Last week was a tough week. I managed to catch some kind of nasty cold that didn't want to go away. Kind of a bummer for my birthday week. Oh well, that's the way things go sometime. Because of feeling poorly, I didn't stick to the menu very well and we ended up eating take-out a couple of nights. Hopefully this week will be a bit better. Corey has his scout court of honor on Monday and I have eMINTS training, so we'll end up eating out that night, but the rest of the week we should be eating at home. Despite having a cold, I did manage to finish sewing a messenger bag for a teacher friend at school, and I have three others cut and and ready to go (those are yours, Leah, Sheila, and Steph!).

Well, here's the menu for the week. We will be trying a couple of new things, so come back later to see the photos. For more menu ideas, go to orgjunkie.com.

Sunday - Taco Bake, Corn, Peaches
Monday - Out to eat (scouts and computer training)
Tuesday - Orange Ginger Chicken, Rice, Asparagus
Wednesday -Spaghetti w/meatballs (from freezer), Salad

Thursday - Monterrey Chicken, Green Beans, Salad
Friday - Leftovers (I have book club)
Saturday - Onion Beef Muffin Cups, Brussels Sprouts, Applesauce

These were excellent! We will definitely be making them again.

Ingredients
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 boneless beef top sirloin steak (1-inch thick and 6 ounces), cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 cup beef broth
1 tube Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Layers Flaky refrigerated biscuits
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions
In a large non-stick skillet, cook onions over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until very tender. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, cook steak for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Return onions to pan. Stir in the flour and brown sugar until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4-6 minutes or until thickened.

Separate biscuits. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of ten ungreased muffin cups, overlapping the sides and tops (you might need to flatten them with a rolling pin first).

Fill each with about 2 tablespoons beef mixture. Combine mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over filling. Fold dough over completely to enclose filling. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm. Yield: 5 servings.

Recipe adapted from - Taste of Home

This was a very tasty chicken dish. Even the boys liked it!

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. orange juice concentrate/unsweatened
1/4 teas. ginger
2 tbls. lemon juice
2 tbls. honey + 1 tbls. (set aside)
2 tbls. Orange Marmalade
Orange slices for garnish

Directions
Mix the ingredients together, and pour into a baking dish. Allow chicken to marinate, for 15 min. turning often. Bake at 400 degrees, for approx. 30 min. turning every 10 min. Remove chicken and place in a shallow dish. Baste the chicken with the orange marmalade. Pour juice mixture, plus 1 tbls. honey, into a saucepan, and allow to cook down to a syrupy consistancy, then pour over the chicken. Garnish with orange slices if desired.
Serves = 4
WW pts = 4

Recipe Source - Chubbie Chica

Ingredients:
1 lb. very lean (93/7) ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1 8 oz. package Pillsbury Reduced Fat crescent rolls
1 can chili beans (do not drain)
1 packet taco seasoning (I use homemade)
1 cup reduced fat 2% sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Brown beef and onion; drain. Spray 9" X 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Unroll crescent rolls (they will fit right inside pan). Pinch together to make crust. Bake for 6 minutes. Add beans and taco seasoning to beef; mix thoroughly. Top crust with meat mixture and bake an additional 10 minutes. Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

8 servings
WW Pts = 5

Modified from http://www.chubbiechica.com/2009/01/recipe-of-day-taco-bake.html

We had a good week, though it was a busy one. Eric was on the road quite a bit, including being gone over the weekend. My sister-in-law and my nephew came to visit over the weekend, which was an extra treat. We always love having company over to visit. Andy's Frozen Custard, a popular ice cream restaurant in our area, gave away free ice cream cones every day this week to Facebook fans, so we definitely took advantage of free cones! Corey participated in the Math Counts contest on Saturday and got second place overall in the inidividual competition, which qualified him to go to state. His team also placed second and will be going to state as well. Pretty exciting stuff! I did a lot of sewing this weekend as I have quite a few bag orders I need to fill. This week is a little less hectic with just our usual obligations and my birthday on Wednesday. :) Here's the menu for this week. For more menu ideas, see orgjunkie.com.

