Weekly Meal Plan #3 {March 12, 2017}

Hope you are enjoying having some new ideas for family dinners. If you have any requests for certain types of meals please let me know. I am working on breakfast stuff right now.

Simple Crab cakes with Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots
adapted from Betty Crocker and cookingclassy.com
Ingredients:
2 cans lump crab meat (Chicken of the Sea brand is good from Food City; and Kroger store brand is good too)
1/3 cup mayo
1 egg
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp seafood seasoning such as old bay
1-2 slices soft bread torn into tiny pieces
3 scallions (green onions)
1 cup dry bread crumbs (for the coating)
cooking oil of choice (vegetable oil worls well in the recipe because it produces the best "crisp," but canola/EVOO is totally fine too.
Roasted carrots:
3 cups baby carrots (cut along the length in half if they are fat; slimmer is better here)
cooking oil of choice (I prefer canola/EVOO blend)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tsp dried or fresh chopped parsley

Heat oven to 425°F. Put the carrots in a heap in the middle of a sheet pan. Toss to coat with 1-2 tbsp oil and salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes. *(Start your crab cakes now.)
After 20 minutes, uncover and drizzle with the cider vinegar/honey mixture** and toss again. Roast for about 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with parsley after cooking.

*Tear up the bread and dice the scallions. Drain the cans of crabmeat. Mix all the ingredients except the dry bread crumbs in a small mixing bowl. Form 4-5 patties depending on your size preference. Coat both sides with the dry bread crumbs in a small bowl. Heat about 2 tbsp oil on medium-high heat in a skillet. Cook crab cakes for about 6 minutes each side or until it looks nice and golden. **Mix the vinegar and honey together in a small measuring cup.

Honey Mustard Chicken with Bacon and Avocado Salad
from Cafedelites.com

Dressing / Marinade:

• ⅓ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard (mustard with the seeds in it)
• 2 tablespoons smooth and mild Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (use your kitchen shears to mince it up)
• Salt to season
• 4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts

For Salad:

• ¼ cup diced bacon, trimmed of rind and fat (Fry, then cut it up with your kitchen shears)
• 4 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, washed
• 1 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes (use your kitchen shears to cut in half)
• 1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
• 1/2 can corn kernels, drained and patted dry (optional)
• ¼ of a red onion, sliced (optional)

1. Whisk marinade / dressing ingredients together to combine. Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish to marinade the chicken fillets for two hours if time allows. Refrigerate the reserved untouched marinade to use as a dressing.
2. Heat a nonstick pan (or grill pan or skillet) over medium heat with about a teaspoon of oil and sear / grill chicken fillets on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through. (Grill in batches to prevent excess water being released.) Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
3. *Wipe pan over with paper towel; drizzle with another teaspoon of oil and fry the bacon until crispy.
4. Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, tomatoes, avocado slices, corn, onion strips and chicken.
5. Whisk 2 tablespoons of water into the remaining untouched marinade / dressing and drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle the bacon over the top and season with a little extra salt and cracked pepper (optional).

*Bacon can be fried and chopped ahead of time.

Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins

adapted from pinchofyum.com

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 2-4 INDIVIDUAL chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (not the whole can!)
• 1 ounce light cream cheese
• ¼ cup light sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack... anything will work)
• 1/2 lb cooked, shredded chicken (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Eggplant and Zucchini Bake: A One-Dish Meal!

from rachaelraymag.com

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 8 slices day-old Italian bread (could also used cooked spaghetti, or  do neither and make it low-carb)
• 1 large eggplant
• 4 beefsteak tomatoes or 8 plum tomatoes
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/2 cup basil, torn
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pkg mild Italian sausages* (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.  

Fully grease a baking dish, using the first 2 tablespoons of oil. Line the baking dish with the eight slices of bread. Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of the oil over the bread.

Slice the eggplant into 1/4-1/2-inch thick slices. 

Slice the tomatoes and zucchini the same thickness. 

Line the eggplant over the bread. Next, layer the tomatoes and zucchini. 

*Slice the Italian sausages into rounds and layer them in here if desired.*

Sprinkle the torn basil over the veggies and drizzle the rest of the oil over everything. Sprinkle the cheese over the veggies, followed by the salt and pepper. 

