the apprehensive aliment artisan

menu planning monday 05.24.10

2010-05-24T09:29:00.000-05:00

Monday: Cheeseburgers, chips and tossed salad

Tuesday: Beef & Cheese Quesadillas and pinto beans

Apprehension-Free Wednesday:Chicken Stir-fry, Egg rolls, Fried Rice, and Dessert. So sad that this is the last Wednesday night church supper until August:(

Thursday: Mimi’s sticky chicken thighs with sautéed zucchini, crispy fresh baby carrots and celery with peanut butter

Friday: Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, and chef salad

Saturday: No cooking for me :) Church supper club at a friend’s home!

For more menu planning ideas, check out OrgJunkie:)

menu planning monday 05.17.10

2010-05-17T09:17:00.005-05:00

Monday: Quiche, tossed salad, and fresh strawberries with ricotta

Tuesday: Spaghetti, tossed salad, and 5-cheese garlic bread

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be Beef Stroganoff, Noodles, Green Beans, Salad and Dessert.

Thursday: Shrimp sate with pineapple salsa and steamed broccoli

Friday: Seared lamb with balsamic sauce, whole-grain pilaf, and Caesar salad (could not find the lamb chops I wanted, so I picked up veal chops and use THIS recipe instead)

Saturday: Make desserts for Sunday’s Mission Auction: 1-2-3 Cookie Bars, Mom’s Strawberry Jello Salad

Check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie :)

menu planning monday 05.10.10

2010-05-10T09:40:00.001-05:00

Monday: Rosemary Pork chops with green beans and whole-grain pilaf.

Tuesday: Naan pizzas with Caesar salad

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be Chicken Pot Pie, Vegetable Medley, Salad and Dessert.

Thursday: Hamburgers, cole slaw and chips

Friday: Grilled steaks with steamed asparagus and baked potatoes

Check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie :)

menu planning monday 03.08.10

2010-03-08T08:00:00.005-06:00

Monday: Grilled Shrimp Skewers with saffron rice and Caesar salad

Tuesday: Mimi's Sticky Chicken Thighs with sauteed zucchini and wild mushroom agnolotti with tomato cream sauce. Dessert: Spice cakelettes

Wednesday: Dinner at church will be black bean enchilada casserole, mexican salad, refried beans and dessert

Thursday: Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken and snow pea saute.

Friday: Salmon Cakes with steamed asparagus and baked sweet potato

menu planning monday 01.18.10

2010-01-18T15:59:00.001-06:00

Monday: Chicken/Vegetable Stir-fry with jasmine rice

Tuesday: Grilled Pork Chops, roasted red potatoes, and sauteed zucchini

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be chicken tetrazzini, green beans, salad and dessert (pizza for the kids).

Thursday: Hamburgers with cole slaw and onion rings.

Friday: Panko-crusted fried white fish, saffron rice, and steamed asparagus

menu planning monday 01.04.10

2010-01-04T09:40:00.002-06:00

Monday: Baked Potato Bar

Tuesday: Ham and Swiss Quiche

Wednesday: Pesto Tortellini and grilled bone-in pork chops

Thursday: Breakfast for dinner (grits, eggs, bacon, pancakes)

Friday: Sam's Beef Stew

menu planning monday, 12.07.09

2009-12-04T11:00:00.008-06:00

Decided to start a little earlier this time:) Trying some new things and repeating some things already found to be tried and true. In the end, just planning makes life so much easier.

Friday, 12.04: Breakfast for dinner (grits, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes)

Saturday, 12.05: Baked Potato Soup with Roast Beef & Red Pepper Flatbreads; Holiday Baking: Reindeer Corn Cookie Bark

Sunday, 12.06: Emeril's Sausage, Peppers, and Onions with toasted french demi baguettes; Holiday Baking: Cranberry Bliss Bars

Monday, 12.07: Sam's Beef Stew with cornbread muffins

Tuesday, 12.08: Pacific Rim Stir-Fry

Wednesday, 12.09: Dinner served at church will be baked chicken, sweet potato patties, green beans, salad and dessert (pizza for the kids).

Thursday, 12.10: Grilled cheese sandwiches with chicken noodle soup

Friday, 12.11: Panko-crusted cod filet sliders with fried zucchini

For more menu planning ideas, check out the links at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 10.19.09

2009-10-18T19:36:00.005-05:00

Monday: Smoked Turkey Breast with wild rice and steamed broccoli

Tuesday: Chicken-Vegetable stir fry

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Breakfast casserole, cheese grits, and fruit salad will be served at church prior to the Worship Service.

Thursday: WYFL Homecoming Pep Rally and hot dog dinner

Friday: Fish Tacos with pinto beans

Who knows what the weekend holds!

For more menu planning ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 09.28.09

2009-09-28T10:25:00.008-05:00

Monday: Grilled Portobellos with Pasta and salad

Tuesday: Chili-Lime Shrimp with coconut rice

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be BBQ Pork, cole slaw, baked beans, bread, and dessert.

Thursday: Grilled hamburgers, pinto beans, and baked tortilla chips

Friday: Chef D's Birthday -- going out for sushi then back home for some Gigi's German Chocolate Pie!

roast beef panini with pumpkin bisque -- happy fall!

2009-09-22T18:22:00.004-05:00

I thought I would do a review of today's meal, since I enjoyed it so much. The pumpkin bisque was very easy, especially since I used the stick blender directly in the sauce pot instead of transferring to the blender. I did use more salt than the recipe called for and toasted my raw pumpkin seeds on the stove top instead of roasting them. It was perfect for the first day of the fall season.

The panini was another winner. I used the Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted whole wheat bread and added a wedge of Laughing Cow light swiss cheese (spread on the the insides of the bread as if it were mayonnaise). Since I do not own a panini press, I improvised and used my George Foreman grill. I have not used it in a long time and now I have found a reason to use it!

I found both of these recipes while researching the flat belly diet. I still do not have a flat belly (after 4 weeks of adjusting my eating plan), but I have lost 6 lbs. and do not feel hungry in between meals.

menu planning monday 09.21.09

2009-09-20T21:00:00.006-05:00

Monday: Pasta with Walnut Basil Pesto (358 calories) with oven-baked turkey meatballs (350 calories) and fresh butter lettuce salad with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds

Tuesday: Hearty Roast Beef Panini (270 calories) with Pumpkin Bisque (210 calories)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Chicken enchiladas, refried beans, rice, salad and dessert will be served at church prior to the worship service.

Thursday: Slow-cooker African Chicken Stew (439 calories) with Red Pepper-Scallion Corn Muffins (345 calories) (edited: decided to go with lemon, rosemary, and balsamic grilled chicken thighs instead with mashed and sweet potatoes and a salad on the side)

Friday: Scrapbooking retreat for the girls and Boys Night Out for the guys!

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

menu planning monday 09.07.09

2009-09-06T19:49:00.005-05:00

For those who read my last week's menu plan, I wanted to share that I lost 4 lbs. during my week of anti-bloat jumpstart menus. They were not totally appetizing (mostly due to the salt restriction), but I do feel much better. I will now be starting to include more menus higher in monounsaturated fatty acids (nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, and even dark chocolate!).

Monday: Labor Day Holiday - since we will be visiting at a friend's house, this will also be a holiday from my new eating plan.

Tuesday: Cheesy Pasta with Spinach with a side of fresh oranges

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be poppyseed chicken casserole, green beans/peas, salad, bread and dessert.

Thursday: Sesame Chicken Stir-fry with grilled pinapple

Friday: California Burgers with steamed baby carrots

Please check out the other menu plans at OrgJunkie.

menu planning monday 08.31.09

2009-08-30T20:31:00.005-05:00

I think I am going to try something new this week. A friend of mine shared a 4-day anti-bloat menu that helped her last week and I am going to try it out. I am just posting the dinner portion here, but there are specific things for all meals for 4 days -- my friend lost 4 lbs. by following this plan. Unfortunately, I do not think the rest of my family is ready for any 'anti-bloating'!, so I will be making some additional items to suit their needs.

Monday: Grilled tilapia, green beans, roasted red potatoes drizzled

Tuesday: Grilled chicken breast, sauteed fresh cremini mushrooms, brown rice

Wednesday: Grilled or baked turkey breast cutlet, green beans, roasted red potatoes

Thursday: Grilled chicken breast, sauteed yellow squash, brown rice

Friday: Tonight is the first local high school football and we bought season tickets. After all this 'anti-bloat' this week, I am not going to ruin it all by eating at the stadium. But, I do want something a little tastier than plain grilled poultry or fish. Tonight's celebratory 'end-of-anti-bloat-week" dinner will be: steak, baked potato and salad.

Saturday: Youngest son's birthday is being celebrated this weekend, so I am going to let him choose the meal for tonight:)

For more (non anti-bloat!) menu planning ideas, check out OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 08.17.09

2009-08-16T15:54:00.004-05:00

We made it through the first week of school and lived to tell about it! I was able to follow my meal plan except for Thursday (a 10:00 am meeting lasted until after 4 pm!). I am grateful for an understanding family who appeared happy to have sandwiches that night:)

The boys did great with their lunch planning, but I think I will have them plan one week at a time instead of the night before.

Monday: Panko-crusted cod fillet sliders (need to use these rolls before they go bad) with freshly-picked hydroponic lettuce salad (with tomatoes and peppers from my garden)

Tuesday: Baked teriyaki chicken thighs with whole grain/wild rice medley and panko-fried zucchini strips. Mini blueberry dump cakes for Bible Reading Group dessert.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: I am so happy that Wednesday night suppers have resumed at church. This week's meal will be roast beef, mashed potatoes, lima beans, salad, rolls and dessert. They are also trying a new feature: Domino's Pizza for the children (and any adult that signs up for that in the place of the regular dinner). I think my children will be pleased:)

Thursday: Homemade pizza (recipe posted soon!) with crudites

Friday: Scrapbooking Night for the girls and Boy's Night Out for the rest!

Saturday: Dinner club at our friends, the M's!

For more menu planning ideas, check out all the other links at OrgJunkie!

week in review 08.15.09

2009-08-15T22:36:00.004-05:00

Since I have not been as successful in photographing and reviewing on a regular basis, I decided to do a little end-of-the-week review.

The best thing that I tried for the first time was the panko-crusted fried catfish from Monday. This Japanese-influenced version of fried catfish resulted in a crispy, yet light version of the typical southern-fried staple. It was so good that I used the same technique tonight when I made cod fillet sliders (we found these cute little buns at the market!). I am pretty sure I will use it from now on with my fish tacos.

So, the next time you have a hankerin' for some fish, GO PANKO!

menu planning monday 08.10.09

2009-08-10T17:07:00.004-05:00

Monday: Panko-crusted fried catfish filets with mashed potatoes

Tuesday: Three-cheese tortellinis with tomato sauce (leftover from spaghetti luncheon on Sunday -- homemade by Chef D) and garlic bread

Apprehension-Free Wednesday (has returned!): Dinner served at church will be herbed-roasted chicken, vegetable casserole, blackeyed peas, salad, bread and dessert.