Sunday - Crock Pot Corn Potato and Ham Scallop (didn't get to it last week), Rolls, Grapes
Monday - Bruschetta and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts (from freezer), Green Beans, Salad
Tuesday - Taco Bake (recipe posted soon), Corn, Strawberries
Wednesday - Filets, Day Before Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine (birthday dinner)
Thursday - Cheeseburger Pasta, Salad, Crescent Rolls
Friday - Eat out
Saturday - Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Salad, Garlic bread

Because of our busy schedule last week and me being gone for part of the week, I didn't do the best job sticking to my menu. We had lots of leftover chicken and beef from our Super Bowl gathering, so we ended up eating that on Monday and Tuesday. I was exhausted on Friday after traveling, so we ended up getting takeout. On Saturday, we went hiking in Arkansas, and just ate the leftover takeout when we got home. It was really sad to see all of the damage from the ice storm. There were electrical workers everywhere trying to restore power to the rural areas. They have a big job ahead of them. Here are some pictures from our hike that will let you see some of the damage.



Since I skipped a few things in my menu last week, you will see a few repeats this week. Hopefully I will get them all made. Today I did some cooking to get a head start on the week. I also made a batch of French Leek Soup for my lunches this week. It's great stuff. Anyway, here's this week's menu. For more menu ideas, go to orgjunkie.com.

Sunday - Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herbed Dressing, Grilled Asparagus, Salad
Monday - Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Peaches
Tuesday - Paprika Chicken w/ sour cream sauce, Rice, Brussels Sprouts
Wednesday- Turkey Club Squares, Salad, Fruit
Thursday - Crock Pot Corn Potato and Ham Scallop, Green Beans
Friday - Homemade Pizza, Salad
Saturday - Leftovers

My friend Andee shared this recipe with me, so I thought I would give it a try this week.

Ingredients:
2 cups Bisquick (I use the reduced fat kind)
1/3 cup mayo (I used fat free Miracle Whip)
1/3 cup milk (always skim at my house)
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 T)
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (I always use center cut bacon)
1/4 cup mayo (still the ff Miracle Whip)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 c)
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese (I use the 2% WW kind)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Mix Bisquick, 1/3 cup mayo and the milk until soft dough forms. Roll or pat dough into 12x8-inch rectangle on cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Mix turkey, onions, bacon, and 1/4 cup mayo. Spoon over crust to withing 1/4 inch of edges. Sprinkle with tomato and cheese.
3. Bake 5-6 mintues or until turkey mixture is hot and cheese is melted.

Recipe Source - Betty Crocker

Ingredients:
6 cups peeled baking potatoes -- cut in 1" cubes
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham (I use turkey ham)
1 15.25oz. can no salt added corn, drained
2 teaspoons instant minced onion
1 10 3/4oz. can condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:
In 3 1/2 to 4-quart Crock-Pot slow cooker, combine potatoes, ham, corn, and onion; mix well. In small bowl, combine soup, milk and flour; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; stir gently to mix. Cover; cook on low setting for 7-9 hours or until potatoes are tender.

Additional Info: Potatoes cook more quickly when cut into small pieces; cubed potatoes will cook faster than quartered potatoes. The 1-inch chunks of potato in our recipe work well as they do not get too soft during the long cooking time. Also, leftover cooked roast beef or turkey can be used in place of the ham.

Serving Size = 1 1/2 Cup
WW Points = 6

Recipe modifed from a recipe by Chubbie Chica

This is a really tasty soup, and it freezes well. The picture doesn't do it justice (it's really hard to photograph soup!).

Ingredients
3 carrots, diced
4 potatoes, peeled, diced
3 c. chicken stock
1 bunch leeks, cleaned, white part chopped
½ c butter (I only used 1/4 cup)
3 c. milk
1 t salt
¼ t white pepper
1 T chopped parsley or chives

Directions
Cook carrots and potatoes in chicken stock until tender. Sauté leeks in butter until tender; add to vegetable mixture. Puree in blender or food processor (I use an immersion blender). Return to pan. Add milk and seasonings; heat gently until hot. Serves 6-8.