Bake, uncovered, for an hour and serve hot by slicing into squares.

Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joe's with roasted Brussels sprouts and Kettle Chips

This is a large recipe (8 servings) You can certainly half it or slightly reduce, but the leftovers could be frozen for a quick meal later on. ;)

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-1/2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
• Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls
• Butter
• 1 bag pre-rinsed Brussels sprouts (or green beans- your choice)
• cooking oil of choice
• salt and pepper

Heat oven to 425°. Trim ends off of Brussels and then cut in half (or quarters if larger). Toss Brussels with 1-2 tbsp oil and salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes. (Start on Sloppy Joes here.) 
Stir and roast for 10-15 more minutes.

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft. 

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. 

Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls, topping with a slice of cheese if it makes your skirt fly up. Serve hot with kettle cooked chips!

Shopping List:

Breads/Dry Goods:
4-8 Kaiser rolls from bakery/deli
Italian loaf from bakery/deli
2 pieces bread
bag of kettle-cooked salt and pepper potato chips

Cans/Sauces/Condiments:
1 small can tomato paste (only need 2 tbsp)
Worchestershire sauce
ketchup
1 small can Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (in Mexican food aisle)
1 can corn (divided for two recipes)
1 can black beans
smooth, mild dijon mustard
whole grain mustard
honey
mayonnaise
2 cans lump crabmeat

Baking Supplies/Herbs/Spices:
cooking oil of choice
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
dry mustard
chili powder
dark brown sugar (light is fine)
apple cider vinegar
dried parsley
seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
ground mustard
dry bread crumbs

Meat:
1 1/2-2 1/2 lbs ground beef (depending on how many sloppy Joes you want to make) This would be a great freezer meal!
1 pkg mild Italian sausages
1/2 lb chicken (if desired for stuffed sweet potatoes) (Cook it all at once, and save the other half pound for lunches for the week!)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
bacon

Produce:
1 bag pre-rinsed Brussels sprouts (or green beans)
garlic
1 green bell pepper
1 onion (1/2 for one recipe and 1/2 for another)
 fresh basil
2 zucchini
8 plum tomatoes or 4 large round tomatoes
1 large eggplant
fresh cilantro
3 medium sweet potatoes
4 cups Romaine lettuce (bagged is fine)
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 large avocado
red onion small (optional)
3 cups baby carrots
scallions

Dairy:
butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
shredded cheese of choice (for stuffed sweet potatoes)
sour cream 1/4 cup
cream cheese 1 oz
1 egg

Weekly Meal Plan #2 {March 5, 2017}

Chicken-Mushroom Grilled Reubens with roasted Brussels sprouts
Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), divided and softened
• 1/2 pound baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 can sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved (6 ounces each half)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Homemade Thousand Island* (Optional)

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons dill relish
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• * Buy your favorite jar of Thousand Island salad dressing if you don't want to make the homemade version*

• 8 slices marble rye, rye or pumpernickel bread
• 8 slices deli Swiss cheese
• Make dressing first if doing homemade. Heat a grill pan or skillet to medium heat. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper, or marinate in Italian dressing. Slice thinly after grilling and cooling. This is a step that would be great to do ahead of time if you have some meal-prep time on your hands. Butter one side of 8 slices of bread. Drain and rinse sauerkraut. Build 4 sandwiches: spread dressing on one slice, top it with a slice of cheese, then mushrooms, sauerkraut, then chicken. Spread dressing on the other slice of bread and put a slice of cheese on that one, then top off the sandwich. Place it on the grill pan, and then build your next sandwich. You can adjust the temperature of your pan as you go. Don't get it too hot or the sandwich won't get ooey-gooey-melty like it's supposed to be!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 1 bag pre-washed Brussels sprouts (Eat Smart brand if you're shopping Food City)
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 tbsp cooking oil of choice

Heat oven to 425F. On a small baking sheet, trim the ends off of the Brussels and then halve each one or quarter if they are large. Toss with salt, pepper, and 1-2 tbsp cooking oil of choice. Roast uncovered for about 20 minutes, flip and turn Brussels, and roast for another 10 minutes. Sooo delicious!

