbread
Monday: Chicken and noodles, brocolli
Question: I refuse to cook more than one pound of ground beef for one meal in this family. This works fine for everything (ie tacos, spaghetti, chili, etc) but not so much for burgers. So I am always adding stuff to the ground beef to stretch it so I can make 6 bun-sized burgers. Do any of you have any secrets to success? Usually I use cooked mushrooms, eggs, bread crumbs, etc . . . last night I resorted to cooked zucchini, ground up in the food processor with (uncooked) oatmeal and an egg. It looked really gross, and the patties completely fell apart on the grill . . . but 100% of my critics gobbled it up and begged for more. (I even told them there was zucchini in it to try to make them eat less!!) :) I am looking for something that holds the patties together better. Any ideas? (It seems that the grass-fed beef already makes patties that are harder to keep together, so I am starting behind!) Thanks for your help!!
Hope you are all having a good week!
Love,
Kathy
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Back to School . . . 3 for 4! :)
Grace is back in school today . . . just 3 mornings a week. Liam and I did the annual drop-off then walk to the coffee shop for a celebratory brew. I think that in 2 years, the drop-off might be followed by a walk to a different kind of brew! :)
I have a longer meal plan . . . nice to get back into a routine again.
Monday: Salmon, brown rice, garden fare
Tuesday: grilled meat and veggie foil packets (chicken, steak, zucchini, white and sweet potato, red onion, red pepper, garlic, mushrooms), popovers (was supposed to be Irish brown bread, but I ran out of whole wheat flour!!)
Wednesday: Spaghetti (made with garden tomatoes) and meat sauce, salad
Thursday: (Liam at work, me out to dinner with a friend, YIPEE!): hot dogs, corn on the cob, melon
Friday: Chicken in the crock, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli
Saturday: Parish Picnic!
Sunday: Ham, sweet potato casserole, green beans, salad
Monday: Sirloin steak fajitas (crock pot)
Tuesday: Grilled fish, grilled veggie quinoa
Wednesday: Stuffed baked potatoes (leftover ham, cheese, veggies, etc)
Thursday: Pesto Making Day! (Pesto pasta for dinner, of course.) :)
Friday: Plan to go to Bloomington
Saturday: Hamburgers, peas, oven fries, tom-basil-mozz
Sunday: Cube steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted carrots, salad
Hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Kathy
I have a longer meal plan . . . nice to get back into a routine again.
Monday: Salmon, brown rice, garden fare
Tuesday: grilled meat and veggie foil packets (chicken, steak, zucchini, white and sweet potato, red onion, red pepper, garlic, mushrooms), popovers (was supposed to be Irish brown bread, but I ran out of whole wheat flour!!)
Wednesday: Spaghetti (made with garden tomatoes) and meat sauce, salad
Thursday: (Liam at work, me out to dinner with a friend, YIPEE!): hot dogs, corn on the cob, melon
Friday: Chicken in the crock, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli
Saturday: Parish Picnic!
Sunday: Ham, sweet potato casserole, green beans, salad
Monday: Sirloin steak fajitas (crock pot)
Tuesday: Grilled fish, grilled veggie quinoa
Wednesday: Stuffed baked potatoes (leftover ham, cheese, veggies, etc)
Thursday: Pesto Making Day! (Pesto pasta for dinner, of course.) :)
Friday: Plan to go to Bloomington
Saturday: Hamburgers, peas, oven fries, tom-basil-mozz
Sunday: Cube steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted carrots, salad
Hope everyone is doing well!
Love,
Kathy
Monday, September 2, 2013
Oatmeal Pancakes
At Ann Marie's request (great to see you, by the way!!), I am posting our oatmeal pancake recipe. It is actually from Runners' World, and is entitled "America's Healthiest Breakfast". So you can't go wrong! This is our go-to recipe . . . though we usually just eat it with real maple syrup, vice the homemade blueberry syrup in the recipe. Enjoy! :)
Soak 1 1/2 cups rolled oats in 1 cup of buttermilk in a small bowl for 15 minutes. (You know the buttermilk trick, right? To make homemade buttermilk, just put 1 TBSP of vinegar into a 1 cup measure and fill it the rest of the way up with milk. Let sit 5 minutes and WALLA! Buttermilk!) :)
Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Whisk 2 large eggs together with 2 large egg whites (who are we kidding here. I just use 4 whole eggs. Why leave out the most nutritious part??!) in a small bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups milk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir. Fold in soaked oatmeal.
Cook! :)
For Wild Blueberry Sauce: Combine 2 cups frozen wild blueberries, thawed, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop. Stir in 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Enjoy.
Soak 1 1/2 cups rolled oats in 1 cup of buttermilk in a small bowl for 15 minutes. (You know the buttermilk trick, right? To make homemade buttermilk, just put 1 TBSP of vinegar into a 1 cup measure and fill it the rest of the way up with milk. Let sit 5 minutes and WALLA! Buttermilk!) :)
Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Whisk 2 large eggs together with 2 large egg whites (who are we kidding here. I just use 4 whole eggs. Why leave out the most nutritious part??!) in a small bowl and stir in 1 1/2 cups milk.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir. Fold in soaked oatmeal.
