Menu plan Monday April 29, 2013

Here is this week's menu for menu plan monday.  I have three recipes I did not end up making last week and therefore,  I just added to them to this week's planner.  How easy was that.  I didn't even have to grocery shop this week, which in itself is a savings of at least $100 or more.  I have been averaging about $150 a week in the past few months.   I will have to go to the store and get some milk etc., but it will be later in the week. 
As with last week, I will add some recipes after I have tried them.  The recipes in colored text will be the ones I review later this week. 

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Snacks (2)
Saturday	cereal--oatmeal		Pizza
Sunday			Wish you were here mediterranean pasta
Monday	poptarts/ cereal			Cookies
Tuesday	cereal		Leftovers	Grapes
Wednesday	cereal		Slow cooker pork roast and apples	Grapes and cheese cubes
Thursday	cereal		Cheese Caprese---w/ Tomatoes	Mystery Snack!!
Friday	cereal		Dinner out for Preschool Graduation Celebration	Leftovers

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Beef Diablo

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This recipe had good flavor and my family thought it was just ok.  If I make this again, I would add some water to it before cooking for some juice.  There wasn't much gravy that was made from the beef roast I had.  Our grocery store recently changed their brand of meat, and I am still trying to figure out how to cook with it.  It seems to be a bit more drier than I like.  The original recipe called for this to cook for 10 hours.  I let mine cook 8 hours and it was a bit overdone.  Like brown/blackened edges.  I use my crockpot a lot, but I still find it to be a bit tricky to get the time right and not burn the recipes.  Oh well, it may be the last roast of the season as we are supposed to get 80 degree temps in the next week!! I am so ready for spring.

Beef Diablo


3      pounds        beef arm or boneless pot roast (up to 4 lb)
3     potatoes -- peeled and sliced
1     onion -- sliced
2      tablespoons   flour
1      tablespoon    prepared mustard
1      tablespoon    chili sauce
1      tablespoon    Worcestershire sauce
1       teaspoon      vinegar
1      teaspoon      sugar
 
 serves 4 to 6
 
 Trim all excess fat from roast.  Place potatoes and onion in bottom of
 Crock-Pot. 
 
 Make a smooth paste of flour, mustard, chili sauce, Worchestershire sauce,
 vinegar, and sugar.  Spread over top of roast (cut roast in half, if
 necessary, to fit easily).  Place roast in Crock-Pot on top of potatoes and
 onions.  cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours.

 

Pasted from <http://www.recipesource.com/main-dishes/crockpot/07/rec0783.html>

 

Creamy Basil Chicken Pasta

This meal was an easy throw together meal.  Sunday's are our fun day and we usually work in the yard or do fun things with the kids.  We spent most of our beautiful Sunday at the park with the kids and when we came home it was dinner time.  I had cooked the chicken for this recipe the day before and therefore the only thing I had to do was throw together dinner.  We enjoyed this meal and I sure hope you do too!!

 

Creamy Basil Chicken Pasta

6 oz. (2 1/2 cups) uncooked rainbow rotini (spiral pasta)

2 cups frozen cut broccoli

1 cup nonfat sour cream

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup skim milk

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast

3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 (4.5-oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

 

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook rotini to desired doneness as directed on package, adding broccoli during last 5 minutes of cooking time.

 

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine sour cream and flour; blend well. Stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until hot but not boiling. Stir in chicken, basil, mushrooms and 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated.

 

Drain rotini and broccoli; return to saucepan. Add chicken mixture; toss to coat. Place mixture in serving dish or on serving platter; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cheese.

Menu Plan Week of April 22

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Here is what my menu plan for the week looks like this week.  This is the chart I make and print out each week to keep me organized.  I have all the recipes also saved for the week on my computer that is in my kitchen.  To feed my family of four for the week, I spent $114 this week.  Not too bad, and I am sure we will have leftovers possibly one night also.  This usually will happen because when I begin trying new recipes, there will be leftovers because something will make more than it called for.  Look later in the week for the recipes.  I will be posting them as I try them out.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Saturday	cereal--oatmeal	leftovers all week	Chicken tikka masala
Sunday			Creamy basil chicken pasta
Monday	poptarts/ cereal		Beef Diablo (slow cooker)
Tuesday	cereal		Slow cooker chicken cacciatore
Wednesday	cereal		Slow cooker pork roast and apples
Thursday	cereal		Mexican torta
Friday	cereal		Wish I was there mediterranean pasta

Date Night Eats!!

Last night was date night in my house.  For date night, I try to take our taste buds on an adventure.  This week this adventure went to India.  I had never had this dish, but I must say it was wonderful atop rice and peas.  I mixed in about a cup of frozen peas into the rice and my hsuband and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner that tased as if it were from a great restaurant.  The great news is I get to eat more of it today for lunch.  I have leftover pita's and I am going to heat up some of the chicken and rice and eat it as a sandwich.  Yum!!!




CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp table salt
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
juice of half a lime
MASALA SAUCE
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1-1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp)
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 fresh serrano chili, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced
1 can tomato soup
1 tbsp garam masala
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves


For the chicken: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, cinnamon and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, lime juice, and  ginger;
set aside.

For the sauce: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chili, tomato soup, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve. Serve with basmati rice and pita bread wedges. Serves 4 to 6.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry


To have a healthy meal this week, I made this wonderful beef and broccoli stir fry.  My family loved it, and they are one's to not like their veggies.  I have been trying to find ways to add in veggies without it seeming like there are veggies in the dish.  This was definitely a success, even with my picky eaters. 

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup water, plus
• 2 tablespoons water, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb sirloin cut into strips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 small onion, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.  Add beef and toss.  In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.  Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.  Return beef to pan.  Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

This week was my husband's birthday and he stated he wanted something chocolate.  What better than chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes...These are chocolate cupcakes with a strawberry whipped cream frosting follwed by chocolate covered strawberries on top.  What a lucky Husband I have!!

 

 

 

Chocolate Covered Straberry Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
3. Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Strawberry Whipped Cream Recipe

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons food processed strawberries (take some fresh strawberries, wash them, remove the stems, and throw them in the food processor until they become a thick, seedy liquid)

1. Whip cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Mix in sugar.
3. Mix in strawberries until just combined.
4. Be sure to frost your cupcakes before you eat all of the strawberry whipped cream
   

Chicken Florentine Soup

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This soup was a great addition to my weekly dinner meal.  I absolutely loved it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked penne pasta
• 1 package (6 ounces) ready-to-use chicken breast cuts
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 jar (7 ounces) roasted sweet red peppers, drained and sliced
• 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
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• 1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup Alfredo sauce
• 3 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute the chicken, spinach, red peppers, rosemary, garlic powder and pepper in butter until spinach is wilted. Stir in the broth, Alfredo sauce and pesto; cook for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
• Drain pasta and add to the soup. Sprinkle with pine nuts and cheese. Yield: 5 cups.

 

Happy Spring!!

Well, it has been a little while since I last posted.  I have been getting my homestead ready for spring.  There has been many rains and cold days, but it is coming along.  I am taking advantage of the weather today to plant some sprouted daffodils, hyacinth, crocus, and tulips that I had sprouted in the house.  I sprouted them in the house because I forgot to plant them last fall when I was very busy.  Well, I sprouted the plants indoors and low and behold they sprouted.  Hopefully, they will be a great addition to my spring flower garden. 

I will also be back later today with a wonderful Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcake recipe.  Stay tuned and it will also sprout later today :)!!  Pin It