Baja Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw (optional) 
Ingredients:
Slaw:

• 2 containers Greek yogurt 5.3 oz 
• Juice of 1 lime
• Medium to large handful of cilantro chopped (this depends on how intense you want your cilantro to be)
• Salt and pepper to taste (usually I need to add a little bit of extra salt to the slaw)
• 8 oz tri-color coleslaw mix about half of a large bag
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

1. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, lime juice, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper until creamy. Remove about 1/3 of the mixture and set it aside in a smaller bowl (this is for the sauce). Add the coleslaw mix to the remaining 2/3 of yogurt sauce and mix it very well. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Mix the yogurt from the smaller bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of milk, until the sauce is pourable but not runny. Cover and refrigerate as well. Check for seasoning again just before serving.

Fish:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3-4 tilapia filets (or other fish filet of your choice)
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic
• Toppings and taco shells of choice. We love soft corn tortillas, shredded cheese, fresh tomato, and avocado

• Mix the spices together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the fish filets. (I like to season my fish a LOT, but just sprinkle on however much looks good to you.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

• In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the fish filets to the pan. Grill the fish on each side for several minutes, checking the middle for doneness (fish should be completely white and flake apart easily). 

Warm shells if directed on package to do so, then fill with fish and slaw and other toppings as desired. Serve with simple black beans drained, rinsed, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin.

One-Pot Greek Chicken with snap Peas
Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced (roughly 1 c)
• 1 cup long grain white rice (or brown)
• 2¼ c chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced
• parsley (for garnish)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop all ingredients.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium high. Add the onion and garlic and saute 2-3 minutes until onions start to become translucent.
3. Into the same pot, add rice, broth, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Stir and bring to a boil.
4. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and add chicken to pot. Cover and place in oven.
5. Bake for 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and rice is fluffy.
6. Plate and garnish with finely chopped parsley and any remaining lemon zest.

Look for the feta, sundried tomatoes, and olives on the salad bar instead of individual jars or containers. It will save you a little money and keep you from wasting unneeded amounts.

Quick steam the snap peas in a steam basket, or blanche in the microwave. Lightly salt.

Crock-pot Vegetable Beef Soup

• 1 lb bag frozen mixed veggies
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 cups beef broth
• salt and pepper

recipe for homemade onion soup mix:

• ⅔ cup dried, minced onion
• 3 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• You will not use all of this mix in the recipe, so you'll have extra for the next time you need it.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain any excess fat. Put all remaining ingredients using only 3-4 tbsp of homemade onion soup mix OR 1 package onion soup mix into the Crock Pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches for comfort food at its best!

One-Pan Balsamic Roasted Sausage and Veggies
Ingredients:

• 1 package pre-cooked smoked sausage (or kielbasa, or whatever you choose; we like the Jennie-O turkey variety)
• 1 pound potatoes (I like small reds for this recipe.)
• 1/2 pound carrots
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• 1 fennel bulb (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp oil
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs (can also use Oregano, parsley, rosemary individually if you don't have an Italian mix)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• Bread of choice to serve alongside this amazing dish.

Pre-heat oven to 450F. Slice up the sausage into about 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch rounds; rinse and dice the potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, and onion to fairly equal sized pieces.

In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, combine the garlic, oil, herbs, and broth (not the Balsamic yet). Pour the mixture over the sausage and veggies in a casserole dish. Toss to coat everything well. Cover with foil. Bake for about 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle Balsamic vinegar over sausage and veggies and toss again to coat. Roast uncovered for about 15 more minutes. Serve with hot Italain bread to soak up the juices. Sooo yummy!!!

