For the week of Dec 20th, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, peaches
Snack: PB Muffins with chocolate chips
Dinner: Home made Mac & Cheese, WW Bread

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch: ravioli
Snack: Quesadilla's
Dinner: Beef Stew

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: pb&j sandwhichs, orange or apple slices
Snack: Mini fruit wheat muffins
Dinner: Asian Orange Chicken with brown rice

Thursday
Breakfast: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: home made ww pretzels
Dinner: Spaghetti

Friday - Christmas Eve
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
Dinner: Shrimp Cocktail, Fish Chowder, salad, Parmasean Crusted Salmon (kids - fish sticks), brown rice, cheese platter, cannoli's

Saturday - Christmas Day
Breakfast: Cinnamon Twists
Lunch: at my mom's house
Dinner: at my in-law's house

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: Cheese sandwhiches, carrot sticks
Dinner: Navy Bean Soup, Dinner Salad, Orange Marmalade Ham, Asparagus, Scalloped Potatoes, WW Dinner Rolls, cookie platter

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Basic Sauteed Chicken, Brown Rice, Peas and carrots
Eva's Snack: strawberry go-gurt, genetti cookie, colby cheese

Today was a lazy day cooking as I'm not feeling well. I figured this would be quick and easy and it was. I used wine for the glaze and used it for hubby and I. I gave the plain chicken to the kids and they loved it. Have to remember this recipe!


Basic Sauteed Chicken

Ingredients
2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine or just use 1 cup chicken broth or another tasty liquid of your choosing if the wine is going to be too wine-y f or your kids
1 handful chopped parsley

Directions

1. Begin by trimming the chicken breasts if they need trimming. I use my beloved kitchen scissors and snip off any shaggy bits of fat or gristle.
2. Pat them dry with paper towels (to helps them brown) and sprinkle them with some kosher salt.
3. Heat a very large pan over medium-high heat and add the butter, which should melt and foam, and the olive oil, which should stop the butter from burning. When the fat is all very hot but not turning black (recipes say "when the foam subsides"), add the chicken breasts in one layer. Now leave them alone for 5 or so minutes while the bottom gets nice and crusty and brown.
4. Use tongs or a spatula to flip them over as they brown, and then cook another 4 or so minutes until the bottom is very brown and the chicken is cooked through. You may want to cut a piece open to check, but pressing a cooked breast with your fingertip will give you a feel for its doneness, which will develop over time into the skill of knowing when it's done without cutting it.
5. Pile the chicken on a heat-proof plate and pop it into a 200ºF heated oven while you "deglaze" the pan. Pour the wine in and scrape with a spatula to dissolve all the yummy browned bits while the wine bubbles and boils furiously in the hot pan.
6. When the wine has cooked down about halfway, add the broth, turn the heat to high, and cook until the sauce seems syrupy and delicious. Taste it for salt, then drizzle it over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Sometimes, if the chicken has browned but doesn't seem quite cooked through, I leave it in the pan while I make the sauce so that it can simmer in there a bit longer.

For the week of Dec 13th, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Minestrone Soup with tortellini, Kids - just tortellini with parmasean cheese and hotdogs

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Sauted Basic Chicken, brown rice, peas and carrots

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: Bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, peaches
Dinner: Chili (?), cornbread (and hotdogs for the kids)

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Spaghetti & Meatballs garlic bread

Friday
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Cheesy Roasted Chicken Nachos, Cheese Quesidillas

Saturday
Breakfast: Waffles and sausage
Lunch: chicken nuggets and french fries
Dinner: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: French toast with peaches
Dinner: I'm not sure yet!

Monday, Dec 6th, 2010

Monday
Breakfast: doughnuts
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Quick Mac and Cheese, biscuits, Tempura Shrimp
Eva's Snack: Home made pretzels, strawberry go-gurt
Eva's Lunch: Beef Raviolis, SF Chocolate Pudding Mousse
.....(they were serving Cheseburgers at school)

Kind of a lazy day as far as cooking goes! I was busy cleaning the house and trying to decorate for Christmas. Miss Picky wanted Mac & Cheese for dinner, but the last two times, I used Kraft and she didn't like it, so I made it from scratch, since it was easy and I was craving it! She liked it!!!! Yeah!!! I knew that wasn't going to be enough for Dad & I, so I heated up the Tempura Shrimp I bought from a Schwans fundraiser and WOW! were they good, especially the dipping sauce. Will buy those again!

Double-Chocolate Mousse
prep time 15 min total time 35 min makes 6 servings

What You Need
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk, divided
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 pkg. (2.1 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping, divided 1/2 cup
fresh raspberries (opt)
Make It
MICROWAVE 1 cup milk and chocolate squares in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; whisk until chocolate is melted. Add remaining milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Refrigerate 20 min. WHISK in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into 6 dessert dishes. TOP with remaining COOL WHIP and berries.

Quick Macaroni and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
2 quarts water
1 Tbsp salt
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (our family uses rotini)

1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups, packed)
1 teaspoon corn starch
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 teaspoons flour
1 ½ cups milk
4 slices American Cheese
1/4 cup ham, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes (opt)

METHOD
1 In a medium sized bowl, mix corn starch into the grated cheese, so that the cheese is coated,
set aside. This will help the cheese from getting too stringy.
2 Bring 2 quarts of water with the tablespoon of salt to a boil in thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the elbow macaroni and follow the cooking time instructions on the package, minus about 2 minutes. (If your macaroni doesn't come with instructions, start checking at 7 minutes). Cook until al dente - cooked through, but still slightly firm. Drain the water from the cooking pan.
3 While the macaroni is cooking, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Slowly dribble in the milk, while whisking (to avoid clumping) until the sauce is smooth. Slowly add the grated cheese, while whisking, until smooth. Stir in the American Cheese. Add the cooked, drained macaroni and ham, if using. Do not over-mix.
Serve immediately.
Serves 3-4 adults or 4-6 kids.

