This week is my "all crock pot, all pinterest" meal plan.
So far it's going well, and the meals are....meals.
Honey Soy Chicken
Too much soy! I even cut back what it called for by almost a 1/2 cup. The house smelled so good when I got home from work, and we all ate it up. Then I took the kids to swim team practice, and when we got home, they all chugged water like it was going out of style. We were parched from all the sodium. If I made it again, I'd use HALF the soy sauce it calls for.
Broccoli and beef
Forget the picture on the original post, mine looked *nothing* like this.
I used stew beef from my half a cow, which is always tasty. I threw it in at 8:20, and by 12:30, it was cooked, so I turned it to "keep warm". I'd use less cooking time in the future.
However, it was BLAND. Also, the sauce is supposed to thicken with boiling and cook the broccoli. No, it did not. I had to separate the beef (which was self-shredding at this point), and boil the sauce and the broccoli on the stove top. I also added 3 tsp of pureed ginger for flavour.
I'd sort of do this again, but in a 4 hour cook time, and throw it all in together with some ginger.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
It's going to be be a pinterest/crockpot week!
As an experiment, the next week's menu plan will a crockpot centric menu...involving recipes I've found on pinterest.
Sunday will be a beef supper at one of the local churches, I'll start on Monday.
Monday - honey soy chicken with noodles
Tuesday - Crockpot Beef and Broccoli with rice
Wednesday - Coconut Ginger Chicken
Thursday - Crockpot Maple Ham, with roasted new potatoes
(in the interest of full disclosure, I've made this before, and own the cookbook in which it appears)
Friday - leftover ham
Sunday will be a beef supper at one of the local churches, I'll start on Monday.
Monday - honey soy chicken with noodles
Tuesday - Crockpot Beef and Broccoli with rice
Wednesday - Coconut Ginger Chicken
Thursday - Crockpot Maple Ham, with roasted new potatoes
(in the interest of full disclosure, I've made this before, and own the cookbook in which it appears)
Friday - leftover ham
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A review and refresher
I've been chatting with some friends lately, and now that September is here, it seems like we all have the same issues: how to handle the meals and organizing around back to school and activities.
Does anything stress busy families out like meals? It may be packing lunches for school/work, or trying to plan a menu around multiple schedules, trying to work on a budget, or working with allergies...or worse, all of the above!
What are your biggest challenges to making a meal plan? Is it time? Energy? Special needs? Just plain hating it?
Right now, I know I need to plan more meals. Honestly, I'm just lacking motivation to get it done. I know that my weeks go much more smoothly when I have a meal plan lined up, and it helps me grocery shop too. But GAH! Some days, I just don't want to! I know I can't be alone.
Does anything stress busy families out like meals? It may be packing lunches for school/work, or trying to plan a menu around multiple schedules, trying to work on a budget, or working with allergies...or worse, all of the above!
What are your biggest challenges to making a meal plan? Is it time? Energy? Special needs? Just plain hating it?
Right now, I know I need to plan more meals. Honestly, I'm just lacking motivation to get it done. I know that my weeks go much more smoothly when I have a meal plan lined up, and it helps me grocery shop too. But GAH! Some days, I just don't want to! I know I can't be alone.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
My new addiction
A few years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to Mango Avocado Salsa. It was tasty, but I kind of let it slip out of my mind. A couple of weeks ago, I had some girlfriends over for cocktails and appies...and another friend brought Mango Avocado Salsa. I was hooked. I practically ate it with a spoon out of the bowl. I've made it a few times since, and shared the love of it with my mom and husband too.
So, guess what was on the menu for supper tonight? The best part is that my kids don't like it, so more for the grownups!
Mango Avocado Salsa
one mango, diced into tiny pieces
one avocado, diced into tiny pieces
1/4 - 1/2 red onion, also diced small (vary to your taste, I'm not a big onion fan, but this is good)
some minced garlic, 2-3 cloves or so
jalepeno pepper, diced up, just shy of one good sized pepper is good for me
about a handful of chopped cilantro
mix all that up with
a good glug of olive oil
some salt (to taste)
and
the juice of a lime (or two)
Tonight, we had it with grilled chicken. Well, the adults did. Later, we're eating the rest with multi-grain tortilla chips.
