It's beginning to look a lot like....

Time to make the holiday meals.... :)

Friday:
Broccoli Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Saturday:
Skirt Steak with Roasted Root Vegetables
French Onion Soup Casserole

Sunday lunch:
Slow Cooker Honey Baked Ham
Alton Brown's Mac & Cheese
Green Beans
Biscuits

Christmas Eve:
Lucky for us, we get to have dinner out at a dear friend's house!

Christmas Day:
Well, since Paul is in charge of the dinner every year, I will let him take care of the planning of it! :)

Wednesday:
Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Thursday:
Butternut Pasta with Spicy Sausage

Getting Ready for Christmas!

Now that I have successfully made it through juries and finals and grading and posting grades, I get to enjoy Christmas holiday break.... start planning my next semester while the kids are still in school and THEN enjoy Christmas. Since it is getting colder, we are enjoying soup and chili more. Soup twice this week. I am listing the meals but not the days we will eat them since I am not really sure how that is all going to play out yet.

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup
We had this a coupple of weeks ago and it was truly scrumptious. The texture is thick which makes it feel hearty. I don't always like soups that are watery so this was perfect for me. We usually eat this with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches but I think we will do something else this time. Salads would normally be my go to choice, but it is too cold for me to enjoy a salad.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
This is a new one for us. Looks tasty though.

Chicken Enchiladas
This is an old standby for us. For once, I am going to try to make it the night before since it is always so much better the next day. Wish me luck.

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Spicy Sausage and Sage
I have had a similar recipe without the meat and really enjoyed the way the squash makes you think it is a creamy cheese sauce but is really a veggie! I think adding the sausage should be a nice wintry treat. I have two sweet italian sausage links left from the last time I bought them so I think I might use half and half so it won't be too spicy. You can always add spiciness IN but it isn't so easy to take out!

That's all I have so far. That should get me through the next week with parties and all in between. The parents are coming next Thursday so I have to re-tool the menu for their visit anyway.

Enjoy your week!

Finals week

Usually when you read someone is experiencing finals week, they are TAKING the finals. In my case, I am writing and grading the finals. Takes just as much if not more time. So with that in mind, easy dinners....

Saturday night:
Black Beans and Rice

Paul makes this REALLY well. We happened to have some Country Ham bits on hand and they sure did add a lot to the dish.

Sunday:
Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup
Tillamook Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Sour Dough Bread

Monday:
Chicken Soft Tacos
Salad

We cooked the Chicken in the Crock pot yesterday so it will be shredded and ready to put into the tacos.


Tuesday:
Spaghetti with Daddy's Homemade Tomato Sauce


Thursday:
Asian Flank Skewers with Stir Fry Vegetables
Rice

Friday:
Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili

This is really good and the pureed pumpkin adds a really nice earthiness to it wihtout making it taste too sweet or pumpkin-y at all.

Pre-Thanksgiving

So, it is a really busy week getting ready for Thanksgiving while both DH and I attend important conferences in ATL this week. This makes planning meals ahead of time with the time constraints in mind that much more important. I am attempting to plan (and stick to the plan) for every meal until Thanksgiving

Sunday:
Asian Flank Skewers

Monday:
Crock Pot Turkey Three Bean Chili

Tuesday:
Arroz con Pollo

Wednesday:
Out for birthday dinner!

Thursday:


Friday:
Dinner plans out

Saturday:
Daddy's Spaghetti

Sunday:
Rigatoni with Creamy Sausage Sauce

Monday:
Satay Chicken


Tuesday:
Lemon Garlic Chicken

Wednesday:
Leftovers and/or sandwiches

Thursday:
Thanksgiving!

Hallo-week

It is Halloween (well almost) and we just got back from a big racing weekend. (See my other blog runsandtrills.blogspot.com for more  info on that). At any rate, we had a couple of busy days after getting back from the racing weekend in which we had no time to go to the grocery store AND still had to figure out dinner. Actually, I HIGHLY recommend people intentionally don't go to the grocery store when they think they need to at least once a quarter or so because you can get really creative about what to make for dinner and clean out your fridge/pantry at the same time. You would be surprised at how much food you actually have even when you don't think you have "anything."

Anyway, after our annual Halloween festivities with friends (she makes the most delicious Tortilla soup every year before the kids go out and trick or treat!) we actually will have no food to eat besides crackers and flour. So here is the shopping menu for the next few days in no particular order.


Asian Flank Steak Skewers with Rice and Broccoli


Butternut Squash Soup with toasted pecans served with crunchy french bread and salad.


Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili and Corn Bread


Skinny Chicken Enchiladas


On Saturday, I will probably go to the store again, but this is to get me through the weekend!