Idea from: Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

Sunday, Dec 5th, 2010

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: French toast with peaches
Dinner: Chunky Mediterranean Chicken Soup, dinner salad, Chicken Cacciatore with angel hair pasta, whole wheat dinner rolls, cookies

Today was the day of Daddy and Eva's recital. Since I knew we wouldn't be home until sometime between 5 and 6, I cooked the soup ahead of time and put it in the slow cooker. I prepared the Chicken Cacciatore and put it in my Nesco, on 250 degrees. When we got home, I reheated the rolls and steamed some broccoli and VOILA! dinner was on the table by 6. We did not have the pie as I didn't have time to make it before, and afterwards, we brought home so many cookies from the reception after the recital, that I didn't see it neccessary to make the pie. The soup was AWESOME! We will have it again for dinner Monday night as I have plenty left over. Joey was the only one who ate the soup and the chicken. The other kids wouldn't try the soup and didn't like the chicken and only ate the angel hair with spaghetti sauce. Dad and I thought the chicken was awesome too! Joey especially loved the mushrooms. I bought baby portabella's and they were really good in this.

Chunky Chicken Soup, Mediterranean Style

Ingredients
1 tb Olive oil
1 md Onions -- chopped
1 md Bell pepper -- chopped
2 Cloves garlic -- minced
1 cn Stewed tomatoes -- (14 1/2 Oz)
4 c Chicken broth
2 c Water
1/2 c Rice
1 tb Basil
6 md Carrots -- sliced
1 lb Skinless boneless chicken
Breast -- cut into 3/4 Cubes
1 pk Green beans -- (10 oz)
1/4 ts Black pepper
Preparation

In a large pan, heat oil over moderate heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes, broth, water, rice, and basil and bring to a boil. Adjust heat so the mixture simmers gently, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add carrots, and cook 5 minutes longer. Add chicken and green beans and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in the black pepper.
Recipe By : Readers Digest Live Longer Cookbook

(I cooked everything in the skillet, then put it into a slow cooker. I added the broth and the water, then cooked it on high for several hours)

Mom's Chicken Cacciatore

Servings 8

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces in flour until coated. Heat the oil in a large skillet (one that has a cover/lid). Fry the chicken pieces until they are browned on both sides. Remove from skillet.
2. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until the onion is slightly browned. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the tomatoes, oregano and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over medium low heat.
3. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

(I did not fry the chicken first. I pulled all the skin off first. Then I layed half the cooked onions and green peppers in the bottom of my Nesco, then layed the chicken on top, then the rest of the onions and green peppers. Poured the wine on the chicken and set it to 250 degrees and let it cook for several hours. An hour before I was to serve, I put on the sliced mushrooms and let it cook for another hour.)

Friday, Dec 3rd, 2010

Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon twists
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Green Chile-Turkey Enchiladas and brown rice
Eva's Snack: Strawberry go-gurt, steamed crisp broccoli, chocolate sandwhich cookies

I didn't make the cinnamon twists. The recipe was from a cookbook, but I couldn't find the book! So I pulled out some apple pancakes from the freezer and Voila! breakfast was served.
Dinner was soooo yummy! I'm saving this one for Thanksgiving leftovers any time!! Miss Picky was the only one who wouldn't eat it, so I heated up a frozen bean burrito for her.

Green Chile-Turkey Enchiladas
Turn leftover turkey into a Mexican f iesta! These enchiladas can be assembled in 15 minutes before baking.
Prep Time: 15 Min Total Time: 55 Min Makes: 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sour cream ranch dip
2 tablespoons all-purpose f lour
2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups f inely shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, undrained
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® mild enchilada sauce
1 package (11.5 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch)
Chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado and shredded lettuce, if desired

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix dip
and f lour. Stir in turkey, 1 cup of the cheese and the chiles.
Spread about 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce over bottom of baking dish. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons
enchilada sauce over each tortilla; top each with about 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Roll up each tortilla and
place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce.
Cover with foil; bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes
longer or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Garnish with tomatoes, avocado and lettuce.

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Baked Ziti and garlic bread


I love this muffin recipe, I've made it several times now. This time, I used my home made applesauce, so it was a little chunky and I put them into a jumbo muffin tins (added 10 min's to the time). I've never used the topping, just because I didn't want the mess from the kids, lol. And dinner was very yummy! I saw on tv where they put the ricotta cheese on top and did not stir it in. So I did that with this recipe and it was REALLY good!!

Applesauce Oat Muffins
10 Servings Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white
TOPPING:
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the applesauce, milk, oil and egg white. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400° for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Yield: 10 muffins.
Nutrition Facts: One muffin equals 222 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 265 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat, 1/2 fruit.


Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 7
"Rich and creamy ricotta cheese is combined with mozzarella, beaten egg and spaghetti sauce to make a rich and filling sauce for cooked ziti. Top with Ricotta and Parmesan cheese and bake for a delicious, classic Italian casserole."
INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
24 ounces ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until
al dente; drain and rinse.
2. In a medium bowl, mix ziti, mozzarella cheese, egg and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.