So, guess what was on the menu for supper tonight? The best part is that my kids don't like it, so more for the grownups!
Mango Avocado Salsa
one mango, diced into tiny pieces
one avocado, diced into tiny pieces
1/4 - 1/2 red onion, also diced small (vary to your taste, I'm not a big onion fan, but this is good)
some minced garlic, 2-3 cloves or so
jalepeno pepper, diced up, just shy of one good sized pepper is good for me
about a handful of chopped cilantro
mix all that up with
a good glug of olive oil
some salt (to taste)
and
the juice of a lime (or two)
Tonight, we had it with grilled chicken. Well, the adults did. Later, we're eating the rest with multi-grain tortilla chips.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
BBQ Dijon chicken
This past week was SO HOT. On Tuesday, it was even too hot to bbq. I picked up a deli chicken at the grocery store on the way home from work, and put it on the table with a pile of salad stuff to mix our own salads. I even shredded some cheddar cheese, put it on the table and it *melted*. Seriously.
That said, I did get back to the bbq on Wednesday.
I made dijon chicken and veggies. This was so tasty!
Mix:
1/3 cup djion mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp herbes de province
1/4 cup olive oil
I had about 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs. I cut the breasts to similar size as the thighs, and tossed with about 2/3 of the marinade, and let rest for 1/2 an hour.
Meanwhile, I cut a zucchini and 2 peppers, and one red onion into chunks, and tossed with the remaining marinade.
Then I grilled it. Simple as that. My kids, who claim to hate mustard in all it's forms, inhaled it. Ha!
That said, I did get back to the bbq on Wednesday.
I made dijon chicken and veggies. This was so tasty!
Mix:
1/3 cup djion mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp herbes de province
1/4 cup olive oil
I had about 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs. I cut the breasts to similar size as the thighs, and tossed with about 2/3 of the marinade, and let rest for 1/2 an hour.
Meanwhile, I cut a zucchini and 2 peppers, and one red onion into chunks, and tossed with the remaining marinade.
Then I grilled it. Simple as that. My kids, who claim to hate mustard in all it's forms, inhaled it. Ha!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Pork, peaches, peppers
Am I *ever* glad that I decided to only bbq this week. The temperatures are soaring here, and our house is HOT. We don't have central air, and it's lacking in breezes, which makes for melty days.
Last night, I made a grilled pork with balsamic peach salad. It's adapted from the most recent Rachael Ray magazine. My kids ate parts of it, and my husband inhaled it. There wasn't even time to snap a pic, he was all over it. It was very colourful and pretty, and very, very tasty.
I took about a 1/3 cup of olive oil, added 4-5 tbsps of balsamic vinegar, some minced garlic and a good shake of dried thyme.
Then I chopped up 2 red peppers, half a red onion, and halved 4 peaches. Drizzled with a tbsp or two of the dressing. I sliced a pork tenderloin into 4 pieces, and tossed with a bit more of the dressing and let sit.
Meanwhile, I washed a bunch of baby spinach and a romaine lettuce.
Preheat bbq to med-high, and toss all the veggies into my bbq basket (one of my best tools in summer!), and put the pork on to the bbq. Grill until done. Then serve over the lettuce, with a drizzle of the dressing on top. So good! I really liked how the balsamic vinegar marinated the pork, and how well the peaches mixed with the peppers and onion (even though I don't eat onions, I can appreciate the flavour they add).
Last night, I made a grilled pork with balsamic peach salad. It's adapted from the most recent Rachael Ray magazine. My kids ate parts of it, and my husband inhaled it. There wasn't even time to snap a pic, he was all over it. It was very colourful and pretty, and very, very tasty.