Thursday: Fish Tacos (I must use up all this tilapia in the freezer!) with pinto beans

Friday: Grilled beef patties with whole-grain and wild rice medley and steamed asparagus

Don't forget to check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie!

menu planning: back-to-school lunchbox version

2009-08-07T21:22:00.002-05:00

I am bound and determined to provide healthier lunches for my boys this year. Last year was not a good year for lunchboxes here -- yes, I even succumbed to buying those dreaded lunchables (hanging my head in shame).

I sat down with the boys this week and we came up with a plan! Other than healthier options, I wanted them to have more options -- it seems like we tend to get in a rut with what leaves in the lunchbox each morning. Also, the boys are going to start participating in packing their lunches. They are 7 and 11 and perfectly capable of a few more responsibilities. We developed lists of options for main entree/side/dessert/drink for lunch and snack/drink for snack time. Here are the boys lists:

Max

Entree: fluffernutter sandwich, ham sandwich with mayo, slice of cheese & crackers, pumpkinbread PB sandwich, and pasta with cheese/almonds

Side: apples with PB, pumpkinbread, corn bread muffin, oatmeal bar, yogurt, carrots, nuts

Dessert: brownies, cookie bars, poppyseed muffins, rice krispy treats, chocolate chip muffins, oatmeal squares dry cereal

Snack: pretzels, almonds, sunflower kernels, cheese crackers

Drinks: Sunny-D, Decaf Tea, Chocolate Milk

Desmond

Entree: fluffernutter sandwich, ham sandwich, pita pizza, tortilla/ham roll-ups, pasta, cereal with milk

Side: pumpkinbread, yogurt, carrots, peanuts, banana

Dessert: brownies, cookie bars, rice krispy treat, sugar cookies

Snack: cornbread muffins, sunflower kernels, dry cheerios, cheese crackers

Drinks: apple juice, Sunny-D, milk

I found 20.2 oz tinted stainless steel bottles for them at Whole Foods yesterday and finally found a lunchbox for Max today (camouflage, of course). I made a batch of the oatmeal bars tonight and will make some pumpkinbread tomorrow. I think we will be ready on Monday morning!

menu planning monday 08.03.09

2009-08-03T20:33:00.005-05:00

I am very late in posting, but doing it anyway.

Monday: Hamburgers and fries

Tuesday: Bacon-Swiss Quiche (lemon bars for Bible Reading group dessert)

Wednesday: Pan-Roasted Chicken Cutlets with Maple-Mustard Dill Sauce over a wild rice medley

Thursday: Homemade pizzas

Friday: Fish Tacos with fresh salsa and a side of pinto beans (I had this scheduled for last Friday, but we ended up dining out)

Check out many more menu plans over at The Happy Housewife (filling in for Laura at OrgJunkie).

menu planning monday 07.27.09

2009-07-27T11:00:00.008-05:00

I have not done a menu plan in several weeks and my budget has paid for it (no menu plan = more dining out!). Life is just more complicated during the summer months -- between the children being home and travelling.

But, school starts in two weeks and the vacations are over with, so I am trying to get back into the swing of menu planning.

Monday: Spaghetti, garlic bread and tossed salad

Tuesday: Salmon cakes with lemon dill sauce and steamed asparagus; 1-2-3 cookie bars for bible reading group dessert (these are so easy and very yummy!) -- we found that if you add a layer of marshmallow cream to the top, it tastes like s'mores!

Wednesday: Sauteed shrimp (using the sauteed crab claws recipe) with coconut rice and pickled cucumbers

Thursday: Poppyseed Chicken with rice and steamed broccoli (prepared by Lauren!)

Friday: Fish Tacos with a pot of pinto beans

Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 06.22.09

2009-06-22T10:59:00.004-05:00

Since the children have been out of school and baseball season started, I have had the hardest time keeping up with my menu planning. I usually try to have it done by Sunday, but that just did not happen this week. But, baseball season is over and I can get that little part of my life back (at least, until football starts next month!). So, here goes!

Monday: Grilled portobellos and pineapples, with whole-grain pilaf and a tossed salad [guitar lessons now moved to Mondays, still at 6pm]

Tuesday: Sauteed Shrimp with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli sprinkled with parmesan

Wednesday: No more Wednesday night suppers at church for the rest of the summer, so this week we are having pizzas using Naan bread as the base. This is a delicious flatbread that you can purchase or make from scratch (you can find the recipe Chef D uses here).

Thursday: Spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread (prepared by Lauren, who is back home from college)

Friday: Scrapbooking Crop night - Lauren and I will bring brownies and fresh fruit. The guys will have their Boys Night Out:)

Saturday: This is our 22nd wedding anniversary so Chef D has decided to take me out to eat at this new restaurant in our area: SpringHouse on Lake Martin.

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

menu planning monday 06.01.09

2009-05-31T16:32:00.013-05:00

Check it out!! My daughter fixed me up with a cool new blog layout. What do you think about it??

Here's the scoop for this week's meals:

Monday: Sauteed shrimp with jasmine rice

Tuesday: Bacon-Swiss Quiche with tossed salad [guitar lessons at 6 pm; bible reading group at 7 pm]

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Pork roast, vegetables, salad and dessert will be served at church.

Thursday: Steak skewers with parmesan roasted asparagus ~or~ sauteed zucchini (if I get some fresh from Southern Dining Diva's garden) [ballgame at 7:15]

Friday: Meatball sandwiches then we are going to see Casting Crowns in concert!

Don't forget to check out the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 05.18.2009

2009-05-17T16:02:00.006-05:00

This is the last week of school for my boys, so we have several end-of-the-school-year events to attend as well as more baseball practices and games. Last week's menu planning definitely helped get throught the week with reduced stress and kept us from the inclination to eat fast-food or pick up burgers at the ball park concession stand.

I am in the process of trying to use up some items that have been in the freezer and pantry for awhile. This weeks usage: hamburger patties, frozen fries, frozen scallops, frozen steak, boxed linguini mix, yellow cake mix, and cheese biscuit mix.

Chef D and I had another successful week of weight loss: he lost 4 lbs and I lost 2 lbs!

Monday: Hamburgers and french fries [baseball practice 5-6:30 pm]

Tuesday: Bacon wrapped scallops with linguini alfredo; blueberry mini-dump cakes for bible group dessert [guitar lessons at 6 pm; bible reading group at 7 pm]

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Ham, green bean casserole, potatoes with onions, salad and dessert will be served at church prior to the prayer service.

Thursday: Spaghetti with meatballs [baseball game at 6 pm]

Friday: Grilled steak with baked potato, tossed salad and cheese biscuits

Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans posted at OrgJunkie for lots of great ideas

menu planning monday 05.11.09

2009-05-10T17:04:00.006-05:00

Baseball season has seriously affected my menu planning and dinner preparation (which, I have found, go hand in hand). We have eaten out way too much over the last few weeks, but I have received much help from my dear, sweet husband. Thanks, Chef D!

So, with three weeks remaining in baseball season, here is my plan for the next week. [Oh, and for those of you interested, Chef D and I are still working on our weightloss -- he has lost about 35 lbs and I have lost 25 lbs since the beginning of January!]

Monday: Soup and Salad [Chef D attending Men's Club dinner at church; Baseball Practice 5-6:30 pm]

Tuesday: Crockpot Rosemary-Garlic Chicken with steamed broccoli. Lemon Bars for our Bible Reading Group snack [Guitar lessons 6-6:30 pm/Bible Reading group @ 7 pm]

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Sausage, peppers and onions with pinto beans ~or~ quiche with salad and dessert will be served at church prior to worship service.

Thursday: Meatball Sandwiches with crudites [Baseball Game at 7:15 pm]

Friday: Spinach Pasta Toss (with added sausage) and fresh fruit with mint-balsamic tea; [Friday update: The more I look at this pasta recipe, the less-appetizing it looks. So, I think I will go with this Giada recipe instead Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes and Sun-dried tomatoes -- since I have the items on hand for it!]

I will add our weekend menu plan in later in the week after conferring with Chef D on his plans.

Update: We received a call Tuesday that this month's church supper club is scheduled for this Saturday. So, that is where we will be!

Check out all the other menu planning ideas at Org Junkie!

menu planning monday 04.27.09

2009-04-26T21:05:00.006-05:00

Life has been a little hectic lately now that we are in the full swing of baseball season. I don't even remember if I cooked a meal at all last week. We ate out too much -- I know that much...too many calories!

So, I asked Chef D (my sweet husband, for those who are new to the blog), to help me out this week. And, he obliged:) He even did the grocery shopping tonight so that we have everything we need. I love that man.

Monday: Alton Brown's Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes (Chef D preparing while I take one child to baseball practice and the other to his school's art fair)

Tuesday: Grilled pork chops with long-grain/wild rice and a tossed salad

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Pork roast, vegetable medley, sweet potato casserole, salad and dessert will be served at church (with pizza for the kiddos).

Thursday: Grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled pineapple and leftover rice from Tuesday (I always make too much!)

Friday: Scrapbooking night for me/Boy's night out for 'the boys'!

Check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

our take on tapas

2009-04-18T19:28:00.006-05:00

A few months ago a friend told us she had been to a tapas bar -- we initially thought she said topless bar! A few weeks later we drove by the restaurant she mentioned and decided that we would try it sometime soon, sans children. Last night provided just that opportunity. It was an enjoyable time where we shared (with friends) the following tapas:

dry-cured italian sausage, meatballs, parmesan, mahon, and sofrito sauce flatbread
lobster and shrimp salad lettuce wraps
pacific rim tuna nachos
west indies crab-gulf shrimp napoleon
bacon wrapped swordfish skewers
fried manchego cheese
escargot

It was such a fun time and we loved the tapas idea, so we decided to try it out at home for dinner tonight. We had a bosc pear with cheese plate (Chef D had bleu cheese while I had some soft swiss) and an assortment of our own tuna nachos.

For the nachos, we cut wonton wrappers into triangle halves and deep-fried very quickly to make a crisp base (they are in the white bowl in the middle of the picture). To the right of the white bowl are the three bowls with the different versions of tuna (sashimi) -- sesame oil with sesame seeds, olive oil with balsamic vinegar, and chinese chicken salad dressing. In the front you see diced grape tomatoes, pickled ginger, and avocado to add to the 'taco'. The bottles in the back show some of the sauces used: Tamari soy sauce, Williams-Sonoma chinese chicken salad dressing, and Capelli olive oil with juniper and rosemary.

We decided this was definitely something we will do again, especially with guests.

menu planning monday 04.13.09

2009-04-12T22:16:00.004-05:00

I am very lacking in the motivation department this week when it comes to menu planning. Chef D picked up some lamb last week that we did not use, so it is currently resting in the freezer. I need to figure out a way to use some of it this week.