Shopping List:

Dry Goods/Spices/Baking:
cooking oil of choice (EVOO or canola are my preference)
salt & pepper
Baguette of choice to go with roasted sausage and veggies
marble rye or pumpernickel bread
Dried Italian herbs
dried minced onion (for homemade onion soup mix)
dried onion powder (for homemade onion soup mix)
dried parsley (for homemade onion soup mix)
turmeric (for homemade onion soup mix)
celery salt (for homemade onion soup mix)
sugar (you probably already have this) (for homemade onion soup mix)
long grain white or brown rice (1 cup)
chili powder
dried cumin
cayenne pepper
taco shells of choice (We prefer soft corn for fish tacos)
1 envelope dried onion soup mix (if not making homemade)

Cans/Sauces:
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 cups beef broth
1 can tomato soup
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can sauerkraut
bottle of thousand island *(if not making homemade)*
dill relish (if making homemade tousand island)
ketchup (if making homemade thousand island)
1 can black beans if desired as a side with tacos

Produce:
garlic
fennel (optional)
onion (2)
bell pepper
1/2 lb carrots
1 lb small red potatoes
2 lemons
bag of snap peas
avocado (if desired for tacos)
tomato (if desired for tacos)
1 lime
cilantro
small bag coleslaw mix
1 bag pre-washed Brussels sprouts
fresh parsley (if making homemade thousand island)
fresh dill (if making homemade thousand island)
1/2 lb sliced baby bella mushrooms (optional)

Meats:
1 pkg smoked sausage
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders
3-4 tilapia or cod filets
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1lb tenders

Dairy:
2-3 tbsp milk
2 small containers plain Greek yogurt
8 slices deli swiss cheese
1/2 cup sour cream (if making homemade thousand island)
4 tbsp butter
shredded cheese of choice for tacos

Salad Bar:
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives

Frozen:
1 lb bag frozen mixed veggies

Weekly Meal Plan #1 {Week of February 27, 2017}

1. Jambalaya Pasta with green beans

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (I have omitted the sausage and done 1 lb chicken only, and it's still delicious.)
• 2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion) (I almost always only do half the amount of onion suggested.)
• 2 cups diced bell peppers (about 3 bell peppers, I like to use 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green)
• cajun or creole seasoning
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz (about 2 cups) penne pasta
• 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (or any variety of shredded cheese works)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
• fresh green beans (I like the ones already trimmed and washed) or canned organic no-salt added French style green beans are great for when you need a veggie in a hurry. Just microwave and season with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder (and butter if desired).
• Cooking oil of choice (I use grape seed oil or a canola/EVOO blend for roasting veggies.)

Directions:

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add sausage, chicken, onions, and bell peppers. Season with cajun seasoning (about 1-2 teaspoons). Cook until lightly browned. Add garlic stir to combine until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the broth, cream, pasta, and more cajun seasoning to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, golden brown, and bubbly.

Roasted Green Beans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the green beans with about 1 TBsp oil and salt and pepper spreading evenly on a sheet pan.

Cover with foil. Roast covered for 10 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes until they start to brown a little. Yummy!

2. Simple Spinach Quiche

Recipe for two- pie crust (below), or pre-made crust in refrigerated section

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter cut into squares
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions:

Homemade Crust:

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer or spoon)

Put the butter into the bowl and begin mixing on low-med speed

It will start to combine and look crumbly or cornmeal-ish

Add the water, a little bit at a time.

Increase the speed slightly and scrape the sides of the bowl as it combines.
A dough ball will begin to form and stick to the mixer attachment.

Turn off the mixer.

Lightly flour your two pie plates

Push the dough out of the mixer attachment. Form a ball again.

Divide the dough by eyeballing into your two floured pie plates, sprinkling a little flour on top of each one.

Press dough into pan evenly or roll it out with rolling pin and press into plates.

Refrigerate until you're ready to use it. (Cover it if it will be more than a couple of hours.)

No need to pre-bake this crust. Just pull it out of the fridge, fill it as you desire, and bake! 

Filling:

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella (or cheese of choice)
• Salt and pepper

Whisk the eggs and milk with salt and pepper. Stir in the spinach. Pour egg-spinach mixture into the pie plates. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes. Let the top get nice and golden-brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Quiche is one of those meals that can really be personalized. Feel free to add cooked crumbled bacon, shredded ham, sundried tomato and pesto, broccoli and cheddar- really whatever sounds good to you!