I took about a 1/3 cup of olive oil, added 4-5 tbsps of balsamic vinegar, some minced garlic and a good shake of dried thyme.
Then I chopped up 2 red peppers, half a red onion, and halved 4 peaches. Drizzled with a tbsp or two of the dressing. I sliced a pork tenderloin into 4 pieces, and tossed with a bit more of the dressing and let sit.
Meanwhile, I washed a bunch of baby spinach and a romaine lettuce.
Preheat bbq to med-high, and toss all the veggies into my bbq basket (one of my best tools in summer!), and put the pork on to the bbq. Grill until done. Then serve over the lettuce, with a drizzle of the dressing on top. So good! I really liked how the balsamic vinegar marinated the pork, and how well the peaches mixed with the peppers and onion (even though I don't eat onions, I can appreciate the flavour they add).
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Teriyaki salmon burgers and mangotinis
Tonight's bbq/not cooking inside meal: Teriyaki salmon burgers with rice and veggies. I was planning on making salmon fillets, but didn't have any left in the freezer - doh! Thankfully, I had a 6 pack of salmon burger patties from Costco in the freezer instead.
I whipped up a teriyaki sauce from some soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Some of it, I tossed with a bit of olive oil and large chunks of assorted coloured peppers and zucchini to marinate them before putting them on the bbq. The rest I used to brush on the salmon burgers when I had them on the bbq. Yum. I also made rice in the rice cooker, which is an easy and fast way to make it without heating up the kitchen. I use a grill basket for my veggies on the bbq, and it really helps make prepping a side dish of veggies easy.
As a drink for the night, I made mangotinis! Cases of mangos were on sale this week, so I picked one up. I cut up a ripe mango, and pureed it in my mini-chopper. While I did that, I grated up some fresh ginger, and tossed it into a small saucepan with a 1/2 cup of water and a 1/8 cup of sugar and brought it to a boil. Let simmer a couple of minutes, then strain. Add the mango puree, and about a cup of vodka. Chill. After it's chilled, add some lime juice. When ready to serve, pour some of the mango vodka goodness into a martini glass, to about half way, add some ice, and some club soda (unless you want to knock yourself out after one glass!). So good and fresh! It paired really nicely with the salmon too.
I whipped up a teriyaki sauce from some soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Some of it, I tossed with a bit of olive oil and large chunks of assorted coloured peppers and zucchini to marinate them before putting them on the bbq. The rest I used to brush on the salmon burgers when I had them on the bbq. Yum. I also made rice in the rice cooker, which is an easy and fast way to make it without heating up the kitchen. I use a grill basket for my veggies on the bbq, and it really helps make prepping a side dish of veggies easy.
As a drink for the night, I made mangotinis! Cases of mangos were on sale this week, so I picked one up. I cut up a ripe mango, and pureed it in my mini-chopper. While I did that, I grated up some fresh ginger, and tossed it into a small saucepan with a 1/2 cup of water and a 1/8 cup of sugar and brought it to a boil. Let simmer a couple of minutes, then strain. Add the mango puree, and about a cup of vodka. Chill. After it's chilled, add some lime juice. When ready to serve, pour some of the mango vodka goodness into a martini glass, to about half way, add some ice, and some club soda (unless you want to knock yourself out after one glass!). So good and fresh! It paired really nicely with the salmon too.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Creme Brûlée french toast
Since Easter, we've had a few house guests. I love having house guests, and I especially love having easy, yet fancy-seeming breakfasts. This one fits the bill, for sure. It's easy to prep the night before, and bakes up quickly in the morning. It is rather decadent, but is worth it in my opinion.
First, melt a half cup of butter (margarine works too, but isn't as smooth) with a cup of brown sugar and two tablespoons of corn syrup. I use a dark brown sugar, and dark corn syrup, but I bet a commercial maple style syrup would be good too. When this is all melted and yummy looking, pour it into a greased pan. The original recipe called for a 9x13, but I found that a pair of round cake pans fits the bread better.