Monday: Fish Tacos (still trying use up some of the white fish from the freezer!) with pinto beans

Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and dessert will be served at church.

Thursday: Salmon cakes with steamed asparagus

Friday: Mimi's sticky chicken with grilled veggies

Saturday: Chef D can work his magic with the lamb tonight. I will edit the post when I get his recipe plans.

Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans at OrgJunkie!

menu planning monday 04.06.09

2009-04-05T18:48:00.006-05:00

Another busy week is ahead with baseball practices, pictures and games.

Monday: Spiral-cut ham with sauteed fingerling potatoes and tossed salad

Tuesday: Lamb Stew

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Meatloaf, roasted potatoes, cabbage and dessert will be served at church.

Thursday: Sandwiches/Wraps to take to the ballfield (game at 6 pm)

Friday: Dining out with the littles

doorbell = takeout?

2009-04-02T21:52:00.008-05:00

What do you think happens when the doorbell rings while you are cooking your planned dinner?

Well, when the doorbell rang tonight, I ended up going out to the porch to see what new and exciting things the contractor had completed today. I was thrilled to see the new cedar plank paneling that had been installed and then began a discussion on the new windows. I was feeling the joy until, about 10 minutes later, I remembered a very important thing -- right before the bell rang, I turned the stove on to warm up the chicken mixture that was going to be added to the rice stick noodles. I ran back to the kitchen to find the chicken now 'blackened', and not in the delicious way. There was no way to save it, and I now wish I had photographed it to prove it. So, I did what anyone would do (?) and called Chef D to pick up something to replace our dinner while he was at The Fresh Market.

This is what he came home with. I love that man.

[fyi: that is not tea with lemon -- care to make a guess on what it is?]

sauteed shrimp with jasmine rice

2009-03-31T22:05:00.004-05:00

Again, I did not follow the recipe I linked to in my menu planning post!! But, I have a very good excuse -- Chef D filled-in for me tonight.

I made the jasmine rice before I headed out to take einstein to his guitar lesson. Chef D started on the shrimp and decided to use his sauce for sauteed crab claws instead of the lemon pepper shrimp recipe I had planned. I am so glad he did because it was fantastic!

First, I will share a little tip I found for making this yummy and fluffy rice. The key is to soak it for a little while (10-20 minutes) to get those elongated pieces of rice. After straining the water off the rice, I added the 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a shake or two of salt. After it began to boil, stir then cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes on low. After it is finished, let it sit for 5 minutes then fluff it up...just lovely.

You can find Chef D's crab claw recipe here if you, too, would like to try it with shrimp (we used the fresh frozen bagged kind from the supermarket and found it to work just as well as the one's sold as 'fresh'). Just follow the directions, omitting the crab claws. After the sauce is finished, add in your shrimps and cook until they turn pink. Enjoy!

marinated and grilled portobello mushrooms with rice

2009-03-30T21:54:00.001-05:00

My schedule was a bit harried after rushing home from baseball practice to fix dinner, so I did not use the recipe I linked yesterday. Instead, I tossed the sliced portobello mushrooms with this salad dressing that I had handy. I let it sit for about 15 minutes then threw them on the hot grill for about 5 minutes per side. I had planned to steam the asparagus I picked up a few days ago, but when I opened the produce bag to prepare them, I found those nasty, slimy heads. So, instead I pulled out a box of long-grain and wild rice mix from the pantry. Yes, it had more calories than the asparagus, but it filled in well for a last minute adjustment.

I really enjoyed the mix of flavors with the balsamic vinaigrette-infused portobellos along with the rice. This was a nice change from the normal meat entree and was pretty easy to prepare.

menu planning monday 03.30.09

2009-03-29T19:45:00.007-05:00

Baseball season has begun and last week was so crazy that I let Chef D handle the menu planning. Chef D's version of menu planning is cooking up LOTS of meat to have available during the week. It definitely helped to reduce my stress. But, it is back to my turn again and we only have 2 practices and no games this week.

Our weight-loss accountability program at church ended today. Chef D came in 2nd place with an 11.8% loss of total body weight. I came in 3rd with a 9.86% loss of total body weight. We will begin another 8-week program starting next Sunday...just to help us stay in gear:) So, in honor of our wins, I am again including calorie counts where available.

Monday: Marinated and grilled Portobello Mushrooms with steamed asparagus

Tuesday: Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi (403 calories); Strawberry Blueberry Crepes for our bible reading group dessert. {ended up using this recipe for the shrimp instead -- yummy!)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be Chicken Alfredo, green beans, salad and dessert with chicken fingers for the kiddos.

Thursday: Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken (381 calories/1.75 cup serving) with sauteed snow peas

Friday: Fish Tacos (290 calories each) with pinto beans

I hope everyone has a great week! For more ideas, go over to OrgJunkie and check out all the other menu plans:)

three-cheese chicken pasta bake

2009-03-17T21:13:00.002-05:00

I chose this recipe because I needed something within our calorie limitations that could be prepared and cooked in advance and still be easy to serve. I knew that my daughter would not eat all of the recommended ingredients, so I made a separate smaller dish for her with only the pasta, chicken, soup, and three cheeses. I made extra of the chicken for Monday night's meal to use with this dish.

She really enjoyed her 'special' serving. I wish I had made more for her and less for Chef D and myself. I liked the dish, but I am not sure sure about Chef D as he only ate a small amount. He really isn't a big 'casserole' eater.

In the end, I would recommend it if you are looking for a cheesy casserole dish with fewer calories.

menu planning monday 03.16.09

2009-03-15T16:15:00.002-05:00

Schedules went all awry last week and I did not get to try the two new recipes I had posted and linked. I am going to try one of them again this week. It is Spring Break for my children (for both the two in elementary school as well as my college girl) so our schedules are a little different this week, too. We have lots of ball practices so I picked out some meals that can either be made in advance or cook while we are gone (crockpot, etc).

Weigh-in this week was good for Chef D (down 3 lbs!), but not so pretty for me (gained 1 lb). Although I kept up with my exercising, I did not do as well with my water intake and tracking the food I ate. I will do better this week!

Monday: Spicy Honey Chicken with Spinach Apple Salad [baseball practice 5-7 pm]

Tuesday: Three-Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake [baseball practice 5-7 pm]

Wednesday: Dinner at church this week will be Chicken Enchiladas.

Thursday: Tilapia in foil packets/Crockpot with whole-grain pilaf and crudites [baseball 6-8 pm] [edited to add: this tilapia recipe did NOT work for us at all -- I will not make it again]

Friday: Surf and Turf with Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

For more menu planning ideas, click on over to $5 Dinners (filling in for Laura at OrgJunkie this week) and check it out!

diet cookies?

2009-03-08T21:02:00.001-05:00

Chef D suggested I make these ginger snap cookies to share at our last bible reading group. I like ginger...a lot. So, it was not a hard sell. I ended up testing out, cough, several during the cooking stages -- you know, just to ensure they were of the high standards required by our group members;) I found them to be quite tasty with a nice, spicy kick. I particularly enjoy the bits of candied ginger. (NOTE: Although the recipe says to cook for 12-15 minutes, only cook them for 10 minutes or they will be hard.)

My friend, Barb, tested out a few herself during the refreshment time following our discussions. We both have been counting calories and trying to lose some weight, so we thought that our next day weigh-ins would probably not be very pretty.

We were wrong! We both actually dropped weight and Barb jokingly suggested it was due to those ginger snaps. It was not hard convincing me to give it another test (I love these cookies!), and sure enough I lost another pound! This led me to do a little googling and I found several places that said ginger was a metabolism booster. I have no proof that these cookies make you lose weight, but I think I will keep eating them just to see (you know, for the sake of science).

menu planning monday 03.09.09

2009-03-08T14:25:00.006-05:00

I missed out on MPM last week, but got myself in gear and put together a plan for this week:) D2's baseball coach has us running to practice four times a week so I am going to have to be creative and deliberate to have some family mealtimes. We are still counting our calories and trying to keep them under 500 for our dinner meal. So far this is working well -- I lost another 2.8 lbs. this past week (perhaps due to these?)!

Monday: Chef D will be attending this month's Men's Club Dinner. Soup and quesadillas for me and the boys. (ball practice 4:45-6:30 pm)

Tuesday: Leftover pork barbecue for sandwiches (ball practice 4:45-6:00 pm, guitar lessons 6:00-6:30 pm, bible reading group 7:00-8:00 pm)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be lasagna, salad, bread and dessert.

Thursday: Three Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine (345 calories/cup) with steamed green beans (44 calories/cup) (ball practice 4:45-6:30 pm)

Friday: Spinach Salad with spiced pork and ginger dressing (202 calories)

Saturday: Dinner by Chef D TBD (ball practice 8-10 am -- finally a practice that does not interfere with dinner time!)

Hospitality Sunday: TBD.

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas:)

distractions

2009-03-02T11:22:00.003-06:00

I had way too many distractions this past weekend and did not get a menu plan together. Between a trip to check on my daughter away at college, a freak Alabama snowstorm, and then packing up my son for a 3-day camp, menu planning just ended up way down on the priority list.

I will just throw together something on paper to get me through this week. Hopefully I will be back in gear by next Sunday night.

Have a great week of cooking!

a new kind of milk

2009-02-24T06:26:00.000-06:00

I wanted to share my most recent discovery and new way to reduce my calories at breakfast. I really enjoy a bowl of cereal for breakfast and have been using fat-free milk at 45 calories/.5 cup for awhile. This Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla 'milk' only has 20 calories/.5 cup and also adds a nutty taste that I like to my cereal. It also comes in a shelf-stable package so you can purchase it and have it available whenever needed. Make sure you refrigerate before using though -- tastes much better cold.

I found mine at a Kroger supermarket and my husband found them at a local Publix. It is also available online.

menu planning monday 02.23.09

2009-02-22T19:55:00.006-06:00

Busy, busy week coming up -- Revival at church on Monday-Wednesday evenings and... the beginning of baseball season! That means menu planning is key to keeping my sanity. Our first practice is this week and I am happy we have some leftovers because it takes place right smack in the middle of my usual dinner cooking time. I will start looking for some meals that can be prepared in advance and just warmed up for those busy days of baseball practice over the next month and games starting in April. I just hope this does not put a kink in our calorie-counting. I am determined to be prepared this season to bring picnic lunches/dinners to the ballpark so we are not tempted by the hamburgers, fries, and nachos from the concession stand.

Monday: Mimi's sticky chicken and grilled veggies (leftovers from last week's Hospitality Sunday meal) (baseball practice at 4:45 pm)

Tuesday: Chili-Mac -- chili (leftover from last week's chili cook-off) with tofu shirataki noodles

(edited to add: do NOT do this. These noodles did not go well at all with chili. In fact, the only good use so far I have found for them is in soup.)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Chicken and rice casserole, mixed vegetables, salad and dessert will be served at church. (additional practice at batting cages added 5-6)

Thursday: Ginger-rice noodle soup with stir-fried vegetables (baseball practice 4:30-6; Chef D going to Atlanta to hear Ravi Zacharias)

Friday: Beef filets with baked potato (for the boys) and sweet potato (for me) and a tossed salad (baseball practice added 6-8 pm)

Sous-chef Saturday: TBD (baseball practiced added 6-8 pm -- this is getting old already and it is only the first week!)