3. Turkey Meatball Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

• 10 oz lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs (or regular)
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp salt

For the soup:

• 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 (14.5 oz) cans reduced sodium chicken broth
• 9 oz refrigerated spinach cheese tortellini (Buitoni) 
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for topping

Directions:

Combine the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic, salt and parmesan cheese. Using your (clean) hands, gently mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about 1 tbsp each, you’ll get about 20 to 22.

In a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add the celery, onion, carrot & garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.

Add the chicken broth and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. When broth boils, season with black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium and gently drop in the meatballs. Cook about 4 minutes.

Add the tortellini and simmer until cooked according to package directions, about 7 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the rind, and add the baby spinach. Stir to combine and serve topped with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

4. Homemade Pizza 🍕 OR Semi-Homemade

Ingredients:

*Crust:

• 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 envelope Fleischmann's pizza crust yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup very warm water
• 3 Tbsp oil

(double all of this for two pizzas.)

*You may also use refrigerated or pre-made pizza crusts. We like the Pillsbury ones. You will need two if you want two pizzas.

Topping:

• pizza sauce of choice (1 small jar should be enough for two pizzas)
• cheese of choice (We like the pizza blend with mozzarella, etc.)
• toppings of choice (My favorite is sundried tomato, artichoke, and fresh garlic, but that's not my kids' favorite- go figure!)

Directions:

Slightly oil pizza pan, stoneware, or rectangular cookie pan (whatever you're baking on)

Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal if desired.

*Follow cooking directions on package if using refrigerated crust.

Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl (used my stand mixer). Add water and oil. (I microwaved my water for 1 1/2 minutes.)  Mix until well blended. Gradually add remaining flour just until soft dough ball is formed. It should slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface for about 4 minutes. (I used my dough hook for 4 minutes.)

Halve the dough by eyeballing, then with floured hands pat it out onto the prepared stoneware; cover with slightly damp, clean dish towel. 

Place stoneware on stovetop and begin heating your oven to 425°; OR, if you made your crust ahead of time, let it "rise" on the stovetop until time to go in the oven. (The yeast packet recipe does not instruct for any rising, but my results were so good, I think I'll let it sit next time too. I think it was about 1 1/2 - 2 hours before it finally went into the oven.)

No pre-baking required. 

Brush oil lightly onto crust. 

Top as desired. 

Bake 15-20 minutes until crust and cheese are nice and golden. 

If baking two pizzas that won't fit side-by-side, make sure you rotate them halfway through baking. 

Serve a simple salad as a healthy side. ;)

5. CrockPot Cheesy Chicken & Rice with broccoli

Ingredients:

• small pack of fresh chicken breast tenders (approximately 1 lb.)
• 1 bag of fresh, pre-washed broccoli florets (you will only use about 2/3 of the bag)
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• 1 cup brown rice (dry)
• 2 cups warm water
• cheese sauce (see below)

Two options for the cheese sauce:

• 2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup plus 1 can cream of chicken soup OR

Homemade cheese sauce (optional)

• 6 TBsp butter
• 6TBsp flour
• 2 cups milk (whole is best for this, but any milk will do)
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (We like sharp, but mild is totally fine too.)

Directions for homemade cheese sauce:

Melt butter over medium-low in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk/stir together until smooth. Slowly add milk and continue whisking while bringing mixture to a gentle boil. Once it thickens slightly, add cheese and stir until melted. It may be thick, but you can loosen it up with some water at the end of cooking the crockpot meal.

This recipe is perfect for using as a topping for steamed broccoli, over baked potatoes, etc.

Directions:

Make your homemade cheese sauce if that was your choice.

Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and season well with salt and pepper and lightly with the garlic powder.

Pour rice over the chicken.

Dump fresh broccoli over the rice.

Pour cheese sauce over the broccoli.

Pour 2 cups warm water over the sauce.

Cook on low 6-8 hours.

This recipe does not do well on high because of the high dairy content. The cheese sauce would burn easily. BUT, if you are in a hurry, you can cook this on low for a few hours, then bump it up to high for an hour or so at the end. You can also wait to add the rice and water at that last hour on high (this will keep the rice from getting as mushy). This is my preferred method.

