Feeling Productive

 So this week my meal plan was meatless all week.  I actually made it through the week following the menu minus yesterday but finished it off today.

  I had the ingredients on hand Monday but had to go to the store and pick up the rest of the weeks ingredients.  Spent $85 on the weeks dinners!

  All the meals were delicious and worthy of being kept in the recipe files.  Some  definitely need to be doubled or have a side added to it but most of them were filling!  If you see any meals of interest you can find the recipes here.

Monday

Bean burritos.  This was a nice easy and fast Monday meal.  

 Tuesday

This pizza was our favorite for the week.  I had never had Naan bread and adding just a few toppings over a pesto sauce was so easy.  This may become a lunch on the weekends AND my picky son even liked it.

 Wednesday

I like to use my spiralizer but I don't use it enough.  I also like shrimp and need to find more recipes to use them in.

 Thursday

Spinach filled lasagna.  I used to think making lasagna was a chore but, the filling was easy enough to assemble while the pasta cooked; so no complaints there!

 Saturday

Finally to end the week was a quinoa dish.  I have made quinoa in place of meat in a taco dish before and really like the flavors.  This dish had pinto beans in it too and all the flavors were great.

I surprisingly didn't hear any complaints at meatless day after day this week.  That was nice.  It could be that a complaint really wasn't worth it.  Dinner hot and ready on the table is worth it no matter what, right?

Well I hope you had a healthy and filling week and I haven't thought about my menuplan yet but, am excited for whatever it is.  What are your plans for next week?

Monday Motivation (meatless dinner mealplan)

  For the last few weeks I have been sharing breakfast mealplans and this week I'm still sharing a mealplan but, a dinner one this time.

   This week I'm going to make my family all meatless meals.  Some of these recipes I have tried and obviously if they made this list they were tasty and successful the first go around.

  I am not going to label my days because I do have to go to the store and pick up some ingredients so depending on what ingredients I have on hand and when I go to the store will vary this mealplan.

Black bean quesadilla:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/02/hearty-black-bean-quesadillas/

Pizza:
https://savorandsavvy.com/2016/08/15-minute-personal-pesto-pizzas.html

Shrimp:
https://damndelicious.net/2015/01/24/zucchini-shrimp-scampi/

Pasta:
https://savorandsavvy.com/2013/11/spinach-lasagna-rolls-recipe.html

Tacos:
https://wendypolisi.com/quinoa-taco-salad-bowl/

  I would love to hear what your dinner plans are this week or today.  I hope you have a happy, healthy and full week!

Monday Motivation (breakfast mealplan)

  Let's do another week of breakfast.  Breakfast meal plans are super easy for me.  I usually have all the ingredients for multiple meals, it's one meal that is appreciated by everyone in the house and I like the start of a new day.


Monday: pancakes
https://pocketchangegourmet.com/old-fashioned-homemade-pancakes/

Tuesday: eggs and toast
No recipe necessary! Just keeping it simple. I would even make an omelet but, the little people won't eat that.

Wednesday: muffins
https://www.craftsy.com/cake-decorating/article/carrot-cake-muffins/

Thursday: coffee cake 
This recipe is from my recipe box and doesn't use the Bisquick mix I have seen posted.  It used flour.

Friday: donuts
https://www.lovefromtheoven.com/valentines-day-donuts/


 There you go! That's what will be starting our mornings with! What is your morning plan?

Monday Motivation (Breakfast menu)

  They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day!  Who am I to question that?  So I will just eat it and go on with my day.

  I have found that we can stretch milk by adding hot meals to our week.  The kids don't complain about cereal everyday but a little variety is nice. Thankfully most breakfast items are eagerly accepted.

  This is our breakfast meal plan for the week!

Monday: Waffles
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/waffles/f4760054-72a9-4316-9377-f636dd58bc8e

Tuesday:
Egg and cheese quesadilla

Wednesday:
French Toast

Thursday: Muffins
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/basic-banana-muffins

Friday:Yogurt

  Planning breakfast doesn't have to be hard.  I think it's way easier then dinner plans but, that's not the point.  The point is planning makes life so much easier, offers variety and challenges me with new recipes sometimes.

  A lot of people have a busy morning.  On a slow, easy going morning what do you make for breakfast?  What's your favorite breakfast?

Motivation Monday (Meal plan)

  When your a parent a family has to eat.  Gone are the days of a bowl of cereal or pizza every night.  I do plan meals because it makes the busy nights easier.  My recipes are a combination of recipes new and old as well as simple meals.

Last night we picked up a Rotisserie Chicken marked down for $3.  Mashed potatoes were whipped up as well as a side of corn!

2/12 Monday
Spaghetti and meatballs. I gave some leftover frozen meatballs that I will be using and combine tomato sauce, paste and diced tomatoes for the spaghetti sauce with a side of garlic bread.