Hospitality Sunday: I have really enjoyed inviting friends over for lunch at our home after our Sunday morning worship service. It has taken a little more preparation to serve a meal when you have been out of the house since 9 am, but it has been so worth it. This endeavor has also helped me to realize that it is more important to be hospitable and spend time with friends (new and old) than to be concerned about the state of my house and it's decor.

If you need more ideas for menu plans, hop on over to OrgJunkie and check it out!

menu planning monday 02.16.09

2009-02-15T14:51:00.009-06:00

For the past six weeks, we have been counting our calories and I have tried to include those counts in my menu plan posts. Although Chef D and my total daily calorie goals are different (I am gearing for 1200 and he is looking at 2000 calories/day), we try to keep our dinner meal at 500 calories or less.

We are participating in an 'encouragement and accountability group' at church where we are weighing in each Sunday morning. I was thrilled this morning that I lost 4 lbs. over the past week which brings my total lost since January 4 to 19 lbs.! Chef D is doing pretty good himself with 27 lbs. lost:) We decided to get serious about getting healthy for two reasons -- we had let ourselves go and were feeling the consequences PLUS we have a family wedding to attend in April and haven't seen most of the people since we have gained weight.

So, here's to another week of counting calories and exercising!

Monday: Baked Teriyaki Chicken (277 calories/2 thighs) with basmati rice (150 calories/.25 cup) and steamed broccoli florets (25 calories/1 cup)

Tuesday: Maple-glazed Salmon (285 calories/4 oz.) with whole-grain pilaf (170/.5 cup) and steamed asparagus (35 calories/15 stalks with .25 tsp butter)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Annual Chili Cookoff at church will be this night. Hot Dogs and dessert will also be served. Chef D won the competition last year and will be again submitting a superb entry to try to hold on to the trophy (a giant decorative bottle of chili peppers!). Prep: Prepare thighs for tomorrow.

Thursday: Mimi's sticky chicken thighs (100 calories/thigh) with sauteed zucchini squash with grated parmesan

Friday: --edited-- Chef D is going to the Men's Club sponsored dinner as a part of the Men's Retreat that is tonight and tomorrow morning. I will do something fun with the boys:)

Sous-chef Saturday: No SCS this week. Busy day with basketball game, helping friends move, and end of season basketball program

Hospitality Sunday: Mimi's sticky chicken with grilled vegetables, macaroni and cheese, and long-grain and wild rice. Blueberry dump cake for dessert.

Menu planning has taken a huge burden from my life. Thanks for Laura at OrgJunkie for hosting many menu plans to help get it together for a week!

menu planning monday 02.09.09

2009-02-08T19:07:00.005-06:00

We are still watching our calories, so I am continuing to try to choose lower-calories, but still tasty, meals. Chef D has lost a total of 25 lbs since Jan 4 and I am down 15 lbs! It is amazing what a little good food, lots of water, and regular exercise can do:)

Monday: I will be spending all day going on a field trip with my 11 year-old, so I am blessed that Chef D and the boys will be attending our church Men's Club Dinner. I am on my own, so I will probably have some soup and salad.

Tuesday: Smoked Sausage with fried okra (300 calories) (recipe to come on Monday)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Tamale Pie, corn, pinto beans, salad and dessert will be served at church.

Thursday: Thai Chicken Skewer Wraps (140 calories/wrap) with coconut rice

Friday: Open-Faced Burgers with Onion-Mushroom Topping (320 calories)

Sous-chef Saturday: No sous-chef Saturday since we have church supper club at friends tonight to celebrate Valentine's Day!

Hospitality Sunday: TBD.

Go over to OrgJunkie to check out all the other menu plans!

menu planning monday 02.02.09

2009-02-01T14:21:00.006-06:00

We had a good week last week watching our calories. Chef D lost another 4 lbs. giving him about a 20 lb. weight loss since January 4. I lost 2 more lbs. and am down about 14 lbs. :) It seems that counting calories is helping so I will continue to try to choose dinner meals that are 500 calories or less. I will try to note what the calorie count is for each of the menus posted. This week's menu will be using up some of the frozen meat/fish in the freezer.

Monday: Shrimp and Pasta (411 calories -- with a few adjustments from this recipe)

Tuesday: Grilled Spicy Tex-Mex Chicken (136 calories/4 ounces) with miniature ravioli (135 calories) with sauce (20 calories) and a side of steamed broccoli (25 calories)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner served at church will be roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and dessert.

Thursday: Fish Tacos (290 calories each) with salsa and gaucamole

Friday: Scrapbooking Crop for the girls, Boys' Night Out for the boys.

Saturday: No sous-chef Saturday this week because we will be attending a wedding and reception this afternoon

Hospitality Sunday: TBD.

Many thanks to Laura at OrgJunkie for hosting Menu Planning Monday each week. Check it out for more menu planning ideas!

rotisserie cornish game hen with sauced three-cheese ravioli and sauteed zucchini

2009-01-31T19:47:00.004-06:00

I had the privilege again to assist Chef D with a weekend meal. Tonight he wanted to give our new rotisserie a go with something a little different -- cornish game hens. He used the Mimi's Sticky Chicken seasoning before putting them to cooking for about 2 1/2 hours on a low rotisserie setting. We weren't really sure how long it would take, so we probably let them go a wee bit longer than necessary. In the end, they weren't too overcooked, though.

He picked up some pre-made three-cheese miniature raviolis at the supermarket and used a pre-made spaghetti sauce as a base to which he added additional fresh herbs and seasonings.

I helped by prepping the zucchini with our favorite julienne peeler. I sauteed them in a dab of extra virgin olive oil with a bit of Mrs. Dash Table Blend and Emeril's Original Essence. It only takes about 2 minutes since the zucchini has been cut to such small pieces. Don't overcook!

This meal ended up being a bit on the spicy side, so we ended our meal with a little 100-calorie treat to cool down our lips.

Total calories for the meal (eating 1/2 of the hen and including the treat at the end): 635

cheap noodles

2009-01-30T17:06:00.002-06:00

Well, they aren't cheap when you come to paying for them, but they are cheap when you count their calories. I heard about these shirataki tofu noodles with only 20 calories per serving (and it is a pretty large serving) from Hungry Girl and decided to give them a try.

Today I invited Barb over for lunch and fixed Chef D's ginger rice noodle soup, but with the shirataki noodles instead of the rice noodles. Yes, they take a little work to get them ready to use (drain and rinse, microwave for a minute, then totally dry them out on a towel), but it was well worth the effort. They reminded me very much of ramen noodles, but a little chewier. I do believe we have a winner here!

dan dan noodles with pickled cucumbers - part deux

2009-01-29T17:47:00.005-06:00

This is the second time I have tried this recipe (see first time here).

I again used hothouse cucumbers, but instead of having them julienned, I just sliced them thinly and put them together less than an hour before the meal. They kept their crunch this time. I also reduced the red pepper so that they would not be so hot. Chef D said I am getting closer to what he is looking for in a pickled cucumber. Practice makes perfect!

I used a chinese-style noodle that we had in the cupboard that just might be called long-life (they were VERY long). The peanut-flavored sauce with ground turkey chunks worked well again.

I liked this one and we'll have it again in the future. Not bad at all for less than 500 calories.

teriyaki chicken thighs with shitake ginger soup and bamboo rice

2009-01-27T21:31:00.005-06:00

I really liked this teriyaki chicken tonight -- yummy! I had all of the ingredients here, since we used many of them during Supper Club Saturday last weekend. After they were finished on the grill, I put them in a small iron skillet, covered with foil, and placed them in the warming oven while the rice finished. They were still tender and had a nice, sweet flavor from the marinade.

This bamboo rice that we found at Fresh Market last week looked yummy and has only 160 calories per cup, so I had to grab a jar to give it a try. I was a little disappointed. I did not really know what to expect, but it was pretty flavorless. The green onions and a little salt and pepper helped somewhat, but I will need to come up with something else to add when I use it again. Chef D ended up putting his in his soup.

I decided to try to recreate Chef D's soup from last Saturday, minus the noodles, but I did not quite hit the mark. I will need to add some additional bouillon next the time. I still liked it, though.

Again, a good meal for under 300 calories this time!

salmon cakes with steamed asparagus and baked sweet potato

2009-01-26T19:58:00.006-06:00

Okay, I know that some people may think sweet potatoes do not go with salmon, but I wanted some color on the plate. ;)

This salmon cake recipe is one that I have used before and came from my Cuisine at Home magazine. The last time I used fresh salmon, so I decided to try out canned salmon this go around. I also reduced the sriracha sauce to keep the heat down. Overall, I thought the flavor was good, but for some reason, the cakes did not hold together well. I think they need a little more egg.

You all are probably tiring of seeing pictures of asparagus spears here, but we love them. They are one of the few green vegetables that Chef D likes, so I fix them often.

All the potato needed was a sprinkling of our special cinnamon-sugar mixture (vietnamese cassia cinnamon with turbinado sugar) and a little butter (well, I used smart balance light since I am watching my calories).

All in all, I thought this was a pretty good meal for under 400 calories.

menu planning monday 01.26.09

2009-01-25T14:59:00.016-06:00

Our weightloss this week was a little less than previous weeks, but using lower-calorie recipes and portion control is still working for us. I will add in calorie counts after they are all determined. Here is to another great healthy-eating week!

Monday: Salmon Cakes (125 calories each) with fresh steamed asparagus (2 calories each) and baked sweet potato (50 calories); Prep: make pumpkin bread for lunchboxes

Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken Thighs with soup and bamboo rice (80 cal/ .5 cup). Blueberry-Banana Smoothies for our Bible Reading group dessert.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be Chicken stir-fry, fried rice, salad and dessert. Prep: make oatmeal bars for lunchboxes

Thursday: Dan Dan Noodles with pickled cucumbers (450 calories)

Friday: Fish Tacos (290 calories each) with Tijuana Kitchen Rice (200 calories/cup); Prep: Make white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies and rice krispies treats for a college care package

Sous-chef Saturday: We are going to rotisserie a couple of cornish game hens and use the Mimi's Sticky Chicken seasonings, julienne and saute some zucchini, and cook up a little pasta.

Hospitality Sunday: Beef Stew and cornbread to share with friends after church.

Check out lots of other menu planning ideas over at OrgJunkie:)

menu planning monday 01.19.09

2009-01-19T17:36:00.013-06:00

I got a little distracted and did not get around to figuring out my menu plan for this week until much later than usual. The menus last week worked great for my lower-calorie plan and I lost another 4 lbs.! Now to just come up with a variety of foods to make it all worthwhile:) I will post calories once I get that determined.