Shopping List:

Dry Goods:

• Brown rice
• 1 box whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta
• all-purpose flour (needed in several recipes)
• sugar
• cornmeal (optional) (if making homemade pizza crust)
• bread crumbs
• cajun or creole seasoning

Sauces/Cans:

• small jar pizza sauce
• any pizza toppings that might be jarred such as olives, sundried tomatoes
• (2) box quarts chicken broth (you need 64 oz total for two recipes) *I originally published the wrong amount of chicken broth, so the printable photo at the top of this post will need to be corrected by you if you choose to use it.
• *IF YOU USING CANS FOR CHEESE SAUCE:*
• 2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup

Produce:

• Bagged pre-washed broccoli florets (Eat Smart brand if you shop at Food City)
• bagged or in a clamshell pre-washed trimmed green beans
• celery (1 small bag- you only need two stalks, but it stays good for a couple of weeks; so you can use it next week or as snack with some peanut butter)
• onion (2)
• carrots (1 small bag)
• garlic
• large container or bag of baby spinach (1/2 for soup and 1/2 for quiche)
• fresh parsley
• scallions (green onions) (1 bunch)
• 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green- or whatever you want)

Meat:

• chicken breast tenders (small pack approx. 1 lb.) plus another 1/2 lb for Jambalaya pasta
• lean ground turkey (10 oz)
• 1/2 lb pre-cooked smoked sausage (We like the Jennie-O turkey varieties for less calories.)

Dairy:

• refrigerated pizza dough (2) *if you aren't making homemade*
• refrigerated pie crusts *if not making homemade for quiche (1 box has 2 in it.)*
• pizza cheese medium bag for two pizzas
• shredded mozzarella cheese (2-3 cups)
• shredded monterrey jack cheese (small bag)
• 9 oz refrigerated spinach cheese (or any variety) tortellini
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• 9 eggs
• milk
• heavy cream
• butter (4-stick box) (needed in two recipes: homemade cheese sauce and homemade quiche pie crust)
• *IF YOU ARE MAKING HOMEMADE CHEESE SAUCE:* shredded cheddar cheese of choice (a block for shredding is even better) (need 3 cups)

Real Food for Real Families: {Meal planning for real life}

There are a lot of things that I do not do well in the world of homemaking. For instance, I hardly ever clean up after a meal. I just can't seem to find the motivation after I've spent all that time planning, cooking, and forcing all my people to eat! Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it! One thing that I do enjoy doing and succeed at most weeks is meal planning and grocery shopping. Several of my friends know this about me and have asked me for advice and practical help. I polled my Faceboook friends, and apparently a TON of women struggle with this chore. So, I'm here to help! This will probably be a work in-progress; something that I change the format of as I see improvements to be made. For now, I will just start with the basics. Here is an old post that I wrote a few years ago with some very general tips on meal planning.

Let's get started...

MEALS! 
So many to choose from; so many indecisive people! Here's my best advice: JUST PICK WHAT SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU! OK, OK, I know... "Susie doesn't like beans." "Johnny doesn't like any vegetables!" "My husband hates onions!" It can be impossible to please everyone. All kidding aside, here's what you need to do: get out a notepad and write down everything that you can think of that everyone DOES like. We have an Excel spreadsheet for just about everything in our house, so we created one for our favorite meals. That way when I get the "I don't care" answer, I can open up my spreadsheet on my phone and pick some meals! Easy! If your husband has a desk job, e-mail him and ask him to type up a quick list of his favorite things that you make. He will appreciate that you asked,  that gives him time to think about it instead of putting him on the spot, and hopefully he will answer (in a day or two if he's like Ben- love you, honey! ;) )! You can do the same thing for your kids- when you have a well-received meal, add it to your list. And don't quit trying a certain food because they refused it once. Try it again but maybe in a different way. My kids hate white potatoes alone, but they will eat them in potato soup or sauteed with other veggies! Who knew?!

Pinterest is your friend! (That's a link to all of my boards which are- you guessed it- mostly food!) Did you know there is a button for recipes you have actually made?! You can leave a note for what you like/don't like about it. Keep your pins organized so that it's easy to find a recipe when you need it. My categories seems extensive, but I know where to go when I need something. Do what makes sense to you; it might be different from what works for me. Don't pin recipes from blogs that look like they don't get much traffic.

