Not quite new year...

I am not going to promise something crazy for the new year like a new post every day or even every week, but I will promise not to neglect it for 2 months at a time!
Right now I am still having fun with the kids playing with all the new fun things they got for Christmas. #1 dd is well on her way to becoming a much better seamstress than I am. She got a new sewing maching and a large box of material for her presents. She has all ready put together several tote bags for her brother and sisters to play with, including one sling bag for DS to carry his Nerf darts in for his war games!

So when I do stop to do something on my list of improvements I will let you all know! For now, enjoy all those Christmas leftovers in your fridge like we are!

Menu plan for 10/25-10/31

Monday-Tepanyaki style beef with zucchini and onions, fried rice, green salad with miso-sesame dressing
Tues-Meatball soup and corn muffins
Weds- Miso soup with tofu and egg drop soup
Thursday-Creepy dogs with monster mac and cheese
Fri-dinner at school carnival
Sat-dinner at Church party, making finger bread sticks with blood and guts dip aka chunky marinara
Sun- Roast beef and potatoes in crock pot, corn, rolls

Menu plan for 8/9-8/15

BLTA's and pasta salad
Oven baked fish and chips with roasted broccoli
hot dogs, baked beans and potato salad
spring rolls, sesame noodles
potato soup
pizza and salad

Meal plan monday

7-up chicken, sesame couscous salad, roasted broccoli
Taco casserole, gaucomole, salad
Creamy chicken pasta with green beans
Hot dogs with baked chips, caesar salad, mac and cheese
Italian pot roast, mashed potatoes, biscuits
Pizzas

Menu plan for 7/26-8/1

Here is the menu for us this week

Taco soup and cornbread muffins
Chicken pot pie
Pasta bar
Taco salads
Potstickers, sesame noodles, rice, edamame
Homemade pizzas
Creamy Italian chicken

Snacks
fruit
cheese sticks
homemade muffins and cookies
smoothies or shaved ice

Pinching Your Pennies Forums - JUNE Pantry Challenge

Double turkey clubs, homemade potato chips
Cafe rio salads, with corn salsa
Italian soup with breadsticks
Crockpot pizza and caesar salad
Bermuda grilled chicken salad
Beef brisket with smashed potatoes, cornbread, baked beans
Leftovers

for breakfasts we are cleaning out our cereal stock and adding juice and fresh fruit.
Lunches will be mostly leftovers and pb&js or tuna with crackers and pickles.

Menu plan for 5/23-5/30

Today
baby back ribs, baked potatoes, broccoli and salad

Monday
dinner with friends, only need to make a salad

Tues
Grilled salmon and sesame noodles

Weds
Sloppy joes and veggie tray

Thurs
Clam chowder in bread bowls

Friday
Homemade pizzas and salad

Menu plan monday 3/8-3/15

Breakfasts
Smoothies-strawberry, blueberry, chocolate
Pancakes
French toast
Cold cereal and fruit

Lunches
leftovers/salads
grilled cheese
freezer burritos

Dinners
Chicken w/smashed potatoes pot pie style
Calzones
Greek Salad with pitas
Thai Beef salad
Pasta Carbonara
Buffalo Chicken salad with steak fries

Snacks
fruit
mall pretzels

Pesto ravioli

1 bag of good ravioli
1 cup of pesto ( I prefer the one they carry at Costco)

Cook the pasta, drain and add the pesto .

Bow ties with Salmon and peas

salt
1 package bow tie pasta
2 lemons
2 T butter
2 large shallots
1 pound salmon fillets cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 t pepper
1 package peas
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh dill chopped

Heat large pot of water and add salt. Cook pasta as label directs.
Grate 2 t of lemon zest and then squeeze 3 T juice and set aside
Melt butter over med heat in a skillet. Add shallots and cok about 2 minutes until tender. Increase heat until med high, add salmon,pepper, lemon peel, and 1 t salt and cook about 5 minutes, until salmon is opaque.
When pasta is done remove 1/3 cup cooking liquid and add to salmon mixture, stirring gently to combine. Place peas in colander and drain pasta over peas. Return pasta and peas to pot, add salmon mixture, chopped dill and lemon juice. Toss gently to combine.

Sesame Shrimp and asparagus

1 cup jasmine rice
1/8 t salt
4 t olive oil
1 1/2 t sesame oil
2 lbs asparagus trimmed
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 t seasoned rice vinegar
1 large green onion
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/8 t crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Prepare rice as labeled.
Mix together salt, 2 t olive oil, and 1 t sesame oil toss with sparagus and roast until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
Mix in a small bowl soy sauce, vinegar, green onion, and remaining sesame oil and set aside.
In skillet on high heat, add oil and shrimp. Sprinkle with red pepper and cook until opaque, about 3 minutes.
Arrange shrimp and asparagus on plates and drizzle with dressing.

I may substitute broccoli if there is not any fresh asparagus around.

Speedy Paella

1 package fully cooked chorizo (3 1/2 oz) cut into 1/4 in chunks
1 pound chicken cut into chunks
1 medium red pepper diced
1 garlic clove crushed
1/8 t dried thyme
1 package spanish style yellow rice mix
1 package of frozen peas.

Cook chorizo over med heat until fat is released, about 3 minutes. Remove chorizo, leave drippings. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, remove. Add pepper, garlic and thyme and cook for one minute. Add rice mix, 2 cups of water, and chorizo. When mix is boiling, reduce heat and cook covered for 10 minutes.
Stir in frozen peas and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in chicken and serve when warmed through.

Spicy beef with couscous

1 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 t minced fresh ginger
1 pound ground beef, I am using beef stew meat, sliced thinly
1 T curry powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup plain couscous
1/3 cup golden raisins (I will use regular raisins or cranberries my kids won't eat golden ones)

In large skillet heat oil in med high heat, add onion, and cook until golden about 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook one more minute. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Stir in curry powder and salt, cook for 30 seconds. Add broth and peas and cook until slightly thickened.
Cook couscous according to directions and add raisins.