Shopping in my pantry

I have too much stuff in my pantry. I try to avoid this situation by making a weekly menu, basing a shopping list on that menu and then STICKING to the list and menu. I did a great job last week of sticking to the list, but not so much of sticking to the menu. Life intervenes.

For example, I still have Chevre in my fridge for which I planned to make Chevre Bisque with Lobster Garnish. I didn't make it last week so I am making it tomorrow (except I will not be using Lobster since that is not in my fridge - probably shrimp since that IS in my fridge/freezer).  I did not ever get around to prepping the Black Bean burgers so haven't made those yet but I DID purchase Veggie Burgers so we did eat some of those and used the Whole Wheat Buns I got. Whew -

I DID make the Chicken Enchiladas and they were great as expected and I did make the Chicken Pot Pie Soup which was also really good. AND I made a really tasty Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage. I just happened to have those ingredients on hand except I didn't have Kale so I used some frozen spinach instead. It was delicious.

So.... since we won't be eating at home this weekend, I am going to attempt to make dinner from what is already on hand. Wish me luck.

Saturday: (today)
Chicken Tikka Masala with rice and steamed vegetables

Sunday:
Leftover Soups (Kale and Potato Soup with Turkey Sausage and Chicken Pot Pie Soup)

Monday:
Veggie Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday:
Chevre Bisque with Lobster Garnish

Wednesday:
Church

Thursday:
Beef Stew with potatoes and carrots cooked in crock pot.

Soup's on

I am digging soups lately. Sadly, I never really seem to get around to MAKING soup. I have found at least two that I can get my head around though.


Sunday
Skinny Chicken Enchiladas

Monday
Chili in the Crock Pot

Tuesday
Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Wednesday
Church

Thursday
Black bean burgers

Friday
Chevre Bisque with Lobster Garnish

I need some veggie love

For some reason, I seem to have been avoiding vegetables this week. Well, no more! This week is going to be about getting back in the groove with my veggie love.


Meatless Monday
Black Bean Burgers w/ Avocado
Salad with lots of Veggies

I simply LOVE this recipe. we have had this several times over the last few weeks and each time it is really delicious.


Tuesday
Baby Spinach Salad with Honey Roasted Butternut Squash
Baked Chicken

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, this salad is absolutely delicious but just needs a little bit more to make it a full meal. (at least for our family) I think a simply chicken breast will do the trick.


Thursday:
Carrot Ginger Soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I love carrots and the baby carrots in this recipe will make the soup that much sweeter. Can't wait to try this for the first time.


Friday:
Crock Pot Beer Chicken
Roasted Cauliflower
Brown Rice

I have been meaning to make this for a week now. Luckily, the chicken is frozen, so I still can. Something about getting the crock pot set up the night before is apparently beyond me.

Long term planning

This week I am planning 2 weeks' worth of menus just because it is a super busy time. Also - how does it feel to have 2 weeks' worth of planning done at once, right?

So last night we finally had the Spinach Salad with Honey Roasted Butternut Squash and it was delicious! HIGHLY recommend this recipe. We didn't have any pumpkin seeds so used walnuts instead. I am sure that changed the nutrition information, but it didn't adversely affect the taste at all. It was truly delicious. One recommendation - I would suggest serving this with some grilled chicken or something else. It wasn't quite enough on its own for a whole meal as I had thought. Even serving with some yummy artisan bread would probably be enough. Just needed a little bit more.

So here is the plan for the next couple of weeks:

Sunday:
Cheesey "Masagna" This is a recipe that Paul came up with while we were at the beach. Basically it is as few ingredients as you can buy while away from home as possible. And the girls LOVED it. My youngest pronounced the word wrong, so now, in order to distinguish it from regular lasagna we call it "Masagna." Today I will also put 20 ozs of chicken in the crock pot for it to cook and be available for the Chicken Enchiladas and the broccoli casserole later this week.  I will also prepare the Black Bean Burger patties and put them in the freezer so they are ready to go. (You have to make those ahead.)

Monday:
Chicken Enchiladas
Always love making this dish because it tastes so good the next day too!

Tuesday:
Black Bean Burgers
Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Since the majority of the prep for these burgers comes on a different day. (You have to make the patties and then freeze them.) I am hoping to have these Tuesday but may change it up in case the avocado I bought isn't ripe enough. I think it will be though.


Wednesday:
Church

Thursday:
Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Friday:
Pasta with marinara sauce and turkey sausage. Hopefully this will be in preparation for a long run on Saturday morning - assuming my ankle agrees.


