Menu Plan Monday May 25, 2009

I didn't officially plan a menu last week, and consequently we snacked on leftovers Thursday night, and ate out Friday night. But, I did try a new recipe, and it was a success!

A while back, Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers shared her Five Minute Apple Dessert. I don't have homemade apple pie filling, but I picked up a package of Pillsbury crescent rolls, and a can of pre-made filling. I only used half the filling. It was quick and easy, and Ben said it was sweet, chewy, and delicious.


Here's the menu for this week:

Monday: We're having a barbecue with friends and picking up some steaks to grill at the party. We also have to bring a side, so I'll probably bake some oatmeal cookies.

Tuesday: I am going to try the Pizza Braid.....even though I am positive my braid won't look as good as Amy's either, it is a good switch from regular pizza! Grocery store tip: I learned I could purchase bulk pepperoni in the store deli. It is cheaper than pre-packaged, and I don't end up with enough pepperoni to last us all year!

Wednesday: Church group....I'll bring leftover oatmeal cookies (if there are any).

Thursday: Club Salad (I'll probably make mine with chicken and real bacon)

Friday: Bowtie Pasta with Ham and Peas....I'm still debating which recipe to use: Martha's, or one with a creamy lemon sauce.

Saturday: Pancakes for breakfast. I don't know what I'll do for dinner, but I'm leaning toward this, Chicken Souvlaki, from Kendra at My First Kitchen.

Sunday: FFY

Don't forget......for more menu plans, visit Laura at org. junkie!

Menu Plan Monday, May 11, 2009

I love participating in Menu Plan Monday! Last week, I asked for advice on a ham/potato dish, and received a comment recommending these! I didn't get a chance to try them yet, but they look yummy, and fairly easy to make! Thanks!

I am also excited that Tillamook is celebrating its 100th anniversary and offering great deals at Freddy's this week!

Here's this week's dinner menu!

Sunday: Leftover Cheesesteaks.

Monday: Chicken Salsa Casserole. A friend made this recipe at church group one week. She was kind enough to share it with me. I'll post more later in the week.

Tuesday: Home group, I'll make an apple cake. (I may make a second one while I am at it for church group on Wednesday).

Wednesday: Church Group, leftovers for home, and second apple cake, if I make one.
To Do: Make pizza dough and let rise overnight in fridge.

Thursday: Homemade pizza.

Friday: Ham and potato pockets.

Saturday: Burgers on the grill (or Foreman, depending on the weather).

So here's my question for this week. I have a homemade pizza sauce recipe that is okay, but not our favorite. Do you have a pizza sauce recipe you love?

For more menus, and great organizing ideas, visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie! She has a cool give away this week if you participate in Menu Plan Monday before 8:00 PM PST on Tuesday!

Chimichurri Cheesesteaks

I discovered this recipe for Chimichurri Cheesesteaks a few years ago when I watched the a Food Network feature on the winners of a Southern Living Magazine cooking contest. It looked easy, and different from what I normally made, so I decided to give it a shot.

Right away, I made some changes. I omitted the onions and I use either leftover roast beef, or leftover cooked country style pork ribs. I also use mozzarella instead of provolone. I make these for two people, so I halve the sauce as well....and I always have extra leftover. The sauce keeps for about a week. I haven't tried freezing it.


Also, her recipe calls for wrapping the sandwiches in foil and placing them on a grill. I did not have a grill, so I place them on a cookie sheet and put them under the broiler until the cheese melts and the meat warms up.

Last, I found that hoagie buns, especially sourdough, work best. The tangy flavor of the bread compliments the chimichurri sauce.


I have served these for family and friends and they are always a hit! Enjoy them with a side of homemade potato fries, veggies and fruit.

Banana Cookies!

In search of an alternative to banana bread, I sought out a recipe for banana cookies. I found these on Elise's Simply Recipes. I made the recipe exactly as shown except I omitted the nuts and I made half of the cookies with chocolate chips and half without. They tasted more like banana muffin tops than cookies, but they were still a hit!

Inspiring, Motivating.......

.....and excellent background music.

Menu Plan Monday, May 4th, 2009

I don't know if you can relate, but there are some weeks when I have more ideas for dinners than there are days in the week. Then there are other weeks where I feel like I've never cooked before, and where do I even start to plan. This week is the later. I have no motivation for planning my meals. Thankfully, participating in Menu Plan Monday forces me to create some sort of layout! So, here goes....we'll see what stays.

Monday: Talerine. I am going to adapt a recipe by Elise from Simply Recipes. I already know I will cut the recipe down as there are only two of us; I'll omit the onions and peppers due to preference, and probably reduce the amount of cheese. It looks good though!

Tuesday: Home group. Nothing exciting here. We're providing drinks and plates :)

Wednesday: Chicken Strips and Potato Fries. If I am in the mood, I am going to try homemade mozzarella sticks too!

Thursday: Leftovers?

Friday: I think I will use up some leftover roast beef to make sandwiches with a chimmichurri sauce. I saw the recipe on Food Network once, and it is quite good. I will post it after I make it. Update: Read the post here!

Saturday: I am at a loss! I will have to brainstorm from the other menus. If you have any tips, let me know! We currently have quite a bit of ground beef, and we also have some cubed ham. I have one ham recipe that is good. It uses noodles, and peas, in a sour cream sauce. But, we have it a lot for dinner, and Ben is getting tired of it. If you know of other good ham recipes, let me know! I have quite a few russet potatoes too!

For more menus, visit Laura at Org. Junkie!

Choosing Oranges

I had a fun encounter at the grocery store yesterday. I was in the produce section picking out oranges. I have found that if I choose oranges that smell an orange, they are juicier and taste better. So, there I was handling and smelling the oranges when an elderly gentleman comes over to make his selection. He turns to me and asks if I want to know the best way to choose an orange? Hoping to glean from his wisdom, I nodded. He said, you smell them, feel them, and then put on a blindfold and put a few in your bag! We had a good laugh, I picked out a few and went on my way.