2/13 Tuesday
Bajio Chicken from the crockpot.  This recipe is my favorite from
sixsistersstuff.

2/14 Wednesday
Sausage and more pasta. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/245920/smoked-sausage-and-tortellini-skillet/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=search%20results&clickId=cardslot%2018


2/15 Thursday
Salmon is always appreciated here!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/21176/baked-dijon-salmon/with side of quinoa and some veggie.

2/16 Friday
The kitchen is closed. Every man women and child for themselves. Leftovers are served.

  What are you having for the rest of the week?  Do you meal plan?

Monday Motivation (all about food)

  I like to cook.  I like to bake. I am not a professional but, since we have to eat and sometimes it's an enjoyable experience we do it.

  Today I was super motivated and made 3 things! Now as I stated I'm not a professional so I will also share the recipes of the items!

  I think the one thing I have on my side at least is that 2 of the 3 are healthy.  The bonus is that everything is kid approved.  As a mom of picky eaters that just makes me so happy!

I started my morning with a cup of hot mint chocolate.  This was a fun recipe with its green color and I even choose to make one red in honor of the upcoming Valentines Day! Easy recipe with minimal ingredients and tasty!

Find the cocoa recipe here.

Next up was a healthy spin on cookie dough bites.  I would never try to make cookie dough healthy but, I would try to make my kids eat healthier.  Guess what 1 out of 2 kids fell for it. That's OK thats a start!  This cookie dough balls although made with chickpeas are actually quite good.  I guess there's enough sweet stuff in them to kind of coat the taste.  I thought they were a little dry but, that just means we need a class of milk with our cookies!

Find the cookie dough recipe here.

Lastly we not only needed some chocolate but we needed a dessert.  Enter the chocolate brownies!  Since I was on a healthy role I decided to stick with it.  This recipe makes a nice moist cake like chocolate brownie.  2 kid approved on this one!

Find the brownie recipe here.

  Now I'm not saying get our of hand and make everything on Monday but, I am saying if your going to make something, make it a little healthy and a lot of good!

Weekly menu 8/29-9/1

  This was last week's Fiesta Ranch Chicken Pasta meal.  It is well liked in my house but this time I changed a few things and it wasn't as appreciated.

  This week I'm so excited for my meals not because they are all new and offer a variety of different flavors but because I get Monday off and dinner out!

  I did receive some vegetable special pasta that I will be incorporating into my meals if not this week next week for sure! We shall see how the family reacts to that!

Tuesday
Meatless
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/creamy-caprese-quinoa-bake/

Wednesday
Sausage
https://www.macheesmo.com/easy-pesto-pasta-with-sausage/

Thursday
Chicken
http://chefsavvy.com/one-pan-italian-chicken-skillet/

Friday
Sloppy Joes
http://homecookingmemories.com/meatless-sloppy-joes/


  Well there you go! That's what's on my plate this week! Look forward to hearing what's being served in your home. Have a great week but don't go hungry!

Weekly Menu 8/21-8/24

  This shrimp plate was from a couple a weeks ago but, I may have to put it on the menu again soon.  Everyone liked it.

  This week I guess pasta is the word of the week.  Although one day I'm going to try to make the Zucchini pasta!  I did a run through of my pantry items think I have my ingredients organized for this week and next but, for some reason I'm second guessing myself so we shall see.  I'm not sure I'm feeling the days I have specified but that's ok. The menu is planned and I can switch the days around because the hard part is over.

Monday
Sausage and pasta
https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheesy-sausage-and-penne-casserole/cd8bd617-a2e6-489b-8794-b4a10292e8cc

Tuesday
Meatless
Zucchini pasta
http://www.inspiredtaste.net/29992/garlic-zucchini-pasta-recipe/

Wednesday
Chicken and pasta
http://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/2014/04/fiesta-ranch-chicken-pasta-bake.html?m=1

Thursday
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53698/shrimp-fried-rice-recipe/

  Happy eating everyone! My dinners are planned now off to plan something else!

  If you could have your favorite meal tonight what would it be? Or where would it be?

Weekly Menu 8/14-8/18

  Last week I made all my planned meals except for the vegetarian chili on Thursday.  I would normally carry over the meal into the next week but I'm missing a few important ingredients too so I'll put that back into the pile.

  This week I'm only making 3 meals because there are enough leftovers in the house to feed us for a couple days.

Monday 8/14
1 pot chili mac
http://damndelicious.net/2014/03/15/one-pot-chili-mac-cheese/

Tuesday 8/15
Meatless
http://www.marthastewart.com/313967/shrimp-with-couscous

Wednesday 8/16
Meatless
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9401/salmon-patties-i/

Thursday 8/17
Leftovers

Friday 8/18
Leftovers

  I'm looking forward to my short week.  Plus as long as we eat up the leftovers the weekly plan was a success.  If meals get thrown away because it's old or under appreciated it's definitely a sad waste.

