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. ;)

We are three weeks away from my son's high school graduation! It's hard to believe that time has arrived in our lives. Didn't I just have him? As school winds down and graduation plans rev up, our schedule is pretty crazy. I'm definitely having to make this an easy menu week and use the freezer stash. We're also going to have to have a couple of nights of "on your own" dinners as all three of us will be home at different times a couple of days due to end-of-year contests, etc.

Here's the menu - quick and simple. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Creamy Swiss Chicken and Cheddar Herb Biscuits, Salad, Strawberries

Monday - Spaghetti (sauce made ahead of time), Garlic Muffins, Salad, Strawberries

Tuesday - On Your Own (Spanish Honor Society Induction Night)

Wednesday - On Your Own (Scholar Bowl Sectionals)

Thursday - Brisket with Burgundy Sauce (from freezer), Green Beans, Salad, Peaches

Friday - Turkey and Gravy (from freezer), Rice, Broccoli, Salad

Saturday - Chili Dogs (chili from freezer), corn, salad, strawberries


For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com. 

Super quick post today as I'm at my annual state library conference, and I'm wiped out from being up all night last night for my son's after-prom bash. Here's the menu - quick and simple. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Boys eating chili from the freezer stash since I'm at conference

Monday - Boys eating turkey and gravy from the freezer stash since I'm at conference

Tuesday - Honey Roasted Pork Loin, Green Beans, Salad, Strawberries

Wednesday - Taco Salads, Corn, Peaches

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Bacon and Cheese Stuffed Burgers, Oven Baked Fries, Green Beans, Salad

Saturday -  Eat out (state math contest)


For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com. 

When I sat down to write this week's menu post, I realized never posted last week's menu! Maybe I am getting old! ;) Actually, it's just a very busy time of year at our house. My son is a senior in high school, and we are busy with prom and graduation preparations. It's also a crazy busy time at school right now, and next week is my annual state library conference, and as the chair of the Mark Twain Readers Award committee, I just have more obligations than normal. But, enough excuses. Busy schedules are the exact reason I meal plan (even if I forget to post it to the world). :)

Tonight, I am presenting a workshop on meal planning to a wonderful group of ladies at Forsyth Baptist Church. I'm excited to share my thoughts on meal planning, and I hope they find it useful.

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 - Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs (new), Asparagus, Salad, Strawberries

Monday - Leftovers (boys on their own while I'm teaching workshop)

Tuesday - Spaghetti (make sauce ahead), Broccoli, Salad, Applesauce

Wednesday - Crockpot Mongolian Beef (make ahead), Rice, Green Beans, Salad

Thursday - Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, Broccoli, Salad, Strawberries

Friday - Grilled Burgers, Salad, Apple Slices

Saturday - Fish Tacos, Salad, Strawberries

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com. 

I've seen several versions of this recipe floating around the blogosphere, and I happened to find some chicken thighs on sale at the store this week, so I thought I would give it a try. It very much reminded me of honey mustard chicken. The mustard flavor was too strong for my non-mustard-eating son, but overall, it was a tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (you could easily substitute breasts)
1/2 cup Dijon mustard (don't substitute yellow)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (don't substitute with pancake syrup, but I think you could use honey)
1 T rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a 2 quart baking dish with a double layer of heavy foil and spray with nonstick spray. You want the thighs to be touching and not have extra room in the pan. Otherwise, the sauce will boil off. (If you use chicken breasts, reduce the cooking time to 25 minutes.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, syrup, vinegar, and pepper.

Place the chicken thighs in the pan and pour the sauce on top of it.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the thighs to a plate.

Pour the liquid from the baking pan into a small sauce pot and heat on medium high heat. Whisk in the 1 T of cornstarch to thicken the sauce. If it gets to thick, just add a little water.

To serve, top the chicken thighs with the sauce and sprinkle with the fresh rosemary.