I know, I know - I haven't posted a menu since April 21. That's the first time I've missed weeks since I started the blog back in 2007. I did still have menus made, but I didn't take the time to post them. So, let me catch you up on why. :) Heads up - this will be a pretty big "mom bragging" post, so if you just want the menu, scroll on down to the bottom. ;)

If you've read my blog for a while, you know that I have one son, who happens to be a pretty incredible young man. If you ever meet Corey in person, you would just think he's super nice average high school kid that is polite, likes to spend time with friends, etc. But beneath all of that, Corey is super smart. I mean REALLY smart. He scored a perfect score on his ACT, he was named a National Merit Scholar, he was selected as part of Missouri Scholars 100, and in early in May we found out that he was named as a U. S. Presidential Scholar! This is a tremendous honor. There is one boy and one girl per state that is given this honor each year, and the selected students receive an expense paid trip to Washington, D. C. and get to meet the President! Needless to say, we are VERY proud parents and are so pleased to see all of his hard work over the years pay off.

Because of graduation and preparing for his D. C. trip, things have been a little extra crazy at our house. We hosted our family and friends for a graduation party on Mother's Day weekend. We had a taco bar for lunch (which I highly recommend if you need to serve a large group of people), and my husband made the most amazing graduation video as a present for Corey. It had clips from most of his teachers over the years, all of our family members (including my dad right before he passed away), and he even got some of Corey's favorite authors and podcasters to send him clips (way to go James Dashner, Neal Shusterman, and the Gomers!). It was amazing.

Corey also got invited to a lunch at the Governor's Mansion as recognition for being a Presidential Scholar. That will be a fun experience later this week.

Now that I am finally out of school, I think I will be able to get back on track with the blog. Since it's summer, my meals will be pretty simple. I do lots of grilling with veggies as the sides. :) Here's this week's menu. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Leftover Sloppy Joes, Salad, Strawberries
Monday - Memorial Day cookout at my mom's house
Tuesday - Pork Roast and Gravy (from freezer) Open-Faced Sandwiches, Salad, Strawberries

Wednesday - Turkey Brat Hobo Packs (sliced brats, potatoes, onion, and corn cooked in a foil pack on the grill), Salad, Peaches (we ended up using some sirloin as I accidentally burnt the brats)

Thursday - BLTs, Salad, Strawberries
Friday - Taco Burgers (recipe from Corey coming soon!), Green Beans, Salad
Saturday - Steak and Scallops, Grilled Asparagus, Salad, Strawberries

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com. 

I've been trying to use less pre-made mixes (too much sodium, etc.) and to find homemade versions of simple recipes. I tweaked a bunch of different sloppy joe recipes to make this one, and it really is scrumptious.

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (pureed in the blender)
4 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions:

Puree the chopped onion and chopped celery in the blender or food processor so that you don't have large chunks of vegetables (I added about a 1/4 of water to the blender so that mixed smoothly).

Pour onion and celery mixture into a large nonstick skillet and heat through to get rid of some of the water and to soften the vegetables. Add the two pounds of ground beef and cook until the meat is brown. Drain.

Puree the can of crushed tomatoes in the blender to get rid of the chunks. Add to the meat mixture in the skillet. Mix in the brown sugar, vinegar, garlic powder and ground mustard.

Simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

This is a great item to make and freeze for future use.

This recipe is much better than the picture looks. It's beautiful when sliced. :)

Ingredients:

1 canned chipotle chili in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat

Directions:

Combine chipotle and sauce, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender or mini food processor; blend or process until the chipotle is chopped and the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add pork and seal, squeezing out any excess air from the bag. Turn to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. 

Preheat grill to high or heat a large indoor grill pan over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade (discard marinade). Grill the pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the meat registers 145° F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Recipe Source - EatingWell

I know, I know. I haven't posted my menu for two weeks in a row now. I think that might be a first in my blogging history. It's my son's high school graduation week, and I'm simply swamped. I promise to catch up on some fun family stories soon, and get the menus going again. I have made them - just didn't post them. ;)