Also, I wanted to share a great zero-calorie snack I just found -- Mt. Olive no sugar added sweet gherkins. I love sweet pickles, but haven't eaten them in awhile due to the sugar-added calories. Thank you, Mt. Olive!

Monday: We traveled over to Auburn to have lunch with our daughter. We got back late so we are just having leftovers.

Tuesday: Grilled shrimp skewers with yellow rice and a caesar salad (500 calories). Prep: boil a dozen eggs.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be pork roast, hash brown casserole, green beans, salad and dessert. Prep: Make fresh fruit with mint balsamic tea (I am growing addicted to this!)

Thursday: Teriyaki Chicken with pickled cucumbers and basmati rice (400 calories)

Friday: Bacon and Swiss Quiche with a tossed salad and fresh fruit (see Wednesday)

Supper Club Saturday:

1st course - ginger rice noodle soup
2nd course - coconut shrimp with mango dipping sauce and asian cucumber salad
3rd course - grilled swordfish with spicy fruit salsa and green curry beef over coconut rice
4th course - a dessert quad of sing buri cashews, fresh supremed heirloom navel orange sections, papaya sorbet and lemon petit four mini cupcakes

Hospitality Sunday: Too much going on Saturday night to plan a hospitality Sunday this week so it is a dining out day.

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

rosemary grilled chicken with whole-grain pilaf and steamed asparagus

2009-01-16T18:52:00.002-06:00

I really like this chicken recipe because it is just so easy. I used boneless thighs the last time I used this recipe. This time I tried it with skinless, boneless chicken breasts that had been pounded to a 1/4-inch thickness. I also added a low-calorie cream sauce this time. I think I prefer the flavor that the thighs provided. If I use breasts again, Chef D and I will split one instead of each having our own -- we had way too many leftovers tonight.

The pilaf was okay. It had a nice nutty flavor, but cutting out the butter to reduce calories also reduced the flavor. The fresh asparagus, steamed just 5 minutes were perfect.

Notes for next time: Use one breast and split it, figure out additional herbs and spices to add to the pilaf to replace the flavor lost by cutting the fat.

menu planning monday 01.12.09

2009-01-10T19:12:00.015-06:00

We did great with watching our calories last week. Chef D lost 7 lbs. and I lost 6 lbs.! Yay us!!!

I am still working on figuring out the calorie counts for the food this week and will amend this post when that is finished. Here is to another great week!

Monday: Chef D and the boys are going to the church Men's Club dinner, so I am on my own and will probably have a soup and salad. Prep: repackage and freeze chicken breasts; make berry sorbet.

Tuesday: Fajitas with the works (490 calories); cheese quesadillas for the boys. Berry sorbet for Bible Group dessert.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: This week's dinner at church will be Mexican chicken casserole, macaroni and cheese, lima beans, salad and dessert. Prep: Bake butternut squash and freeze for future use.

Thursday: Smoked Mozzarella and Artichoke Ravioli with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce (the sauce recipe is at the bottom of the page and I will adjust to reduce calories) and a tossed salad (345 calories). Prep: make avocado butter (50 calories/tablespoon).

Friday: Rosemary Grilled Chicken (inspired by this recipe) with whole-grain pilaf and steamed asparagus (512 calories)

Sous-Chef Saturday: TBD

Hospitality Sunday: I think I will see if Chef D will make some of his famous barbecue and serve it with cole slaw, cornbread, and pinto beans.

Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans posted at OrgJunkie!

smoky shrimp and parmesan polenta cakes

2009-01-08T20:10:00.004-06:00

Before you start to have that feeling of deja vu, I want to acknowledge that I may have an affinity for grits/polenta products. Yes, one of my more recent posts was from our shrimp and grits for Christmas. I had hopes that this version would come closer to my goal. It did have a nice flavor, but it was a bit muted...but, I think I know why.

First of all, the recipe called for spanish smoked paprika. When I initially glanced through the recipe I just assumed that is what I had in the cupboard. I was wrong. I have a feeling that the smoky flavor of the spanish paprika may have just been the 'kick' that this dish needed, and I missed out on it.

However, I did figure out how to serve the polenta correctly...finally. I cooked it earlier today and poured it into two small 4 ounce ramekin dishes (I sprayed them with cooking spray first). After they cooled, they popped right out in perfect rounds.

Chef D is not the big grits fan that I am, so his shrimp was served on a bed of of organic italian fusilli (or, as our boys like to call them, drill bit noodles), smothered in the marinara, with a sprinkling of the fresh parmesan.

menu planning monday 01.05.09

2009-01-04T08:00:00.014-06:00

Happy New Year to everyone!

Chef D and I have begun a new adventure in healthier eating and increased exercise. With all the cooking we did over the last year we packed on a few (or more than a few) extra pounds, so we really need to make some changes. I hope that planning out our menus will help to manage our caloric intake a little better. Our plan is to still eat tasty food, just less of it.

Monday: Filet Mignon with fresh herb and garlic rub with fingerling potatoes and steamed asparagus (530 calories). Prep: pumpkin bread and oatmeal bars for lunchboxes, set out chicken to thaw for tomorrow.

Tuesday: Chicken Stir-Fry with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers with white rice (450 calories). Prep: make fresh fruit with mint balsamic tea (the lower calorie version) and berry sorbet for healthy snacks.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Shrimp or Chicken Creole, Green Beans, Rice, Salad and Dessert will be served at church. Prep: Boil a dozen eggs for snacks for Chef D; make sauce for breakfast tacos.

Thursday: Smoky Shrimp and Parmesan-Polenta Cakes (except I am making my own polenta cakes, not buying the pre-made) with tossed salad (350 calories).

Friday: Scrapbooking Night for me, Boy's Night Out for Chef D and the two hoodlums. I think I will make a fresh caprese salad to take to the scrapbooking crop. [edited to add: I couldn't find any low-cal mozzarella that I liked, so I will probably use the tomatoes to make some pico de gallo and just take this bag of tortilla chips to get it out of the house so Chef D and I aren't tempted to finish it off]

Sous-Chef Saturday: I wonder what Chef D has in mind for this weekend? I am awaiting my orders as sous-chef.

Hospitality Sunday: The chili worked out great two weeks ago and our guests loved it. [edited to add: Since this is the day we go to the nursing home at 2 pm, our after church meal needs to be prepared in advance. So, this week's menu is smoked ham, baked sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, tossed salad and a yeast roll.]

Many thanks to Laura over at OrgJunkie for hosting Menu Planning Monday. Check it out for more menu planning ideas!

new year's eve celebrating

2009-01-01T20:39:00.009-06:00

This year we again decided to invite some friends over to help celebrate the new year's arrival. We decided to prepare a variety of finger foods and let everyone just 'graze' buffet style through the night as each course was ready. Chef D picked up a standing rib roast and cut it up, added to some fresh pineapple chunks, whole button mushrooms, sweet grape tomatoes, and sweet vidalia onion chunks to make shish-ke-bobs. While he prepped for that course, my friend Barb (aka The Southern Dining Diva) helped me cut up some more of the grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a little extra virgin olive oil for a delicious caprese salad to eat with some french bread rounds.

Earlier in the day I made the salsa/pico de gallo that would later be eaten with some crispy tortilla chips. Another finger food favorite we served was Smoked Salmon tartare. It is such a nice, light, cool, crisp appetizer that always works. Give it a try sometime.

Chef D made his baklava this past Monday so that it would have time to sit for a day or two before we served it. This time he followed the recommendation of The Food Network's Alton Brown and used blanched almonds and pistachios along with pecans (instead of just pecans like he usually uses). According to everyone here, it was the best baklava EVER. You can find Chef D's recipe here.

Our final and ultimate course was wasabi tobiko, better known as flying fish eggs with a KICK! Most of our guests were willing to give them a try, even if sushi was not their cup of tea. Even our own D2 gave them a shot!

What a great way to begin a new year -- with good friends and good food!

miniature bacon and swiss quiche

2008-12-31T20:12:00.001-06:00

I have used this quiche recipe for years, but we always seem to have way too much leftover. My crew does not seem to like leftovers, so I end up throwing some away. So, this time I decided to make smaller versions so that the 'left over' ones could be frozen for future use.

Instead of using the usual 9-inch pie shell, I purchased Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations, flattened them out and cut into squares. I then fit them into my large-sized muffin tins (6 to a tin) and pressed them around until it made a little shell. I adjusted this recipe and poured the custard into the muffin shells and cooked them for about 20 minutes. Surprisingly, they actually turned out pretty good. So good that we only had two of them leftover! Unfortunately, those two were eaten the next day so I did not get to test out how they did frozen. I guess I will have to give it another try sometime soon.

shrimp and grits for Christmas!

2008-12-25T18:28:00.008-06:00

One day last week Chef D suggested Shrimp and Grits for our Christmas Day meal. He had ran into a friend from church who shared that this menu was a Christmas family tradition and that got his taste buds yearning for Shrimp and Grits. I tracked down the friend and got her recipe and then compared it with a few others I found on the internet. Chef D and I finally decided to use a combination of them all and create our own. We used this recipe as a base, but adjusted it slightly by adding leeks and green bell peppers. I left out the cheddar cheese to allow everyone to choose whether or not they wanted plain grits or cheese grits with their shrimp sauce. In the end, I felt it definitely needed the flavor of the cheese, as shrimp sauce was kind of bland. It was not bad, but it just was not special. We will probably try a different recipe again someday.

I chose a family favorite, fresh fruit with mint-balsamic tea, to accompany the shrimp course. It has been several years since I prepared this fruit salad, but it will not be that long before I make it again. It was just as delightful as I remember.

I also decided to try out a new, easy roll. We had these new place and bake rolls from Pillsbury -- crescent rounds. The whole family was pleasantly surprised with their taste and texture and we will probably have them again sometime.

A few weeks ago we purchased some yummy sticky toffee pudding to serve to our Tuesday night Bible Reading group. Chef D decided to try to recreate it using this re cipe and served it for dessert. He topped it with a little whipped topping and we were good to go...DELICIOUS.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

menu planning monday 12.22.08

2008-12-21T20:30:00.011-06:00

It looks like I won't be cooking very much this week with all holidays activities on the schedule. May you all have a blessed week celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Monday: Grilled Ribeye Steaks with baked potatoes and a tossed salad; Holiday Baking: Molasses Cookies and Butterscotch Crispies (both Family Favorites)

Tuesday: Staff Christmas Party at the Carter's

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: No dinner at church, but I am still apprehension-free since we will be eating a Christmas Eve buffet at Barb's after the candlelight service.