Then, add sliced french bread to the pans, pushing it down somewhat to get the syrupy goodness all pushed into the bread.
Then, beat 5 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a tsp or so of vanilla together, and pour overtop of the bread, making sure it all gets soaked. Cover with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge overnight. In the morning, bake it for about 20-30 minutes at 350 (the longer time is if you toss it in the oven as you turn it on, like I do). Flip the bread over as soon as you pull it out of the oven. Serve with whip cream, and fresh berries.
Honestly, it's so good, and so easy. I use a whole loaf of french bread from my local grocery store, and it's usually only $1, so it's not a pricey meal either, even with real whipped cream. I can toss it in the oven first thing when I wake up, put on the coffee, and have a quick shower all before everything is ready to eat, giving me time to set the table too. That's a win/win in my books!
First, melt a half cup of butter (margarine works too, but isn't as smooth) with a cup of brown sugar and two tablespoons of corn syrup. I use a dark brown sugar, and dark corn syrup, but I bet a commercial maple style syrup would be good too. When this is all melted and yummy looking, pour it into a greased pan. The original recipe called for a 9x13, but I found that a pair of round cake pans fits the bread better.
Then, add sliced french bread to the pans, pushing it down somewhat to get the syrupy goodness all pushed into the bread.
Then, beat 5 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a tsp or so of vanilla together, and pour overtop of the bread, making sure it all gets soaked. Cover with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge overnight. In the morning, bake it for about 20-30 minutes at 350 (the longer time is if you toss it in the oven as you turn it on, like I do). Flip the bread over as soon as you pull it out of the oven. Serve with whip cream, and fresh berries.
Honestly, it's so good, and so easy. I use a whole loaf of french bread from my local grocery store, and it's usually only $1, so it's not a pricey meal either, even with real whipped cream. I can toss it in the oven first thing when I wake up, put on the coffee, and have a quick shower all before everything is ready to eat, giving me time to set the table too. That's a win/win in my books!
SUMMER! Meal planning for hot days
Summer has arrived! It's currently hot and humid, and I'm so happy. I took my kids swimming yesterday afternoon to the pool, and as they are all big enough to swim without me joining them, I took along a notebook and meal planned. Well, truthfully, I bumped into the mom of two of my kids classmates, so I visited *and* meal planned.
In the grocery store the other week, I picked up the new EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine, looking for inspiration. I found it :)
First off, I made the Blushing Almond cocktails for the before supper hour. My husband spent the afternoon doing yard work in the heat, and really liked this drink, with it's combination of pink lemonade, amaretto and tonic water it was refreshing and flavourful.
The Blushing Almond is 1/3 cup pink lemonade, 1/4 oz vodka, and 1/2 oz of amaretto, shaken with ice, and topped with tonic. Or use more alcohol as you see fit :)
Tonight's meal was Chicken Satay Naan on the bbq. The hubby and I really really liked it. The children enjoyed portions of it - they aren't peanut butter fans, so the sauce wasn't quite to their taste, although one of them ate it and then asked what was in it. I used chicken thighs, and bbq'ed them in a grill basket, so clean up and flipping were easier. I also made up some thai rice noodles to add in to the salad, but they weren't really needed. I'm really looking forward to leftovers from this meal for my lunch at work tomorrow.
The heat is only just starting today, and I've got a week of grilling planned!
In the grocery store the other week, I picked up the new EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine, looking for inspiration. I found it :)
First off, I made the Blushing Almond cocktails for the before supper hour. My husband spent the afternoon doing yard work in the heat, and really liked this drink, with it's combination of pink lemonade, amaretto and tonic water it was refreshing and flavourful.
The Blushing Almond is 1/3 cup pink lemonade, 1/4 oz vodka, and 1/2 oz of amaretto, shaken with ice, and topped with tonic. Or use more alcohol as you see fit :)
Tonight's meal was Chicken Satay Naan on the bbq. The hubby and I really really liked it. The children enjoyed portions of it - they aren't peanut butter fans, so the sauce wasn't quite to their taste, although one of them ate it and then asked what was in it. I used chicken thighs, and bbq'ed them in a grill basket, so clean up and flipping were easier. I also made up some thai rice noodles to add in to the salad, but they weren't really needed. I'm really looking forward to leftovers from this meal for my lunch at work tomorrow.