Saturday:

Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Paul makes the BEST tomato soup EVAR and we all love grilled cheese. Though I will probably make generic grilled cheese for the girls, I think I might try to do a Gruyere and green apple on sour dough for the grown ups. We have an electric griddle on which we normally make pancakes and it works really well for the grilled cheese too.


Sunday:
Upside down dinner
This is one of our favorite traditions and I remember it from Sunday nights when I was a kid. This is when we have breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, fruit.  It is the best!

Monday:
Asian Flank Steak Skewers
Edamame Fried Rice (with lots of extra veggies)


Tuesday:

Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili
I think I might serve this with something apple-y like this.


Wednesday:
Church

Thursday:
Crock Pot Beer Chicken

Friday:
Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches (made in Crock Pot)
Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Sadly, I cannot post any recipe here since this will be made with Paul's granddaddy's sercret BBQ sauce recipe. Usually it is used on grilled chicken to GREAT effect. I think it will also be tasty good on the pulled pork. It is sort of a cross between the SC mid-lands' mustard based sauce and the SC low-country vinegar based sauces. I like it a LOT.

(Uh-oh, this means I am going to have to wash my crock pot right away on Thursday.)

That's as far as I have gotten. Here's hoping all goes as planned!

Do-over!

I didn't do such a great job last week with staying on my menu plan. Life intervenes, you know? So this week, I am back to my plans and will use some of the meal ideas from last week. I have also gotten away from eating whole fruits and veggies which I will make an effort to remedy this week as well. One thing that foiled my plans this week was some REALLY disappointing peaches. They looked so beautiful - I was totally fooled. Alas.  However, I did get some really lovely apples!

Sunday:
Sunday is normally a day to get things ready for the week but this week, Sunday is probably our busiest day. Between a birthday party, long bike ride and going to see a colleague in a show we are barely here today.

Vegetable and Turkey Meatloaf


Monday:
Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry with jasmine rice and a side of mandarin oranges.


Tuesday:

Sausage and Broccoli Casserole with a side salad.




Wednesday:

Normally, we sort of fend for ourselves on Wednesday night because of a busy evening schedule at church, but I think this might be a nice alternative. I can roast the squash ahead and time and DH and I can have something nutritious and portable. So, instead of Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage which we were supposed to have last week (and didn't) I think I am going with this:


Baby Spinach Salad with Honey Roasted Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, Gorgonzola and Dried Cherries

We got some sheep's milk cheese at Patak's last week and need to use the rest. It is creamy and fresh tasting. I think it will be a perfect compliment to the flavors above. Plus I can use my butternut squash.



Thursday:
Crock Pot Beer Chicken
Crock Pot and Beer in the same sentence. Yes, please. I don't know what I will serve it with. Probably some mixed frozen vegetables.

Friday:
We will be having pasta of some sort today. DH is contemplating a century ride in Cartersville, GA the next day and even if he doesn't do the century, I am slated to run 14-15 miles on my training schedule the next morning. A little carbs never hurt anyone in this position. We started using Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta when we were dealing with some "digestive issues" with our youngest child. It is basically regular pasta but it has a higher fiber content. This is helpful with a child who loves pasta but is also nice for a "Watcher of Weight" because the points are a little lower.

Tuesday:
Vegetable Turkey Meatloaf

Thursday:

Chicken Thighs with Artichoke and Feta


Friday
Butternut Squash Pasta

Saturday
Crock Pot Beer Chicken
Mashed faux-tatoes






Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp 

I should actually make this

Last week I had big plans. Not all of them came through. For example, my plan to make Black bean burgers the night before I wanted to eat them (essential for the recipe I had chosen) kept getting delayed until I am planning to make them today! This. Will. Happen.

Now that we are getting back into the swing of the semester and have a better idea what each day holds in store, I feel like I can plan better for the week ahead.

Sunday:
Citrus Garlic Pork Loin (look familiar?)

Monday:
Black Bean Burgers
Arugula and Pear Salad

Tuesday:
Picadillo (also from last week)

Wednesday:
Chicken Tenders
Sweet Potato Fries
Fruit

Thursday:
Spaghetti with Homemade Marinara

Friday:
Asian Glazed Chicken Drumsticks
Broccoli
Rice


I am also trying to kick up breakfast. (At least for myself - my kids are notoriously specific about their breakfast needs.) One thing I have found is Refrigerator Oatmeal. I was skeptical at first, but I really like it. It is actually pretty good with the chia seeds in it. (shock) The seeds absorb a lot of liquid and make it into a sort of pudding-like consistency and the chia seeds have lots of nutritional value.

Have a great week!

Back to School

This is it. It is finally here. The first day of school is tomorrow.

Summer = Over.

Alas.  We are all back to our regular routine.