Thursday: Shrimp and Grits, Fresh Fruit with Mint-Balsamic Tea and croissants

Friday: Traveling to Florida to see my folks

Saturday: Tyler Florence's Steak Fajitas for the grown-ups and Taco Bar for the kiddos

Sunday: No Hospitality Sunday - someone else has decided to have a Hospitality Sunday of their own and invited us over for lunch after church:)

I am so grateful to have found the OrgJunkie website this year! Please go check out all of Laura's great ideas and the other menu plans that are posted each week:)

menu planning monday 12.15.08

2008-12-14T15:32:00.004-06:00

I feel like I barely cooked at all last week, with all the holiday gatherings on the schedule. I am happy to report that this week looks more like a regular week.

Monday: This will be a busy day, including picking up my daughter from college and bringing her home for the holidays. In her honor, we will have one of her favorites, Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Tuesday: Crockpot Honey Mustard Shortribs with mashed potatoes and tossed salad (probably the crockpot berry cobbler dessert that is on the shortribs link, too!)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas, salad and dessert.

Thursday: Barb's Crockpot Fajitas (I'll use boneless chicken thighs) with Tijuana Kitchen Rice (we loved this the first time I made it)

Friday: Kid's Choice Night of hamburger, tater tots, and cole slaw.

Sous-Chef Saturday: I'll pitch in to help Chef D after I get home from taking Lauren for our annual Christmas Mother-Daughter outing at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Hospitality Sunday: Chef D's Chili (we didn't do this last week as planned, so we will try one more time).

Thank you for checking out my menu this week! Don't forget to look at all the great menu ideas at OrgJunkie:)

menu planning monday 12.08.08

2008-12-07T15:15:00.013-06:00

Last week was a great week for cooking 'warm your heart and body' foods. I have also decided to be a copycat (thanks to Amanda for this great idea) and create Hospitality Sunday, since we want to begin inviting others to join us for our after church mid-day meal on Sundays. Today Chef D made a scrumptious beef stew that we left in the crock pot during church, then we invited some 'friends like family' over to share it.

So, here is our plan of menus for this week:

Monday: Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes for the boys; grits and eggs with sausage patties and biscuits for the grown-ups)

Tuesday: Bourbon Chicken over rice with a tossed salad; German Chocolate Tarts (I am going to adjust this recipe by using small tart shells to make mini-pies) for our Bible Reading Group snack.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Our dinner at church this week will be beef stroganoff, green beans, salad and dessert.

Thursday: I have a bonus apprehension-free day! Friends have invited us over for a snacking supper and to help our children make ornaments to take to our Nursing Home visit on Sunday.

Friday: We have a Sunday School Class Christmas Party and will be taking Crawfish Puffs (recipe to come) and an ornament to play dirty Santa.

Sous-Chef Saturday: Again I leave it up to Chef D to tell me what he needs me to do:)

Hospitality Sunday: Chef D's Chili

Thank you for checking out my menu:) You can find many more menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie!

comforting AFW

2008-12-03T20:44:00.004-06:00

Yes, the cool days of winter are quickly approaching. You know what I am talking about -- those cold winds that seem to cut straight through your coat. Today was just that kind of day. Good thing we had a comfort-food-filled Apprehension-Free Wednesday today! Tonight's meal at church was soup, salad, and dessert with grilled cheese sandwiches for the kiddos:)

a few quick reviews

2008-12-02T20:51:00.000-06:00

As always, Sharla's Tortilla Soup was a hit on from all viewpoints. I even had one of the ladies from the potluck go back for seconds with the comment that this was the first time she had tried avocado. I love this soup and how easy it is to make.

However, the Chicken and Rice Casserole was not as big of a hit, at least on the home front. Both Chef D and I agreed that the cheese just did not fit with the flavor combinations. I will probably try it again sometime without the cheese.

Unfortunately, I loved the brownie cups way too much. Two of our fellow bible reading group members decided to bring dessert also, so I ended up with several of the brownie cups leftover...and I have very little self-control in limiting how many I eat!

menu planning monday 12.01.08

2008-11-30T14:44:00.016-06:00

We traveled to Charlotte, NC to spend Thanksgiving with family and just returned home last night. The holidays are definitely here as I am already finding those extra events to plan my menus around. This time of year makes me realize how grateful I am to have started menu planning!

Monday: Sharla's Tortilla Soup (I'll make extra to take to a ladies potluck dinner at church) for Chef D, cheese quesadillas for the boys.

Tuesday: Chicken and Rice Casserole with a tossed salad. Dessert for our bible reading group will be these Brownie Cups.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be soup, salad and dessert (grilled cheese for the kids!).

Thursday: Crockpot Barbecue Pork Sandwiches with pinto beans (going to the Jars of Clay Concert)

Friday: BB's Chicken and Dumplins' with steamed green beans (einstein has a field trip to see a Christmas play and then both the boys have practice for their church children's choir play this night). I will be making a double-batch so I can take half for my share of the food at my monthly scrapbooking crop.

Sous-Chef Saturday: Stay tuned to see what Chef D has planned for this week:)

Snacks for the week will be pumpkin bread and oatmeal bars.

Don't forget to check in over at OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

menu planning monday 11.24.08

2008-11-23T18:15:00.004-06:00

We will be traveling to my brother's home in North Carolina later this week, so I have a limited holiday week menu. I will be bringing our traditional cranberry relish for the holiday meal on Thursday.

Monday: Chef D and tigergirl will be working a thanksgiving food drive and will not be here for dinner. The boys and I will have pasta and salad.

Tuesday: Tigergirl requested Chicken Noodle Soup (yeah, she prefers the canned stuff) and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. Dessert for our Bible Reading group will be Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to check out all the other menu plans over at OrgJunkie!

dessert AFW

2008-11-19T20:59:00.000-06:00

One of the best parts of Apprehension-Free Wednesdays is that there is always a dessert. Tonight's meal at church included baked spaghetti, salad, garlic toast and a choice of two desserts -- german chocolate cake or apple-pecan cobbler. Chef D chose the german chocolate (I never doubted he would choose otherwise since it is one of his favorite types of cakes and he does not care for cooked apples). I, on the other hand, listened to Mr. Joe's advice (he helps serve dinner on Wednesday nights) and tried the cobbler. Oh, I think I will keep on heeding Mr. Joe's advice because it was to.die.for delicious!

maple glazed salmon with baked potato

2008-11-17T18:18:00.006-06:00

This salmon recipe is really easy and definitely leaves a nice crisp exterior and tender inside. I didn't use enough salt this time, so the flavors did not all come through like they should have. The potato was fluffy, yet still had a nice texture. I originally planned to have steamed broccoli, but realized I had the makings for a salad already, so made a last minute change.

In the end, I still really liked this quick and easy meal.

menu planning monday 11.17.08

2008-11-16T14:09:00.007-06:00

Monday: Maple Glazed Salmon with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Tuesday: Crockpot Beef Curry with coconut rice and a tossed salad. Yummy Mushroom-Squash soup for lunch.

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church this week will be baked spaghetti, salad and dessert.

Thursday: Pepper Chicken over rice and steamed asparagus [plans changed due to meetings and a late doctor's appointment so we will be dining out instead]

Friday: I have a scrapbooking crop and haven't decided what to take to share. Chef D and the boys will be on their own! [due to the change on Thursday's menu, I will be using the chicken thighs to make Chef D's version of Mimi's Sticky Chicken to take to the crop]

Sous-chef Saturday: I wonder what Chef D has up his sleeve for this week!

Don't forget to check out all great menu plan ideas at OrgJunkie!

steaks with sauteed squash, carrots, and asparagus

2008-11-15T19:07:00.004-06:00

Tonight was sous-chef Saturday where Chef D prepares the meal. Most of my sous-chef duties were cleaning up afterwards!

Chef D prepared bacon-wrapped filet's for the ladies and ribeyes for the menfolk. On the side, we had some perfectly cooked, but crisp, fresh veggies and our favorite Sister Schubert rolls.

We ended the meal with a store-bought tiramisu kicked up a notch by Chef D.

Here are a few remarks from the test kitchen attendees:

Mama S: Great. Delicious. Splendid. Superb.

Ms. Diva: The filets were almost like butter.

Mr. Diva: Scrumpdeli-icious.

DW: Superb.

crockpot bbq pork sandwiches and pinto beans

2008-11-13T20:07:00.002-06:00

I have grown to love this Crock pot BBQ Pork recipe. It is so easy. All you have to do is throw some country ribs and a can of beef broth in the crock pot and let it cook on low all day long -- you end up with an unusually tender meat for your BBQ. It cooked on low for about 2-3 hours, then I left it on the warm setting for another 6 hours.

I originally planned to make some cole slaw, but that didn't fit into the day's plans. But, the pot of beans were great! I like to add a little shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream to mine.

This is my second time using this recipe and there will be definitely be a third.

dancing AFW

2008-11-12T15:51:00.008-06:00

Oh, how I love Apprehension-Free Wednesday! I am just so happy not to have to decide what to make for dinner tonight that I feel like dancing -- Russian dancing, that is.

Tonight's dinner at church will be Russian Chicken, rice, squash casserole, salad, and dessert.

menu planning monday 11.10.08

2008-11-09T20:09:00.012-06:00

I hope to be back in the swing of following through with my menu-planning this week. Chef D will be eating elsewhere a few nights this week, so I will have somewhat of a apprehension-reprieve those nights.

Monday: Chef D will be eating dinner at the church Men's Club meeting tonight. The boys and I will have vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I am going to try to make these graham crackers for snacks this week.

Tuesday: Fish Tacos with Blue Tortilla Chips (make enough for company that will be here) and mini blueberry dump cakes for dessert for our Bible Reading group. Chef D will be smoking a pork butt for this week's to go meal (since he has a work holiday and will be home for the day!).

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be Russian Chicken, rice, squash casserole, salad and dessert. (start soaking pinto beans for Thursday)

Thursday: Crock pot Barbecue Pork Sandwiches with cole slaw and pinto beans

Friday: Spaghetti, Salad, and Garlic Toast

Sous-chef Saturday: It's time again for Chef D to work his magic. I look forward to serving in the sous-chef role!

Don't forget to check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

crock pot apple-bacon pork chops over basmati rice with sauteed veggies

2008-11-07T21:16:00.006-06:00

Tonight's meal came from a Food Network menu and recipe. I chose it because the 'pork chops and applesauce' theme reminded me of that old Brady Bunch episode -- not really, but it did bring back the memory. I was a huge Brady Bunch fan in elementary school...I even had a BB lunch box. But, back to tonight's meal.

I did not follow the recipe's instructions for the vegetables. Instead, I just sauteed the mushrooms in a little butter and olive oil and sprinkled a bit of Mrs. Dash's on them. While they cooked, I prepared the zucchini by using my OXO julienne peeler. This is the best tool and I highly suggest you purchase one. I also use it to make carrot strips for salad or soup. After prepping the zucchini, I stir-fried them lightly in a bit of olive oil and seasoned them with a little Emeril's Essence...BAM! A touch of freshly grated parmesan and it was ready to eat.