Recipe source – Bonnie Matzat

Winter weather hit us hard this week. On Monday, freezing rain began around 1:00, so they let us out of school early. Corey and I had a rather treacherous drive home (we slid sideways going down a hill on Hwy 65), but did make it home safely. There were lots of accidents along the way and we got stuck in traffic for a while because of an accident. Our normal 30 minute commute took just over an hour. Some of my colleagues who left school an hour later than I did took two hours to get home. No fun! We ended up getting about a 1/2 inch of ice, and inch of sleet and about 3 inches of snow in a 24 hour period. In southwest Missouri, that's a big deal. We ended up being out of school all week. I did not travel to the technology conference I was supposed to present at that week, which was kind of sad. But, better to be safe and at home to take care of my family. I got some extra cooking done, spent lots of time with Corey, and even sewed a new bag.

This week I have another conference to attend mid-week, so the boys will be eating some items out of the freezer. Thank heaven for make-ahead recipes. :) This afternoon we have some friends from Eric's work coming over to watch the Super Bowl. It should be a great week!

Here's this week's menu. For more menu ideas to go orgjunkie.com.

Sunday - Super Bowl Party : Bacon Wrapped Cheesey Chicken, Beef and Bacon Pinwheels, Vegetable Tray, Fruit Tray, Brownies w/ ice cream
Monday - Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Peaches
Tuesday - Paprika Chicken w/ sour cream sauce, Rice, Brussels Sprouts
Wednesday - Manicotti with cheese (from freezer), Garlic Muffins(from freezer), Salad
Thursday - Chili (from freezer), PB Sandwiches

Friday - Homemade Pizza, Salad
Saturday - Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herbed Dressing, Grilled Asparagus, Salad

I saw this recipe on the Taste and Tell blog and thought it looked good. I doubled the recipe to make enough for our family. NOTE: Now that I have made this recipe, I would leave the fresh parsley out of the sauce. The sauce kind of reminded me of tartar sauce at first, but I did like it. It will definitely be better without the parsley.

Makes 2 servings

PORK
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 large egg white
1/3 cup panko
2 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 teaspoon canola oilcooking spray

DRESSING
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonaise
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

To prepare pork, preheat oven to 450°.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce and egg white in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour mixture; dip in egg mixture. Dredge in panko. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 1 minute on each side. Place pork on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes or until done.
To prepare dressing, combine onions and the remaining ingredients. Serve dressing with pork.

Recipe Source - Cooking Light

This was an awesome recipe! Super easy and very tasty.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground red pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1 tsp olive oil
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Healthy Request Condensed Cream of ChickenSoup
2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup fat free sour cream

Directions:
Stir the flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper on a plate. Coat the chicken with the paprika mixture. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the
chicken for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Stir the soup and green onions in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the sour cream.

Recipe Source - Campbells

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
4 ounces fat free cream cheese
1 T minced garlic
1 t parsley
1 t basil
4 slices bacon


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a small sharp knife cut into the thick end of the chicken and make an incision reaching 2/3 the way down the breast. Loosen up the incision with your fingers to make a hole. Combine the cream cheese with the garlic, basil, and parsley, season with salt and pepper and stuff into the breasts. Wrap the breasts with the bacon tightly to cover the meat evenly. Place chicken on a nonstick baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes until bacon is crispy and chicken is firm.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 packet onion gravy mix
1 egg
2 TBSP white wine
salt and pepper
garlic powder
pepper
Bacon slices

Directions
Mix all the ingredients well in a large bowl. Use a large scoop or spoon and scoop up some of the meat mixture to make big meatballs. Wrap a bacon slice around the meatball and then flatten it a bit until it resembles a disc.

Place in a greased oven proof dish and bake in a 450º F oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until meat and bacon are cooked (I put mine on a wire rack so the fat drips away as they cook).

Recipe Source - Full Bellies, Happy Kids