Here's list of links to some of my favorite food blogs' Pinterest accounts:
Kevin and Amanda
A Healthy Slice of Life
Avery Cooks
SkinnyTaste
Damn Delicious
Peas and Crayons
Two Peas and Their Pod
Gimme Some Oven
Pinch of Yum
The Nourishing Home (Paleo)
The Pioneer Woman (of course!)
The Gracious Pantry

Use your cookbooks! I love my cookbooks! Some of our most favorite meals are the ones that I made during our first year of marriage when I actually had no idea what I was doing-- but I had a Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook. Ben thought I was a great cook, but I was just blindly following recipes! Make notes in your cookbooks for substitutions or changes that you make. Highlight recipe titles that you actually have made or use sticky notes. This serves as your "favorites list." Again, this just makes it easier when it's time to choose meals for the week (or month or whatever your plan is). Use magazines in the same way. Cut them out and put them in an alphabetical organizer, or search for it on Pinterest. Most all recipes are available online without a subscription these days.

Here's a list of my favorite cookbooks and food magazines for recipes:
Betty Crocker Bridal Edition (This book truly taught me how to cook!)
Secrets of Slow Cooking
Any Rachael Ray (365 is great, and so is her mag.)
America's Test Kitchen is good for more extensive recipes; definitely not for when you are in a hurry.
Kraft Food and Family Magazine (it's not free, but you can search recipes here)
Family Circle
Real Simple
Cook's Country Magazine and Cookbook

Pick Your Meals
You might be wondering now, "How do I choose from all of this?!" Here is my best advice: do what makes sense to you. If you don't have much time, grab your phone and pick four meals from your "tried it" Pinterest list. Have a few minutes? Pull out a few cookbooks and get creative! Look at the week ahead and see what days you will even have time to cook. Wednesdays are the day that I have to make dinner in the afternoon before school pick-up, or we have to eat leftovers or sandwiches. I know that ahead of time, so I plan for it. You have to think ahead. Some poeple like using a "system" like this: Monday- chicken, Tuesday- beef or pork, Wednesday- Crockpot, Thursday- Mexican, Friday- pizza. I don't necessarily assign meals to certain days. Because as we all know, life happens. Sometimes on Monday when I had planned on grilling some chicken, it rains, or Greta is just too fussy for me to chop all of the veggies. And sometimes, whatever I've picked for a day just doesn't sound good, so I flip flop days. You have to be flexible! Whatever you decide, write it down. Use a large legal pad, a planner, your Notes app on your phone- whatever works for you! And keep it- that way when you are in a rut, you can go back a repeat a week. Once you've decided on all your meals, post the menu somewhere visible. I have a chalkboard vinyl menu board on my fridge that works well for me.

You've picked your meals... now what?
What day can you go shopping? Monday is the day that works best for me.
Make your shopping list:
Start out with writing down the categories, e.g.,

• bakery/breads
• canned/ jars: (sauces, salsas, soups, broths )
• dry goods: (pasta, rice, dried beans)
• baking: flour, sugar, etc.
• produce
• meat
• frozen
• dairy

Go through each recipe and write down the items you need in the respective categories. (You should already have a good pantry stocked with basics such as salt and pepper, cooking oil of choice, dried spices and herbs, butter, baking needs, etc.) Keep a magnetic notepad on your refrigerator so that you can write things down as soon as you run out or see that it's low. Now go to the store, or order your items online (this is my favorite way to shop). I can walk you through the online ordering process.

Now you're home with all these delicious fresh foods. Here's where the rubber really meets the road. Are you ready and willing to carve out the time to actually follow through and cook this stuff?! I hope so! What better way is there to show your family that you love and care for them than to put thought and time into preparing them homemade meals? My kids have a terrible way of showing their appreciation. Most of the time the feedback that I get is complaining. But I know that in the long run, they will be healthier and will hopefully have a more varied palette as young adults.

Some other tips...

Prep- this is something that my life isn't condusive to. The best "prep" that I can do is some washing/chopping the day of a meal maybe during afternoon naptime. But for some people, prepping is an option, and a great one! If you can take a Sunday evening to wash/peel/chop for your entire week and maybe even pre-cook/shred meats and make sauces--- you rock! I'm sure that would make dinner time much less stressful.