Not to worry - planning makes the routine go more smoothly and this menu planning helps SO MUCH! I know several people are following my blog so I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me. One other resource that has been invaluable is ziplist.com. Once you create an account, you can store your favorite recipes from the web and even clip ones you find along the way. Then, you can create a shopping list right from the recipes! But the absolute best feature is that the list appears on your smartphone via a handy web app. This list is sorted by aisle in the store!! Imagine! Of course, you can also print a paper copy of the list as well. Check it out if you are interested.

Here is the menu:

Sunday:
Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Arugula and Pear Salad

Monday:
Black Bean Burgers
Sweet Potato Fries
We ended up not eating these last week and ate leftovers that night instead. You must make these at least a day ahead so I will be doing the prep on this today.

Wednesday:
Chicken Nuggets/Chicken Tenderloins
Quinoa Salad with Corn and Peppers

Thursday:
Shepherd's Pie

Friday:
Citrus Garlic Pork Loin

Saturday
Cuban Picadillo, Rice and Oranges

I'm BACK!

So July was a super travel-ly month. Between two beach weeks, a conference and a kid going to camp, I have hardly known which way was up and have not really made my own menus in a while. What a relief to get back to being in charge of my own food! Of course, it was such a relief to NOT be in charge of my own food for a while too! At any rate, we are back in the swing of things here and after a $250 grocery trip no longer have the "cupboard is bare" excuse for going out to eat. *alas*  Also, School is about to start, so I am grateful to have a week to get things going again before that madness begins!

So here goes.

Monday (today):
Skinny Chicken Enchiladas

These are a favorite and I am waiting for them to cook as I write this. Either fortunately or unfortunately, they are even better the second day. Makes me wish it was tomorrow already.


Tuesday:
Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken
We don't serve these in Lettuce wraps as she suggests. I like to make sandwiches out of them with her Low Fat Creamy Blue Cheese dressing.


Wednesday:
Lasagna Roll-ups
Mixed Green Salad


Thursday:
Black Bean Burgers
I LOVE these burgers. Usually, I find Black bean burgers dry and tasteless with a mealy, yucky texture, but these are delicious. Maybe it is the avocado and the chipotle mayo? I think I will serve this with a Pear salad

Friday:

Summer Corn, Bacon and Potato Chowder
I am really looking forward to trying this soup. I think I will serve it with a mixed green salad and some wheat thins.


Saturday:
Rigatoni with creamy Sausage sauce
I think I will serve this as is. Maybe some crunchy/soft french bread on the side.

Savory Peach Pasta

I have been slightly obsessed with peaches this summer- ever since my mother in law brought a whole bushel of REALLY delicious specimens to the beach and we ate them every day. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat a peach just plain without sugar. As. Is.

I also LOOOOOOVE peach cobbler. (cuppa, cuppa, cuppa, sticka is my recipe of choice*) I like to put peaches in plain, Fat Free Greek Yogurt. I make a crepe with peaches and strawberries with a little greek yogurt spread over the top. In fact, when we were eating dinner at Roz's Rice Mill Cafe at the Hammock Shops in Pawleys Island, I heard about their special of a cold peach soup with cayenne. I SO regret not getting that instead of a salad that night. (And don't get me started on the delicious crab cake I had that night. *sigh*)


I pretty much eat peaches any way they come. So anyway, I had some beautiful peaches on the counter that were just begging to be eaten. We had gone out for lunch at Smashburger (of all things) for lunch so I knew I wanted something on the lighter side. I have heard of people using fruit in chicken dishes and what not so I did a quick internet search and came up with this site which was where I began. I departed from their suggestions a bit - especially with the oregano (Paul's suggestion) which gave it what I would call an "earthiness." I also did not use quite so much of the pasta water to create a sauce. So, below is my version of the recipe. It was really tasty!



Savory Peach Pasta

3 peaches, just ripe, cut into large wedges
12 ozs whole wheat pasta noodles
2 TBSP Olive oil (separated)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
Parmiggiano-Reggiano Cheese


Boil pasta and set aside. Reserve some of the pasta water.

Heat 1 TBSP Olive oil in skillet over med-high heat. Sautee peach wedges about 1 min on each side or until slightly browned. Remove peaches from heat and set aside.

Heat the other tsp Olive Oil and sautee garlic then add tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, cayenne and oregano and a little salt to taste. Cook about 1 min - just long enough for dried herbs to bloom. Very carefully and gently add peach back to the mixture. Add pasta back to the mix and VERY GENTLY toss together. Serve with cheese on individual portions.