The heat is only just starting today, and I've got a week of grilling planned!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Invented Lasagna!
I got off work an hour early tonight, and figured that I could actually cook a slower meal than what I had originally planned. This is always a good thing.
I picked up some mozza cheese at the store, I figured I could use up some of the fish in our deep freeze and make pizza fish for the kids. I should really blog that idea, it's quite tasty. By the time I got home, I realized I could make lasagna.
I didn't have any pasta sauce or tomato sauce or tomato paste though. This was going to take some creativity, good thing I can be creative!
Here is the finished result.
1lb ground turkey, browned. While that cooked, I pureed one 28oz can of tomatoes, undrained, with half a 12oz jar of roasted red peppers. Poured that into the skillet with the turkey, added some onion, garlic, and italian seasoning (I really love my jar of Tuscan seasoning, yum).
While that cooked up a bit, I threw a pile of spinach into the blender with a 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, about 1/4 cup of parmesan, and a big scoop of the sauce, and blended until it was smooth.
In a 9x13 pan, I poured a small amount of sauce. Then added a layer of lasagna noodles, yes, uncooked. Then I topped with sauce, and a second layer of noodles. Then I poured my green goop overtop, and added more cottage cheese, followed by a third layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce. Covered with foil and baked at 350 for about 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes or so, I topped with a bunch of shredded mozza, and a few more shakes of parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes more or so, then let set about 10 minutes before slicing. It was *tasty*, and the kids even ate the green layer. Probably because none of them saw that it was spinach.
I picked up some mozza cheese at the store, I figured I could use up some of the fish in our deep freeze and make pizza fish for the kids. I should really blog that idea, it's quite tasty. By the time I got home, I realized I could make lasagna.
I didn't have any pasta sauce or tomato sauce or tomato paste though. This was going to take some creativity, good thing I can be creative!
Here is the finished result.
1lb ground turkey, browned. While that cooked, I pureed one 28oz can of tomatoes, undrained, with half a 12oz jar of roasted red peppers. Poured that into the skillet with the turkey, added some onion, garlic, and italian seasoning (I really love my jar of Tuscan seasoning, yum).
While that cooked up a bit, I threw a pile of spinach into the blender with a 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, about 1/4 cup of parmesan, and a big scoop of the sauce, and blended until it was smooth.
In a 9x13 pan, I poured a small amount of sauce. Then added a layer of lasagna noodles, yes, uncooked. Then I topped with sauce, and a second layer of noodles. Then I poured my green goop overtop, and added more cottage cheese, followed by a third layer of noodles and the rest of the sauce. Covered with foil and baked at 350 for about 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes or so, I topped with a bunch of shredded mozza, and a few more shakes of parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes more or so, then let set about 10 minutes before slicing. It was *tasty*, and the kids even ate the green layer. Probably because none of them saw that it was spinach.
MacGyver Mom!
After a recent trip to Costco, and the realization that we have *so much* food in the house, I'm calling this next month or so "MacGyver Mom Time".
What, what?
Yes, MacGyver Mom. It's my challenge to me. I'm going to use up all the food stuffs in the freezer, the deep freeze in the garage, and the cold storage room under my stairs.
Why? I could say "because it's there", which is reason enough. Beyond that, there is so much random food in my deep freeze and storage room, and I'm not being diligent about using/rotating it. I have so much produce from my garden from last year (and perhaps a year before that) that needs to get eaten before we plant again in June. There is pear sauce, apple butter, rhubarb/strawberry compote all crying out for pancakes or coffee cake or to be used as filling in muffins. I think there is actually at least one full 10kg bag of flour in the deep freeze too. It's kind of ridiculous.