In the end, pork chops, even very thick ones still with the bone, do not do well in a crock pot. Although they were tender and easy to cut, they were dry. Chef D scraped all his apple-bacon-crouton goop from the top. I liked it okay, but it wasn't anything special. Unfortunately, this recipe is not a keeper.

rosemary grilled chicken thighs with sauteed garlic spinach and two-cheese polenta

2008-11-06T18:32:00.003-06:00

This Southern Living recipe just looked too good not to try and turned out to be pretty simple to prepare, as well. Although the recipe said that boneless breasts or pork tenderloin could be used, I stayed with the thighs in hopes of a more moist meat. The thighs marinated for about 20 hours and were true to recipe in only needing about 5 minutes per side on the grill. At that point, I pulled them from the grill and wrapped them, covered in the fresh lemon juice, in foil and kept them in the warming oven until Chef D arrived home from work. I used polenta in the place of the called-for grits (since I had some in the cupboard that needed to be used) and used chicken stock instead of water. As always, it ended up needing extra liquid so I added about 1/2 cup of water extra during the 25 minutes of cooking.

I wasn't too sure about the spinach, but decided to give it a shot. Chef D was quite the good sport and ate all his spinach, even though I know it would not have been his choice of vegetable. Personally, I did not care for it either, but ate mine as well. The chicken was good and the polenta was divine (in my mind, grits are the perfect food). I will definitely fix the chicken and grits again:)

menu planning monday 11.03.08

2008-11-02T14:41:00.023-06:00

Well, I survived my busy week of planning and running our church fall festival. It took place last Friday night and we ministered to between 800-1000 people over the course of 2 hours. Whew! Then, the next night we had our eldest son's 11th birthday party with 10 of his friends -- a Video Game Playing party (what more could any 11-year old boy ask for?)! Needless to say, I am whooped.

I look forward to having more time again to plan and prepare meals this week. I am also adding an extra to go meal each week that will be sent home with friends. This week's to go meal will be on Monday. So, here we go:

Monday: Fajitas (Chef D finally found skirt steak last week and started marinating it Sunday, so it's a done deal for tonight) with pinto beans ; Lasagna to go

Tuesday: Lasagna, Salad, and Garlic Bread

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans (start chicken marinating for Thursday)

Thursday: Rosemary Grilled Chicken with Sauteed Garlic Spinach and Two-cheese Grits

Friday: Crockpot Apple-Bacon Pork Chops over rice

Saturday: Football Game at Auburn (dining out with L & I afterwards)

Sunday: Church Supper Club at the HBs

Don't forget to check out all the other menu planning ideas at OrgJunkie!

got AFW?

2008-10-29T13:32:00.008-05:00

If you want to answer yes to the question on your right, all you have to do is join me for dinner tonight. Yes, it is another Apprehension-Free Wednesday!

Tonight's meal at church will be lasagna, salad, and dessert.

birthday meal

2008-10-28T22:28:00.005-05:00

Today was my eldest son's 11th birthday, so he got to choose our menu for the evening. He chose ham, cinnamon rice, and pumpkin muffins. We ended up saving the muffins and giving them a dose of homemade cream cheese frosting before singing the requisite birthday serenade. Our friends from our Bible Reading group were here to help us celebrate the momentous occasion.

He will celebrate with his friends on Saturday night with a Game Party.

dessert egg rolls?

2008-10-27T19:35:00.004-05:00

I used this egg roll wrapper and filling recipe as part of tonight's meal. The boys had pizza rolls while Chef D and I had something closer to the egg roll filling in the recipe (fake crab meat in the place of the shrimp). We ate them along with a light but hearty (because it had added rice) broth that Chef D made yesterday using some leftover wing tips not used in a batch of Mimi's Sticky Chicken wings that we took to a church potluck last night.

However, what you see on the right was our favorite egg roll filling: chocolate chips, miniature marshmallows and coconut with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. They were a hit!

Edited to add this very important information: I did NOT make the egg roll wrappers from the recipe on the above linked site. I bought egg roll wrappers.

menu planning monday 10.27.08

2008-10-26T14:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Kid-friendly menu week! This week we will be celebrating my eldest son's 11th birthday and I will be organizing and directing our church Fall Festival for 500-700 people. Yes, it will be a crazy week at the artisan household!

Monday: Homemade pizza rolls (and egg rolls for the big people!) with a hearty vegetable broth

Tuesday: einstein's 11th birthday! His menu choice -- sliced ham, cinnamon rice (regular white rice with added butter, cinnamon and sugar), and pumpkin muffins (I will make a batch earlier in the week using 1/2 to make a loaf and the other 1/2 to make muffins)

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church includes lasagna, salad and dessert.

Thursday: Hamburgers, tater tots, and carrot sticks

Friday: Fall Festival hot dogs, popcorn, drinks and lots of candy!

Saturday: einstein's birthday party! He requested a "munchie meal" (pretzels, chips, cheese dip, store-bought pizza rolls) and a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting at his Game Party at the church.

Don't forget to check out all of the other menu planning ideas over at OrgJunkie!

thai chicken skewer wraps with kow pad (fried rice)

2008-10-24T19:45:00.003-05:00

This is my final test of a Cuisine at Home recipe. The thai chicken skewer wraps were the last of the recipes I culled from my 2 year supply of Cuisine at Home magazines. It seems that most of my choices were asian-inspired recipes and I found that many of them used red pepper flakes that brought way too much heat to the table. I probably should not have tried to do them all in a two week period, but spread them out amongst less-spicy meals.

The peanut sauce was really good, even though I did make way too much. I did save the remainder to use on ramen noodles. I did not necessarily follow the kow pad recipe exactly. It was okay, but nothing special.

If I attempt this recipe again, I will make the following alterations:

use iceberg lettuce
velvet the chicken in small pieces and stir-fry it with some of the peanut sauce (instead of skewering and broiling -- no flavor)
omit the cilantro
make less of the peanut sauce

italian sausage ragu with penne pasta

2008-10-23T18:30:00.003-05:00

This Cuisine at Home recipe certainly led to a pretty photograph, but I am afraid that the flavor did not follow through in the same way.

Chef D ate the penne pasta with a bit of the sauce, but most of the vegetable portion of the meal remained on his plate at the end. The tomatoes just did not cook down enough to break down their acidity.

I ate all of mine, but it is not something I would make again. Perhaps if I started with a store-bought sauce and added the vegetables in, it may have worked better for us.

Well, you live and learn.

breakfast for dinner AFW

2008-10-22T09:22:00.004-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you wore your pajamas all day long? Well, this would be a perfect day to do just that...because we are having breakfast for dinner!

This week's Apprehension-Free Wednesday meal at church includes: scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese grits (yumm!), biscuits and fruit salad (with pancakes for the kiddos!).

blt pasta with orange-red onion salad

2008-10-21T21:31:00.004-05:00

This was another recipe from my Cuisine at Home magazine. This is the second recipe that has called for red pepper flakes and ended up being almost too hot to eat. From now on, I am not putting any red pepper flakes in my recipes and will just wait until the end to season. It was hard to even capture a taste of the bacon, tomato or spinach with all the heat from the red pepper-infused sauce. Chef D ate it but did not really care for it.

The orange-red onion salad was a nice cool retreat from the heat of the pasta. I really enjoyed the flavor of the dressing and even the onions (which I normally do not like on salads). Chef D prefers a salad with a bit more crunch, so if I make the salad again I will include some iceberg lettuce with the mesclun/spring mix.

shrimp wontons with asian soup - repeat

2008-10-20T19:21:00.005-05:00

The first time I made this meal, something was just not quite right, so I thought I would give it another try tonight. Since the wontons were a little lacking in the flavor department last time, I added a bit more seasonings (extra fresh grated ginger and a minced clove of garlic). These wonton wrappers did not do well in the purse-shape I created last time, so we had little 'envelopes' tonight.

It still did not work.

Chef D explained to me why it did not work. They need to be fried, not 'boiled'. All the seasonings get washed out in the water. So, now I need to decide whether we are going to go for a three-peat in the future. These are just so cute I really want to make them work!

menu planning monday 10.20.08

2008-10-19T15:17:00.015-05:00

I am still trying to consider nutritional information when choosing my menus, so I have included a few more recipes from my Cuisine at Home magazine that include the nutritional data.

Monday: Shrimp Wontons with asian soup

Tuesday: BLT Pasta with orange and red onion salad

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: This week's church dinner is going to be a breakfast: scrambled eggs, sausage, cheese grits, biscuits and fruit salad (pancakes for the kids!).

Thursday: Italian Sausage Ragu with penne pasta

Friday: Thai Chicken Skewer Wraps with Kow Pad (fried rice)

Supper Club Saturday: No sous-chef Saturday this week since we will be joining our supper club group for dinner at Mr. & Mrs. M's house!

Check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

new wave questions

2008-10-18T20:38:00.006-05:00

Is this not just the most perfect plate that Chef D showed me while we were out shopping today? The lovely color and shape are just right for framing a beautiful meal, don't you think?

Can you tell that I am trying to convince myself to store away (or, gulp, get rid of) our casual wedding china that we have used for the past 21 years and replace it with this little baby?

But, for now I will just dream...

surf and turf on caesar salad

2008-10-17T19:35:00.004-05:00

This is the last of our Cuisine at Home recipes for this week's meals. Chef D does not really care for hot food on salad, so I added a fried rice at the last minute (using the leftover basmati rice from last Friday). I sauted some red onion and fresh minced garlic in some peanut oil, crumbled in the rice with a little salt, and fried it up enough to separate all the grains and get it warmed up.

This was a fairly easy meal to prepare. Even though it seemed a little strange to layer the shrimp's sauce onto the salad, I decided to give it a try. The flavor's seemed to go quite well with the Caesar dressing (which I did not make from the recipe but used a bottled version I already had in the icebox). I was not sure if the rice would go with the meal, but it was a nice addition for me.

Chef D suggested that I not use the giant shrimp next time as their flavor is really not special for the increased price to procure them. The shrimp's sauce was also a bit strong for his taste. But, he did make a happy plate, so I call it a successful night.

dan dan noodles with pickled cucumbers

2008-10-16T21:17:00.004-05:00

This was yet another recipe from my Cuisine at Home magazines. I decided to use a hothouse cucumber instead of the usual garden variety before I realized that the recipe called to julienne the cucumber. I wasn't sure if it would provide enough crunch once I began to cut them up. I did not have any of the long-life noodles, so I just used thin spaghetti.