*Cuppa, Cuppa, Cuppa, Sticka
(My go-to recipe for Peach cobbler)

Cuppa sugar
Cuppa self-rising flour
Cuppa milk
Sticka butter, melted
And a whole mess of peaches. (I like for there to be more peaches than "crust" but I don't mind it any way I can get it. I usually use at least 8 large peaches.)

I usually melt the butter in the casserole dish while the oven is pre-heating (350) then I add the other non-peach ingredients right in the pan. Then I add the cut-up peaches and stir it just until the peaches get covered. Cook for about 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and starts to smell like peach cobbler.  Depending on the ove, I might increase the heat for 5 minutes or so at the end so I get the color right if I feel like it isn't browning right.

Serve with vanilla ice cream if you want to be REALLY decadent!

Post-Beach-Vacay

Happy belated 4th of July! Hope you had a wonderful BBQ to celebrate like I did. Paul's family's secret BBQ chicken recipe! And summer sweet corn, YUM!

Only have to deal with 4 dinners this week. Had a great vacation week and even made some recipes I have posted here.

Sunday:
Shrimp Spring Rolls with Summer Vegetables
Thai peanut sauce from Skinnytaste
I know this Shrimp won't be as good as what we had last week. Paul's uncle had caught a bunch and shared with us. So incredibly sweet and delicious. Makes me miss living so close to the coast.

Monday:
Vietnamese Flank Steak and Rice
I will probably serve this with no sugar added mandarin oranges as well. Possibly some broccoli too if it looks good at the market

Tuesday:
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
I use the Smart Taste pasta by Ronzoni which has slightly higher fiber content so that affects the points value. But for my daughter, I just stir in some buttermilk and parmesan cheese and she loves it. Tastes like Annie's shells and cheese. Will serve with a mixed green salad. I use Basil instead of sage sometimes in this recipe and I like it just as well - depends on what I am in the mood for.

Wednesday:
Skinny Chicken Enchiladas
I love this recipe. Feels indulgent without actually BEING that way. Yum.

This is a "clean out the pantry" week  so some of these are kind of made up on the fly rather than "real" recipes.

Wednesday:
Chicken with Feta, Chick Peas Lemon and Basil
Mixed Green Salad


Thursday:
Spaghetti with marinara sauce

Friday:
Out for dinner to Celebrate Lila's b-day!!!

Sunday:
Arroz con Pollo
(Paul wanted Paella and I wanted Pileax so this was our compromise.)

Monday:
Baked Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce
Mixed Green Salad

Tuesday:
Black Bean Burgers
Sweet Potato Fries
These burgers are REALLY good and a little bit spicy, but you really need to plan to make them either the night before or in the morning so that they can freeze for a while. Also, learn from my mistake, do not stack them when you are freezing them at first. They will freeze together even if you have parchment paper between them. Lay them out flat to freeze for the first hour or so then put them in a container. They are VERY good with the chipotle mayo and the avocado. In fact, I would say that it really makes the dish. I would even go so far as to say that I would choose these over a "real" burger. They are that good.

Wednesday:
Shrimp and Spring Vegetable Spring Rolls
Hungry Girl Satay Peanut Sauce
We love these Spring Rolls as an easy dinner with fresh veggies. It works beuatifully with whatever you happen to have on hand, but I must say, the fresh basil really makes it. I also happen to LOVE thai peanut sauce and this Hungry Girl recipe is a nice low-cal version of one of my faves.


Thursday:
Chicken Thighs with Artichoke and Feta Cheese
Squash Casserole
I am excited to make this for the first time this week. We got some fresh squash at the farmer's market yesterday. Planning on this dinner for when my parents arrive Thursday evening.

I am leaving Friday open because I think we will probably end up going out to eat with the 'rents for Lila's birthday. And Saturday, we are all going in different directions, so I will just figure that out when I plan for next week's menu.

Post-memorial day menu

Tuesday:
Cleansing from all the Memorial Day excesses.  Actually, we didn't really have much in the way of memorial day excess but we do have some Tilapia in the freezer and some radishes that we need to eat!
Blackened Tilapia with Cucumber and Radish Salsa

Wednesday:
I have been Jones-ing red meat today and thought this looked good. I will probably use Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream and will no use Guacamole so it will probably affect the PP+ values.
Grilled Fajita Wrap


Thursday:
These look so cute and they are portion controlled! I am not 100% sure I will be able to find wonton wrappers though.  Here's hoping.
Hungry Girl's Lasagna Cupcakes

Friday:
This is a staple for us lately. The sweetness and texture of the butternut squash acts like a yummy cheese - especially when you actually add a little cheese to it! We usually use basil instead of sage (just because we have a basil plant on the porch) and it is yummy too.
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