Don't be afraid to eat leftovers. If a recipe says that it serves 6-8, I know that I will probably have enough leftover for our quick night (Wednesdays) or for a couple of lunches. If you see that a recipe is big- take advantage of it. Crockpot recipes are notoriously huge; eat half, then freeze half. 

On the flip side, many recipes are easily doubled. Double all your ingredients in your shopping list for the recipe you choose, cook one all the way through for that dinner, and prep the other all the way up to before cooking and freeze it. (I can write some posts on this later.)

Hopefully, some of this info has been helpful and encouraging to your weary-cooking heart! I will try my best to post a full meal plan (usually 4-5 meals per week) with a full grocery list to help you out. Please ask questions any time. Happy planning!

XOX,

April 

Easy Semi-Handmade Nap Mat

Are you going to need a nap mat for the upcoming school year? I thought I would share what I ended up doing last year when my daughter needed one. Instead of buying an expensive one or ordering a fancy custom-made one, I thought I would try to throw one together cheaply and easily. I am by no means a seamstress, but I can sew a straight line with my machine. And that's all you need to be able to do for this project. And honestly, you could probably do it without a sewing machine! 

I realized that I had a roll of 19" x 36" foam that I had bought from Joann's for another project that never happened. I thought about sewing a cover for it but while I was at Kmart one day I saw that the zip on body pillow covers were the same width and had extra length that would allow me to stuff a travel-size pillow in the top. My girly girl really wanted a frozen themed mat, so I used some fleece that I already had to make a pillow cover and attached it with my machine to the top of the body pillow cover. That left some extra fabric that had to be cut off, but like I said, you don't have to make the pillow cover, you could just stuff the pillow inside the body pillow cover. And, voila! It rolls up easily, and another bonus is that the body pillow cover has a zipper on it so you can easily take it off and throw it in the washing machine.

Needed supplies: 

approximately 19 x 36" foam about 2 inches thick.

Body pillow cover (found mine at Kmart)

Travel sized pillow (found mine at Kmart)

Themed fabric if you want to make a cute pillow cover (not necessary)

Pursuit of "Perfect"

I read a book with this title about two years ago. It meant a lot to me then, but it's starting to mean even more to me now. 

I don't know about you, but I feel that the pressure for perfection is greater now than ever. Maybe it's just the phase of life that I'm in- or maybe it's the over-exposure to other people's lives via social media. 

It's such a conundrum. I love social media; I hate social media. I get to see my friends and their families most fun and cute moments on Facebook and Instagram; I get great decorating ideas from crafty friends and bloggers; I see beautiful scripture art that reminds me of my Great God & Father; I save tons of yummy and healthy recipes on Pinterest. On the flip-side I see families who seem perfectly happy and look as if Mommy never yells, and the kids are always perfectly dressed with clean faces and hair and trimmed fingernails; I see homes that are staged for "Fixer Upper" with no piles of misplaced items on the stairs and no dirty dishes or toilets- ever! I see cutesy scripture journals and snapshots of other more Godly women's journaling Bibles with their "doodles" that prove they've just had a perfectly silent and meaningful quiet time with the Lord and that it happens for them every. day. With coffee. 

Do you feel this way ever???

Like I said, I really enjoy all of these things... So why, sometimes, does my mind turn to comparisons and discontentment with my own circumstances when I see it? Obviously, the main reason is because I desire for my family to be happy, healthy, and fulfilled- and if I'm being honest, I desire this for myself as well. But where I am deceiving myself in all this is in the concern for what others perceive about me and my family. And I am also hugely mistaken in believing the lie that I will be content and fulfilled if all of these things are "perfect" in my life. I AM A CHILD OF GOD! I ONLY NEED A PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF HIM TO FEEL "PERFECT!" This has been a struggle for me my entire life! That's probably why my favorite Bible verse is 2 Timothy 2:22 which says, "So flee youthful passions and PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, AND PEACE along with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart."

Oh that I may look at social media posts with a pure heart! And may my pursuit in life be ONLY that of righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Then will my life be picture perfect when I reach the end.