Thai beef salad

Thai dressing
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime
3 T oil
2 T grated fresh ginger
1 T fish sauce (start with 1 t at a time)
red pepper flakes to taste

Salad
8 oz thin sliced deli roast beef (I am using grilled skirt steak)
2 green onions
2 carrot cut into matchsticks
1 small red pepper cut into matchsticks
1 large head lettuce, romaine
Fresh cilantro, thai basil to taste.

Orange Rosemary Chicken

1 T butter
2 garlic cloves crushed
4 medium chicken breasts
1/2 t dried rosemary
pepper
salt
2 oranges
1/4 cup peach preserves

Add everything to crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours.

Chicken with smashed potatoes, Pot pie style

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes diced
1 T oil
4 medium chicken breasts
salt and pepper
5 oz carrots cut into matchsticks
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cream
1/2 t dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas thawed
1 T butter

Place cut potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Boil for 10-12 minutes until potatoes are tender.
While potatoes are cooking heat oil in pan, add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 6 minutes on first side and finish 6-8 minutes on second side. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. In the same skillet add carrots, broth, cream, and thyme. Cook until carrots are tender, about 5 minutes. Take off heat and add peas.
Coarsely mash potatoes with butter, salt and pepper.
Spoon potatoes onto plate, top with chicken and then sauce with veggies.

Chicken Sate' Lettuce wraps

4 med chicken breasts
1 t curry powder
3/4 t salt
2 limes
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 T soy sauce
1 t sugar (agave or honey)
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 small cucumber sliced
12 lettuce leaves
chopped nuts (peanuts or cashews)

Rub chicken with curry and salt and pepper, grill until done 10-12 minutes.
Zest and juice one lime, mix with peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, chopped cilantro, and up to 2 T water until smooth.
Slice chicken and serve in lettuce with cucumbers and peanut sauce. I like to add red bell pepper, carrots, nuts and more cilantro.

Monthly Menu Plan

I have been terrible lately! It has been very easy to blow off a homemade dinner in favor of take out. My DH is traveling at least twice a month now, and also being pregnant has been an easy excuse! I am making a plan for the whole month. I will be doubling all the recipes if possible to freeze for later on.
I made a large shopping trip last week and one today, and with the exception of fresh produce and dairy items, I hope to have all that I need in my pantry and freezer.

Chicken Sate Lettuce wraps-doubling peanut sauce
Chicken smashed potato pie
Orange Rosemary Chicken-making double batch
Thai Beef Salad-doubling the dressing and using the extra veggies in Greek Salad
Spicy Beef with couscous
Greek Salad-double dressing
Calzones- making several batches of these to freeze
Speedy Paella-need chorizo and shrimp
Peach Pork Chops-making double
Pesto Salmon with lemon orzo-making large batch of pesto and will freeze in small servings
Sesame Shrimp with Asparagus- may sub broccoli, making double shrimp for spring rolls
Spring rolls
Greek pasta with shrimp
Bowtie salmon with peas
Pasta carbonara
Pasta primavera- I wing this one and add leftover veggies from fridge
Pesto ravioli-making double
Sesame noodles-use leftover veggies
Lo Mein with tofu and veggie- use leftover veggies and thin spaghetti from pantry
Buffalo chicken salad with blue cheese dressing- using Franks red hot sauce and dressing from pantry

With these meals and the others that I all ready have prepared this should be enough for the month!
(No corned beef and cabbage for us, ick!)

Menu plan monday

Our menu for the week.
Breakfasts
Smoothies- berry or pineapple
Egg puffs
Puffy pancakes with strawberries
French toast sticks

Lunch
salads
leftovers
sandwiches

Dinners
Pesto ravioli with garlic bread and chopped salad
Calzones, dipping vegetables
Chicken sate lettuce wraps with potstickers
Smashed potato pot pie
Bowtie salmon with peas
Buffalo wing salad with blue cheese dressing
Leftovers

Snacks
mall pretzels
yogurt
apples
bananas

How Big Is Baby?

How Big Is Baby?

Asian Fire Meat and Sesame Noodles

I made the Asian Fire meat tonight along with the sesame noodles. They were both fantastic!
I rolled the meat in regular iceberg lettuce like burritos. I didn't add the onions or leeks to the meat though, not really a fan of either. I added some chopped red bell pepper, a couple handfuls of baby spinach and shredded carrot to the noodles. The girls and Andy loved this!
You could make the sauce for the meat and add it to the meat before freezing.

Menu plan for the week.
The kids are home all week for winter break. I will need to stay creative so that we don't end up eating fast food!

Breakfast
pancakes
waffles
muffins- homemade blueberry and chocolate chip
smoothies
cereal- hot and cold
fruit- kiwi, bananas, grapes, blueberries, apples, oranges, grapefruit.

Lunch
quesadillas
BLTA's
leftovers
pb & j
Ikea

Dinners
Asian fire meat wraps with sesame noodles
Potstickers and rice
Chicken and dumplings
Stuffed taco shells
BBQ chicken and potato salad
Mini pizzas
Leftovers

Snacks
mall pretzels
fruit
cheese slices and crackers
almonds and dried cranberries
cheese crackers

Meal plan monday

Here is a our dinner plan for the week. We are having a hard time with breakfasts right now, still not completely adjusted to the time change from our China trip. We will just wing breakfast and lunch with the staples we have in the house.

Sloppy joes homemade chips
easy lasagna
chicken and broccoli casserole
stuffed baked potatoes
roasted chicken and couscous
french dip sandwiches
leftovers