Saturday:
I like to grill more than just the one meal at a time if I can manage it. (When I write "we" here, you should be reading "husband" since I don't know up from down when it comes to grilling.) So we will have grilled this chicken at the same time we grill the flank steak earlier in the week.
Grilled Chicken Bruschetta

This just looked good for a lunch maybe? I am going to give it a try.
Tomato Mint Quinoa Salad

Changing it up

I am changing on a dime this week due to unforeseen fun. Sunday, we went to Re Top Mountain and went hiking so had dinner out on the way home. Today, we are going out with the kiddos for dinner. And I grilled all of the chicken so can't easily make the Lemon Garlic Chicken so I am doing something else with the already grilled chicken. (Grilled Chicken Bruschetta over Roasemary & Olive Oil Fold-Its) I chose to delay the meals that would keep - BLT Spring Rolls and Blackened Tilapia.

In the mean time, I thought I would review a couple of the new recipes.

1. The Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
This was quite good and very easy to make. The recipe says to cook on high in crock pot for 4 hours but I think it would work just as well to cook on low for 8 hours while I am at work. We chose a mild Buffalo sauce which I was happy about because it was plenty spicy for me. I also chose to make Skinny Taste's Low Fat Blue Cheese Dressing. This was pretty good and VERY easy to put together. It wasn't quite "blue cheesey" enough for me but I think that was because I had a block of blue cheese rather than crumbled blue cheese so the pieces were larger and not as well-distributed. I served the Buffalo Chicken with shredded carrots and Celery on top with a dollop of the blue cheese dressing. The Blue Cheese and the Buffalo Chicken together were a winning combination! I actually had this for lunch today as well. I put the Buffalo Chicken on a Pepperidge Farm Deli flat and spread a Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedge on the other side. It was good but not as good as the real thing dressing.

2. Thai Shrimp Curry
This was tasty but pretty spicy. I think the Thai chili paste we had on hand for this recipe is quite spicy. Next time we need to remember to use less.

3. Last week we made Hungry Girl's Cheesey Chicken Enchiladas.
These were REALLY good and even better the next day.

This week is an example of having a plan but changing it when necessary!

Getting Ready for Memorial Day

Saturday:
Honey-Ginger Chicken Skewers (that we were supposed to have last Thursday, I think)
Asian Cucumber Marinated Salad
Roasted Cauliflower


Sunday:
Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry
Rice
Mandarin Oranges

Monday
BLT Spring Rolls
I need to pick up some fresh roadside stand tomatoes for this. If I find some good ones, we will also have just plain ol' tomatoes with maybe some balsamic vinegar.


Tuesday:
Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I plan on serving this with some Laughing Cow Blue Cheese wedges that I have in the fridge. I am also considering making this Blue Cheese Dressing and serving celery sticks.


Wednesday:
Blackened Tilapia (w/radish and cucumber salad)
Artisan bread


Thursday:
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Quinoa


On Friday I get to go visit with an old college friend for the weekend!

Summer is almost here

Today is the start of MY first full week of summer. (Turned in my grades last week.) But I will grant that summer doesn't REALLY begin until the kiddos are out of school. They have two weeks left.

We have planted an herb garden on the back porch which we have all enjoyed watching grow. The tomato plants are just about at the point where they need to be attached to a stake.  We actually used some of the Dill Saturday night - (ok, when I say "we" I actually mean my DH here - he is the head chef of the family - I am just the shopper and planner.)  His recipe for Swedish Creamed Potatoes used Greek Yogurt instead of cream and was tasty good!


Here is our weekly supper menu:

Monday
Hungry Girl's Cheesey Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chips and Cheese Dip for the girls
Fruit

Tuesday
Crab Cakes
Salad, Mixed Greens

Wednesday
Asian Flank Steak Skewers  (We have had these before and they are delicious!)
Stir Fry Vegetables (Green Giant Steamer bag)
Rice

Thursday
Honey Ginger Chicken Thighs
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli

Friday
Out to dinner with friends

Saturday
Tuna Burgers

Have you noticed that my menu has not changed that much since I reached my WW goal or since I reached Lifetime Status? I really don't eat that much differently and I still track everything. There is a reason that they call this a Lifestyle change. My lifestyle is definitely changed. I won't be going back to old habits from my pre WW lifestyle. I am committed to this way of approaching food and eating because I feel like it is realy sustainable over the long haul. I don't feel deprived and I don't feel as if I am on a "diet" at all. :)

School's Out! (well, college anyway)

Having finished exams and grading, I am ready for my summer to begin! To be perfectly honest, I have been ready for a few weeks now, but that is neither here nor there.