  Any meal plans this week for you?  Any dinner out plans?

Arctic Frozen Desserts Review Part 2

  Yes, there is a part two because I didn't try all the frozen treats at one time.  I had to savor it and spread it out.  So over the weekend we cracked open the other package!

  The other package of cold healthy goodness.  Cake batter flavor dipped in red velvet.  I'm going to give you a minute to think about that!  Ok yep it's as good as it sounds!  Regardless of how many calories it's missing!  The label states the facts and I'm stating a fact. This was delicious. Speaking from a sugar lover.  I don't know what happened or how but, this was good. Lactose, GMO and gluten free! 80 calories leaves you room to sneak something else!

You know you might not even take my word for it so here's  my proof!

Convinced yet?  I didn't have to bribe them to take bites.  I just had to take quick pictures before it was devoured. It's a shame you can't taste mine.

  I was provided this product along with the tubs complimentary and for tasting and review purposes and all opinions shared here were my own.  You can pick up a variety of flavors at a grocery store near you. Catch the sale and pick up more then one flavor!  

Check out their site here for more options!

Arctic Frozen Dessert Review Part 1

   I received a box of frozen goodness outside my door.  I must admit the first delivery was not successful but then I received a replacement box! This frozen dessert was a nice sight in a week of temperatures in the high 90's.

  I the packaging was very sweet to include a handwritten note! A catalog of other flavors and the bow was a nice touch over the cooler.

  In the box were 3 pints of various frozen desserts, a cute heart shaped bowl and a box of cake batter pops!

Let's talk about the flavors!

  Rocky Road Trip first off was this gorgeous chocolate flavor with chunks of almonds and marshmallows.  Sadly this one was not my favorite.  I dug into it first anticipating chocolate and didn't taste it as much as I wanted.  Aside from that it was hearty and full of chunks. There were bits in every spoonful.

  Peanut Butter swirl was a combination of peanut butter and white chips swirled in vanilla.  I enjoyed this one and although I would have liked more swirl; the flavor was there.  You could  visible see tell peanut butter and chips so again you were getting spoonfuls but this one was more appetizing to me.

  I finish with Cherry Chocolate Chunk. Another chunk dessert.  Similar to the first flavor with big pieces mixed in.  I liked this flavor the best.  The cherry flavor combined with burst of chocolate was delicious.  Even if you managed to get a scoop without the chocolate it was still good.

  What I love about Arctic Zero frozen desserts is there is a whole variety of flavors as well as the healthier choice aspect.  These desserts are not only gmo free, gluten free, lactose free and but have between 75-80 calories.  So after a hard work out or a week of eating right this makes the best treat!

Part 2 my review of the Cake Batter pops to follow shortly.  

  I received this awesome box complimentary for my tasting and review pleasure.  All opinions are my own.

St.Patrick's Day Bark

  In keeping with the theme of the upcoming holiday.  I made a fee treats for the kids.  One treat was chocolate bark.  The kids have voiced their appreciation for it in the past and I wanted to make it festive.

  I purchased:
  White candy melts
   Green candy melts
   Wilton Gold Spray and Sprinkles
  Sixlets in white

I melted the whole bag of chocolate and about 6 green candy melts.  I sprayed it out on a cookie sheet and swirled the colors on the tray more.

  I sprinkled the gold sprinkles, added the Sixlet candies and sprayed the gold spray randomly on the chocolate.

  I like the color of the gold. I have never used spray before but you can see the shimmer and it's kind of pretty.

  I sat it in the fridge for about 15 minutes and broke up the pieces.

  The kids liked it and it made a nice treat for an afternoon snack.

  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Weekly Menu 11/14-11/18

  A new week and some new recipes before we get creative with our Thanksgiving leftovers!

  This week I'm using the slow cooker, having fish one night and even sneaking in a breakfast for dinner.

11/14
Dinner out!

11/15
Meatless
http://damndelicious.net/2016/05/23/garlic-butter-salmon-foil/

11/16
Breakfast

11/17
Pork and Crockpot
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/crock-pot-pulled-pork-tacos-51262190


  That's what we are having for our dinners over here.  What's for dinner at your house?  Are you trying any new recipes?  Pulling out the slow cooker or skipping meat for a day?

#NaBloPoMo

Meal Plan 10/10-10/14

             (Last weeks porkchops dinner)

  Last week went well!  A couple days had meals skipped by various people in my house so leftovers went further then just Friday!   This week just like any other week I try to challenge myself with new recipes or a new meal.  New meal being I have made this meal before but not this way.  You can make spaghetti a variety of ways and it's still spaghetti!