Cook! :)
For Wild Blueberry Sauce: Combine 2 cups frozen wild blueberries, thawed, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 TBSP fresh lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the berries pop. Stir in 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Enjoy.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Quinoa Salad Winner
Hello ladies! Ann Marie, thanks for posting! My garden is just on the cusp of cranking out heaps of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc. (Actually, the eggplant harvest looks really small this year, unfortunately.) And the corn from the Farmers Market is at its peak . . . the best time of year! I'll post this past week's menu plan as well as a recipe from Eating Well for a quinoa salad that is the best I've ever had. Liam and I agree that I should make a huge batch every week and eat it for lunch/snack every day. Its that good! Enjoy! :)
Sun: Chicken and black bean tostadas
Mon: Pizza with grilled veggies
Tues: Quiche, green beans, melon
Wed: Tilapia, grilled veggie quinoa
Thurs: Mussels, grilled sweet potatoes, farro
Fri: Fettuccine Alfredo, big salad, corn on the cob
Sat: Cuban shredded beef, Rice and beans with kale and grilled squash
Sun: Burgers on the way home from a birthday party
Mon: Butternut squash bisque, pesto pasta with garden fare
Tues: Chicken and veggie kabobs with brown rice
And now for the recipe:
CORN AND BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD
They used 1 cup of dried black beans . . . soaked and then cooked with 6 cloves of peeled garlic and 1/2 tsp salt . . . I used a can! :)
1 tsp salt, divided
4 medium poblano peppers
2/3 cup red quinoa (I couldn't find red, just used regular)
3 large ears fresh corn
6 1/2 TBSP of olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground (no way . . . I used ground cumin!)
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese (Couldn't find, so I used little pearl-sized fresh mozz. balls, and it was awesome)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1.) Cook beans with garlic and salt as per bean directions, if you are more energetic than me! :)
2.) Preheat broiler to high
3.) Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, turning often, until blistered and charred, 8 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a paper bag and seal, or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel the peppers and discard the stems, ribs, and seeds. Tear the pepper into fat strips and cut the strips into 1-inch lengths. (Note: I did all this, and while the finished product was awesome, I commented that if I was pressed for time I might just throw in a can or two of diced green chilis. I think the salad would still be awesome, and much less work!)
4.) Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add quinoa and 1/4 tsp salt. Boil til tender but still crunchy, 10 to 14 minutes. Drain well and spread on a plate to cool.
5.) Meanwhile, boil corn for 3 minutes, cool, cut kernels off cobs.
6.) Heat 1 1/2 TBSP oil over med-high heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently until limp and speckled with charred spots, 4 to 8 minutes. Stir in cumin.
7.) Combine beans, peppers, corn, onion, and cheese. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and toss. Add 5 TBSP of oil and lime juice and toss again. Gently stir in quinoa.
8.) Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and cilantro. Serve the salad with avocado and lime wedges.
Sun: Chicken and black bean tostadas
Mon: Pizza with grilled veggies
Tues: Quiche, green beans, melon
Wed: Tilapia, grilled veggie quinoa
Thurs: Mussels, grilled sweet potatoes, farro
Fri: Fettuccine Alfredo, big salad, corn on the cob
Sat: Cuban shredded beef, Rice and beans with kale and grilled squash
Sun: Burgers on the way home from a birthday party
Mon: Butternut squash bisque, pesto pasta with garden fare
Tues: Chicken and veggie kabobs with brown rice
And now for the recipe:
CORN AND BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD
They used 1 cup of dried black beans . . . soaked and then cooked with 6 cloves of peeled garlic and 1/2 tsp salt . . . I used a can! :)
1 tsp salt, divided
4 medium poblano peppers
2/3 cup red quinoa (I couldn't find red, just used regular)
3 large ears fresh corn
6 1/2 TBSP of olive oil, divided
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground (no way . . . I used ground cumin!)
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese (Couldn't find, so I used little pearl-sized fresh mozz. balls, and it was awesome)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1.) Cook beans with garlic and salt as per bean directions, if you are more energetic than me! :)
2.) Preheat broiler to high
3.) Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat source, turning often, until blistered and charred, 8 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a paper bag and seal, or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel the peppers and discard the stems, ribs, and seeds. Tear the pepper into fat strips and cut the strips into 1-inch lengths. (Note: I did all this, and while the finished product was awesome, I commented that if I was pressed for time I might just throw in a can or two of diced green chilis. I think the salad would still be awesome, and much less work!)
4.) Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add quinoa and 1/4 tsp salt. Boil til tender but still crunchy, 10 to 14 minutes. Drain well and spread on a plate to cool.
5.) Meanwhile, boil corn for 3 minutes, cool, cut kernels off cobs.
6.) Heat 1 1/2 TBSP oil over med-high heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently until limp and speckled with charred spots, 4 to 8 minutes. Stir in cumin.
7.) Combine beans, peppers, corn, onion, and cheese. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and toss. Add 5 TBSP of oil and lime juice and toss again. Gently stir in quinoa.
8.) Just before serving, stir in tomatoes and cilantro. Serve the salad with avocado and lime wedges.
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