I made the cucumbers earlier in the day and I think I may have put in a few too many of the red pepper flakes. Fortunately, the noodle dish did not have too much of a kick to it, so the cucumbers worked okay for me. Chef D, on the other hand, prefers a previous non-julienned pickled cucumber recipe with a little less kick to it . In the end, I really enjoyed this meal, even with the extra heat in the cukes. The peanut flavor was divine. Chef D also enjoyed the noodles and said he could eat it again. This one's a keeper!

apple pie bites, part two

2008-10-15T14:16:00.005-05:00

Einstein did not get one of the apple pie bites last night, so I made a small batch this afternoon to surprise him with when he gets home from school. I used refrigerator biscuits this time instead of crescent roll dough. The crescent rolls were so much easier to deal with since I did not have to roll them, plus they held together at the top while these biscuits did not. But, they still tasted good (even though this version was cranberry-free)!

easy AFW

2008-10-15T11:50:00.004-05:00

Yes, I am taking it easy today since it is another Apprehension-Free Wednesday! You, too, can take it easy and join me for dinner at church. Tonight's menu includes meatloaf, hashbrown casserole, green beans, rolls and dessert.

Just reach over and push that easy button.

salmon cakes and asparagus with creamy dill sauce

2008-10-14T21:13:00.003-05:00

This is my 50th post! [just wanted to share that with anyone who cares] Now, on to the business at hand.

The salmon cakes were much easier to prepare than I thought. It just took a few moments to pulse the ingredients in the food processor then add in the salmon. I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop it out and flatten out a bit before leaving it in the icebox until it was time to cook. I also did a quick blanch of the asparagus and made the dill sauce in advance, so all I had to do at the end was add it together and heat up a bit.

I really enjoyed the texture of the cakes, but Chef D and I both agreed it had a bit too much heat. If I make this again, I will reduce the sriracha to 1/2 tablespoon. I think this could easily be made with frozen salmon to reduce the cost.

Chef D recommended this apple pie bite recipe for our dessert after our bible reading group. I had some crescent roll dough that needed to be used, so I used that instead of the biscuit dough. I just rolled it out and flattened out all the perforations and cut it into 6 squares. I also added an eggwash to the tops before baking. They turned out great!

menu planning monday 10.13.08

2008-10-13T06:30:00.007-05:00

Chef D requested that I begin including nutritional data for my recipes. Until I figure out the easiest way to make those calculations myself, I am going to include some recipes from my Cuisine At Home magazines (they have nutritional data!). So, this week is Cuisine At Home Week that happens to include a lot of seafood!

Monday: Chef D and the boys will be attending a church men's group dinner, so I am on my own for the night!

Tuesday: Salmon Cakes with Steamed Asparagus and dill sauce and Apple Pie Bites for dessert

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: This week's menu at church is meat loaf, hash brown casserole, green beans, salad and dessert.

Thursday: Dan Dan Noodles with Pickled Cucumber

Friday: Surf & Turf on Caesar Salad

Sous-Chef Saturday: I wonder what Chef D will have up his sleeve for tonight's meal. Whatever the case, I know I will enjoy playing sous-chef for the night! [edited to add: it now looks like we will be traveling to Tigertown to see tigergirl, so there will be no sous-chef work in my future this weekend]

Sunday: TBD

Don't forget to check out all the other great menu ideas at OrgJunkie!

weekend update

2008-10-12T14:58:00.002-05:00

Chef D made some of his famous smoked ribs to take and share on Saturday when we did a little tailgating before the Auburn-Arkansas game. The football team did not have a great night, but I know all who tasted those ribs only had great things to say. His ribs are always great, but these were particularly tasty and I think it was, in part, by his addition of some brown sugar to his rub. Way to go, Chef D!

This morning I started the crockpot chicken piccata and made the mashed potatoes before we left for church. The flavor was pretty good, but the chicken was a little dry. That may have been because I ended up using chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts (one of those surprises when your chicken thaws and it isn't what you thought it was!). But, I also just don't think boneless chicken does well in a crockpot. If I try this recipe again, I will use bone-in thighs. I also realized this morning that I did not have the artichoke hearts, so I did not include them.

yakatori chicken with stir-fried vegetables and jasmine rice

2008-10-10T18:51:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe from Guy Fieri's Guy Off the Hook series on Food Network. It sounded too good to pass up, so tonight we had a little Yakatori Chicken. Since I had several bell peppers that had been purchased last week for a meal that was never made, I decided to stir-fry them with some onions and mushrooms. Then, at the last minute, I decided we needed a starch, so I pulled out the basmati rice. I noticed that it suggested to let the rice soak for 20 minutes prior to cooking to get the full length of the rice, so I decided to go for it. Wow. That was some long rice.

The preparation was a bit labor intensive, taking more time than I usually do to prepare dinner. In the end, it wasn't bad, and even had a decent flavor. But as Chef D put it, "ooo, chicken mcnuggets!". Yes, he was being a bit sarcastic, but in a funny way. If it had been a quick and easy to fix course, I may have considered it again in the future. But, this was way too much work for a meal that did not bring fireworks to the palate.

slow cooker pork barbecued sandwiches with corn on the cob

2008-10-09T21:35:00.005-05:00

Unlike food stylist photographers, my food is real and ready to eat. That is why I was in a bit of a hurry when I took this picture. I wanted to eat it! So, I didn't exactly place the bun in the most attractive position. That is not a bite out of the bun, but where it was separated from it's sister bun.

On to the story, though. This recipe was great and so easy! I dropped the boneless pork ribs in the crockpot with about a cup of beef broth and let it go at slow for about two hours. After checking it at that point, I decided it was probably done, but I wanted it to stay warm until I was ready to shred it so I left it on the warm setting for the remainder of the day (about 6 hours). I said a quick prayer that it would not be overcooked and my prayer was answered in a wonderful way. The ribs were fall-apart tender and so easy to shred with two forks in hand. I just mixed in a bit of bottled barbecue sauce, tossed it all into a small iron skillet covered with foil, and put in the oven for the last 30 minutes to warm up.

Chef D and I both gobbled up everything, except a bit of meat for his lunch tomorrow.

AFW yummmm

2008-10-08T11:22:00.011-05:00

It is going to be a yummy Apprehension-Free Wednesday today! My sweet friend, VJ, is filling in for our usual church supper chef tonight and she decided to create an italian feast for our eating pleasure. Tonight's dinner will include spaghetti, salad, bread and dessert.

fish tacos and fresh fried corn chips with tomatillo sauce and pico de gallo

2008-10-07T14:05:00.007-05:00

Tonight's meal was inspired by a recipe from Food Network's Tyler Florence. Although I ended up using a different fish taco recipe, I saw the link on Tyler's to his fresh fried corn chips and tomatillo sauce and had to give it a try (since tomatillos have become my new love!). Of course, I needed a little pico de gallo to round out the meal. I want to give a shout out to a friend from church who submitted the fish taco recipe into our recently published church cookbook. Thanks, Mr. A!

Now, as my friend Barb says, let's get to the facts. I really enjoyed the meal and the preparation was not half bad. The frozen tilapia worked just fine, although I have to admit that I did not taste anything that seemed to resemble fish in my taco. I would never have known I cooked seafood if it had not been for the lovely aroma that remained in the kitchen. The instructions for making the tomatillo sauce is the easiest of any I have made so far and I highly recommend this recipe.

Chef D's response? He was a man of few words tonight, but he said it was good and ate all on his plate. Sounds like a keeper.

baked rigatoni with ham and mushrooms

2008-10-06T18:26:00.004-05:00

Tonight's Baked Rigatoni with Ham and Mushrooms was one of those courses that have that down-home cooking feel to them. It was kind of like an upscale ham casserole. I liked the texture of the rigatoni noodles -- usually I completely cook a pasta that is used in a casserole before it is mixed and baked, but this time I only cooked the rigatoni for about half the usual cooking time. It definitely helped give a little more to bite into. It was not bad, but wasn't special, either. Since it isn't exactly low-fat, we probably won't be having it often. However, Chef D did say he may take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

menu planning monday 10.06.08

2008-10-05T14:22:00.012-05:00

Monday: Kim's Baked Rigatoni with ham and mushrooms with mixed green salad

Tuesday: Tyler Florence's Ultimate Fish Tacos with Fresh Fried Corn Chips and Salsa or I may go with a more simple version

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Dinner at church will be Spaghetti, Salad, Bread and Dessert.

Thursday: Slow Cooker Barbecued Pork Sandwiches with corn on the cob

Friday: Guy Fieri's Yakatori Chicken with stir-fried vegetables

Saturday: Tailgating at Auburn! Not sure what food we will bring.

Sunday: Michelle's Crockpot Chick en Piccata with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh garden salad

As always, check out OrgJunkie for more menu planning ideas!

onion soup

2008-10-03T18:08:00.006-05:00

I decided to show you before and after pictures today! Above you see all the ingredients that I started with for tonight's meal. Below is the finished product.

While looking through different blogs during a past Menu Planning Monday post at the OrgJunkie, I came across a blog with both interesting-sounding recipes as well as beautiful photographs of the food. Tonight's onion soup came from that website. The directions with it's accompanying photography were both helpful and enjoyable to look at. In the end, though, there was just something missing with the flavor. Although both Chef D and I finished our helping, we decided not to keep the leftovers.

But, I am going to continue to keep up with her other recipes and give a few more a try.

AFW Fiesta!

2008-10-01T15:58:00.008-05:00

That's right, we are having a fiesta today as we celebrate Apprehension-Free Wednesday! Just imagine yourself wearing your sombrero and dancing with the mariachi band as you enjoy a time of not having to decide what to have or prepare for your evening meal. It almost makes me want to do the mexican hat dance!

Dinner at church tonight includes chicken enchiladas, beef tacos, mexican salad and key lime or cheesecake pie.

leftovers

2008-09-30T21:09:00.006-05:00

I am so grateful for leftovers. I woke up Monday morning with a headache, that led to a sick feeling for the remainder of the day. I did not make the grilled corn on the cob and just fixed myself a sandwich using the leftover brisket. It was delicious. However, later in the evening, my body regretted eating anything as I was struck with a stomach bug.

After being up most of the night, I had little energy to plan anything today, either. In fact, I was only able to eat a toasted english muffin and a bowl of grits over the course of this day. Even Chef D's famous ribs (even leftover) could not call my name.

I was able to pull together a quick dessert for our bible reading group that met tonight. I did not get a picture, but you can find the fruity pastries recipe here.

menu planning monday, 09.29.08

2008-09-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

We had guests over for dinner on Saturday and cooked way too much food. We have leftover meat for at least 3 meals, so I am going to base our meals for the beginning of the week around them.

Monday: Smoked Beef Brisket (leftovers) with Broccoli Salad (also leftovers) and Bacon-wrapped grilled corn on the cob

Tuesday: Smoked Beef Ribs (leftovers) with pinto beans and cole slaw

Apprehension-Free Wednesday: Supper at church will be a Mexican Dinner.

Thursday: Smoked Sausage (leftovers) with hoagie rolls, sauteed peppers and onions, and Oatmeal Cake (Chef D's Birthday)

Friday: Creamy Onion Soup

Sous-Chef Saturday: We have no specific plans so I guess it is a surprise!

Don't forget to check out the other great menus over at OrgJunkie!