  I started this week off with a meal I love.  I don't know if it's all the sugar and soda combination and the ease of a crock pot meal but, I really like this meal! This is definitely saved as well as a few more recipes by them!


10/10 Crockpot with Chicken
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/08/slow-cooker-bajio-chicken.html

10/11 Soup (meatless)
http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/cheddar-potato-soup/

10/12 Pasta (meatless)
http://www.recipetineats.com/baked-spinach-ricotta-rotolo/

10/13 Vegetarian Meal
 http://www.marthastewart.com/900261/quick-veggie-fajitas

10/14 Leftovers


That's my plan for the week!  Do you think anyone will notice I have managed to skip meat most of the week?

Happy Eating!!

Meal Plan 9/26 - 9/30

  I have found that a meal plan works for so many reasons in my home.

1.  I know at 0800 what I'm eating and what time to start cooking because I will also know how long it will take me.

2.  Saves me an excuse of eating out as I already have a plan.

3.  Helps clear out my pantry.

4.  I can easily gauge groceries we need for the week or ahead of time based on meals.

5.  It does save money both with minimal or at least planned shopping.


  I surf the Internet and find new recipes as well as use some recipes from my favorite bloggers and tried and true recipes I have on hand.  The meals will vary weekly from slow cooker, vegetarian, seafood or good old breakfast for dinner.  I may have a random night out and a leftover night but for the most part everything will be done at home!


9/26 Tuna Casserole
http://wholesomemommy.com/real-food-remake-cheesy-mac-tuna-casserole/

9/27 Gnocchi Soup
http://therecipecritic.com/2016/09/creamy-chicken-gnocchi-soup-olive-garden-copycat/

9/28 Chili
http://mixandmatchmama.com/dinner-tonight-sweet-corn-chili/

9/29 Chicken
http://www.plainchicken.com/2013/05/chicken-lazone.html?m=1

9/30 Leftovers
It is every man and child for themselves!

  Ok there it is.  There are a couple things I still need to buy to make this work so we shall see how close I get this week.  After our grocery shopping I will plan for the month of  October.

Strawberry Banana Bread (Day 12)

  Who doesn't like the smell of banana bread baking?  Probably only those that don't like bananas.  I waited ever so patiently for this tasty strawberry treat to be done!  The smell made it so agonizing.  However after tasting it; it was well worth it!

  Another recipe where I had the privilege of separating ingredients in order to make sure all components are mixed together accurately and coating the berries in flour.

  I had to cream my butter and sugar

Add my flour.

Fold the strawberries in.

Take note for two different cooking temperatures and times.

All I can hear when I can actually smell the food cooking is an endless Jeopardy theme song.

  I love some banana bread but have never added strawberries now I may always add strawberries.  I am not surprised at how delicious adding these to it really is.  The berries just take it to another level of tasty treat!

  Check out the recipe here: http://therecipecritic.com/2015/07/strawberry-banana-bread/

Strawberry Skillet Corn Cake

  Let's keep this strawberry challenge going. I made a breakfast/brunch type item today.  It had a nice complexity to it with its instructions of using a few bowls to mix my ingredients.

  I also utilized that good old skillet.

  Despite the dishes I utilized for this recipe, It was very complicated to make.  You do have to flour up your strawberries but that's the height of anything too fancy for this dish.

  I thought it was a little too sweet.  I didn't have the called for sugar so I used less of the regular sugar but may have to reduce it again next time.  The cake itself held nicely.  You could see as well as taste the cornmeal in it.  It also contained that cornmeal texture.

I can say I  have never eaten as many strawberries as I have in the last 11 days nor made as many new recipes with them.  That in itself is exciting!

Cheers to another strawberry recipe tomorrow!

Check out the recipe here: http://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/2016/05/strawberry-skillet-corn-cake.html

Strawberry Treat

  Here we go with another healthy, quick, strawberry recipe!  Yogurt is what the recipe I used is calling it.  I guess it could be that based on the smooth creamy texture.  However maybe even sorbet would fit the description.

  This recipe only calls for 2 ingredients.  Strawberries and honey.  Blending strawberries gives you a spoonable treat just like bananas.  Adding the honey to the blended strawberries cuts the sweetness a bit.  Lol, I did try it without the honey and preferred it with the honey!

  I made a smaller portion because I was only making it for myself but I still got the concept of the recipe and like the taste very much so that I could see making this again.

Strawberries.

Blend.

After you have blended for a bit the results are delicious looking.

A bowl of simple strawberries.  That's all this basically is.  Add your own sugar substitute and make it healthier for you!

Check out the recipe here: http://www.thegarlicdiaries.com/2-ingredient-5-minute-strawberry-frozen-yogurt/