So, that's my challenge. I will be aiming to only buy perishables, fruit/veg, dairy and some bread if I don't have time to bake around the work schedule.
Wish me well!
What, what?
Yes, MacGyver Mom. It's my challenge to me. I'm going to use up all the food stuffs in the freezer, the deep freeze in the garage, and the cold storage room under my stairs.
Why? I could say "because it's there", which is reason enough. Beyond that, there is so much random food in my deep freeze and storage room, and I'm not being diligent about using/rotating it. I have so much produce from my garden from last year (and perhaps a year before that) that needs to get eaten before we plant again in June. There is pear sauce, apple butter, rhubarb/strawberry compote all crying out for pancakes or coffee cake or to be used as filling in muffins. I think there is actually at least one full 10kg bag of flour in the deep freeze too. It's kind of ridiculous.
So, that's my challenge. I will be aiming to only buy perishables, fruit/veg, dairy and some bread if I don't have time to bake around the work schedule.
Wish me well!
Friday, January 13, 2012
meatball soup, without meatballs!
I really need to get my next two weeks of meal plans ready. It's so nice to know what's coming up, meal-wise, especially on the days I am working.
Friday, January 6, 2012
It's a new year - time to get back into meal planning!
This Christmas, I received *two* magazine cookbooks. One is a One-Pan recipe book from Better Homes and Gardens, the other is a Jamie Oliver recipe yearbook. I've already been digging in to some new recipes - fun, fun!
Here's my meal plan for Jan 1-14, I'm aiming for two weeks at a time. Hopefully it lasts past February!
Jan 1 - Southwest Spaghetti pie (Better Homes and Garden recipe), salad
Jan 2 - Chickpea, Rosemary and Pancetta soup (Jamie Oliver, but I used bacon instead, because I had some leftover) served with buns and sliced veggies
Jan 3 - leftover spaghetti pie, salad and buns
Jan 4 - Pot Roast with roasted potatoes and yams
Jan 5 - Beef and chile enchiladas (made with leftover pot roast, diced) These were really really good (BHG)
Jan 6 - salmon, rice, and roasted broccoli
Jan 7 - chicken pot pie
Jan 8 - Chicken Caesar Lasagna, salad and buns (BHG)
Jan 9 - Meatball soup (Jamie Oliver, but made with ground turkey), with buns
Jan 10 - Perogies and sausage
Jan 11 - Cheeseburger and fries casserole (BHG book)
Jan 12 - dinner out (I'm out of town Tues/Wed, and get home at supper time, and the hubby is away, so by the time I get back, it's takeout time)
Jan 13 - Mexican Biscuit casserole (BHG book)
Jan 14 - Vegetable biryani
I can share any recipes as wanted, just let me know!
Here's my meal plan for Jan 1-14, I'm aiming for two weeks at a time. Hopefully it lasts past February!
Jan 1 - Southwest Spaghetti pie (Better Homes and Garden recipe), salad
Jan 2 - Chickpea, Rosemary and Pancetta soup (Jamie Oliver, but I used bacon instead, because I had some leftover) served with buns and sliced veggies
Jan 3 - leftover spaghetti pie, salad and buns
Jan 4 - Pot Roast with roasted potatoes and yams
Jan 5 - Beef and chile enchiladas (made with leftover pot roast, diced) These were really really good (BHG)
Jan 6 - salmon, rice, and roasted broccoli
Jan 7 - chicken pot pie
Jan 8 - Chicken Caesar Lasagna, salad and buns (BHG)
Jan 9 - Meatball soup (Jamie Oliver, but made with ground turkey), with buns
Jan 10 - Perogies and sausage
Jan 11 - Cheeseburger and fries casserole (BHG book)
Jan 12 - dinner out (I'm out of town Tues/Wed, and get home at supper time, and the hubby is away, so by the time I get back, it's takeout time)
Jan 13 - Mexican Biscuit casserole (BHG book)
Jan 14 - Vegetable biryani
I can share any recipes as wanted, just let me know!
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