We have had a weekend of eating out which has not been so great for my staying on target with my daily points values, but the bright side is that I have weekly points to deal with and have not gone over budget with that! I also had a cool thing happen this weekend, I made Lifetime Status with Weight Watchers! It is a different sense of accomplishment than reaching goal. To me, this is like - take 6 weeks to convince yourself that you will be doing this forever and then we will acknowledge your "official" status.  Now I get to start working toward my next goals which are running related. Starting with doing my first ever 5k race this Saturday. (Wish me luck!)

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday:
Citrus Garlic Pork Loin
Roasted Cauliflower

We've had the pork loin before and it is tasty good. I usually don't make the green beans with it since DH is not a fan.

Tuesday:
Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage
This is a variation on a casserole type dish I have had and like a lot. The buttermilk and fresh sage are an interesting combination here. (Hopefully my new sage plant will survive this hail storm.)

Wednesday:
Church

Thursday:
Chicken with Leeks, Sun-dried Tomatoes and White Wine
Haven't had this one before but the Leeks looked really good at the market and I really like sun-dried tomatoes so I thought I would give it a try. It was not easy to fine sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil, so I bought the dried kind and will reconstitute with some hot water.

Friday:
Not sure what will happen exactly on this day since we are all going in different directions, but I am PLANNING to make a turkey and vegetable meatloaf ahead of time - probably on Thursday and we will see what happens. I may be the only one who eats it! (And anyway, this is the night before my first ever 5k.) We have had this a few times before and it is really good. The grated veggies make it really moist and we put a barbeque type sauce over the top and it is delish!

Saturday:
I will be celebrating having run a stellar 5k race (of course). And we will be having Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime. I will be allowing DH to do the cooking.

Sunday:
MOTHER'S DAY - already planning to have an enjoyable brunch at my fave restaurant. Chicken & the Egg! Hope you get to have something wonderful too!

Week of Finals

Sunday
Chicken purchased from Whole Foods, Salad,

Monday
Having this again. Such a great recipe that this has become a regular contender for dinner these days.
Broccoli and Sausage Casserole



Tuesday
Country Fried Steak and Gravy
Roasted Cauliflower
How could this possibly be WW friendly? It is all in the crust for the steak. We have had this before and it is QUITE tasty. Highly recommended for the male types in your life! :) We are going to have roasted Cauliflower with it. We have had this too and it is unbelievably good.


Wednesday
As always - church.

Thursday
Crab Cakes
We had a little bit of a hard time with these last time. They didn't really stay together. I am not sure if that is due to the fact that I could not get "real" crab meat. I went to the market today and got real lump crabs so thought I would give it another try. Also, we watched Two Fat Ladies cooking show last night and they made Scallops and pork and it made me want seafood. If you have never watched that show, you should check it out. They are precious and definitely live up to the title of the show. But they have such a joy in cooking. It makes you wish they could have put a little energy into looking into adding taste and flavor and keep it a little more healthy. However, you gotta give it to them. they grew up in a different age.


Friday
Family is all going in different directions this day. Not sure how that will work out.

Saturday
Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Leeks
I am digging the idea of Sun Dried Tomatoes and leeks here. We just planted a back porch herb garden and Leeks were in the mix. Maybe before summer is out we will have our own!

Last week of classes

This is the final week of classes for the semesters (before finals). Still busy but the performances in the evenings are over for the most part. (I think) Which means that i will be HOME for dinner more often. Hooray!

Sunday:
Chicken of some sort - Paul is taking over the planning of this

Monday:
The Pork Carnitas that I had planned for last week.

Tuesday:
Carribean Flank Steak

Thursday:
Spaghetti w/marinara sauce

2 PP Breakfast

OK - THIS was delicious. Hungry Girl's Billion Dollar Blintzes. I used a wedge of Laughing Cow Strawberry Cream Cheese instead of Fat Free Cream Cheese because it was what I had on hand. And a little squirt of Fat Free Redi Whip. These are the Melissa's 9" crepes. (1 PP) So delicious and SOOOOOO much for so few points. Yum!

sent from my phone

Monday and Tuesday Lunch and Citrus garlic Pork Loin Review

Lunch Yesterday (above)

A quick lunch on the way to the gym. Turkey Sandwich on deli flat (4 PP). Then I ran on the treadmill for 40 min. I actually managed to run the whole time! yay me! This is a good thing since I will be doing my 1st ever 5k May 12!

and Lunch Today

leftover honey-ginger chicken (6PP)

Babybel Light (1PP)

Pears

Butter Lettuce Salad w/ Newman's Own Light Balsamic Dressing (1PP)

Dinner last night was the Citrus-Garlic Pork Loin (WW recipe) and it was delicious. I used orange juice instead of grapefruit juice because it was what I had on hand and it was fine. We ate that with Green Giant Market Fresh Steamers instead of the green beans that the recipe suggests. It was quite tasty!

Breakast 4/16 And Honey-Ginger Chicken review

Yes, this is the same breakfast I have had for several days straight now. But I LIKE IT! :) Note the coffee mug made my DD when she was about 5, I think. Fingerprint caterpillars are the cutest!

Total points value = 7

In other news, we had the honey-ginger chicken thighs and they were DELICIOUS! Highly recommended. Served with rice, tomatoes and the sauce on the side. Total points value = 9. (I am taking this for lunch tomorrow. today had to be quick so I could get to the gym - sandwich.) Of course, I forgot to take a picture.

Did I mention I went running two days in a row, AND did some Pilates at home? Yeah, I was pooped. Fell asleep with a book in my hand last night. (The Night Circus)

Lunch 4/15

Turkey Sandwich on deli flat 4PP

Pretzel Thins - 3PP

Babybel Light - 1PP

Grapes 0PP

sent from my phone

Saturday Phototracking

Turkey sandwich on deli flat w/ laughing cow cheese. 4pp
WW popchips 2pp
Babybel light 1pp
Fruit cup no sugar added 0pp

Stila bar 2PP

Freeze dried peaches - 0PP

sent from my phone

sent from my phone

Bear naked fit 3pp

and yogurt 2pp

Did a lot of snacking today because I knew I wouldn't get a real dinner. (time)

sent from my phone

Morning snack 4/14/12

I did it again. Remembered earlier this time though.This is the wrapper from the WW Aloha Almond Bar I already ate for snack and the apple I ate right after taking this picture.

sent from my phone

Weekly menu Tax Week

This is a REALLY busy time for me with school. The end of the semester for music people is always really busy because of all the performances which happen outside of the normal operating hours. April is always like this, but for some reason, I am always surprised by it.

Therefore, this week's menu is probably less labor intensive on my part and potentially will get thrown out the window if needed. But at least I will have planned ahead, right?

Sunday

Honey-Ginger Chicken Thighs (4PP)

Rice (1 cup = 5PP

Fruit

Monday

Citrus-Garlic Pork Loin (6PP)

Salad

Lite Balsamic Dressing (1 PP)

Tuesday

Asian Flank Steak Skewers

Quinoa 4PP

Fruit 0PP

Wednesday

Church

Thursday

Out to eat

Friday

Slow Cooker Santa Fe Chicken

Cheese Dip for Kiddos

WW Tortillas

Breakfast 4/14/12

Breakfast 4/14/12

Nutri-grain Whole Wheat Waffle - 2 pts

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (2T) 5 PP

Banana - 0 PP

Black Coffee - 0 PP

Water - 0 PP

I am attempting to phototrack via this blog by emailing a picture from my phone. You can see from the photo above that I forgot to do it until I was almost done. :) Ah well.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Christina Howell <christinathompsonhowell@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Apr 14, 2012 at 7:48 AM
Subject:
To: christinathompsonhowell.dindinagingin@blogspot.com

Attempting to phototrack via this blog.

Breakfast 4.14.12

sent from my phone

Easter week

Well, we were out of town last week, so I didn't post a menu. But this week we are back on track.

Easter Sunday (today)

Ham with Honey-Peach Glaze

Lightened up Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Grapes and Green Tomatoes

Biscuits

strawberries and whipped cream and Jello Jigglers for dessert

Monday

Spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce

Salad

Tuesday

Hungry Girl's Chicken Satay

Rice

Stir-Fry Veggies

Thursday

Broccoli and Turkey Sausage Casserole

Friday

Homemade Pizza

Salad

Week before Spring Break

Good news! This week is my first week on maintenance. In other words, I reached my goal weight! It is a little strange, but so far, the first day is pretty much the same as every other day!

This is the week before Spring Break for the kids and here is out menu.

Saturday

Broccoli and Turkey Sausage Casserole

Sunday

Ginger-Lime Chicken

Monday

Grilled Flank Steak with onions

Tuesday

Moroccan Chicken with Apricots

Wednesday

Church

Thursday

Rigatoni with Creamy Sausage Sauce

I am looking forward to a great week!

Back from the Beach

We got back from the beach last night and I had a MAJOR trip to the grocery store. Of course, I also bought printer ink, paper towels, toilet paper and some other non-grocery items but still. Mucho dinero.

Here is this week's menu

Tuesday:

I just wanted something different and this looked like a neat change of pace. I will report back if they were worth a re-visit.

Tuna Burgers

Wednesday:

Dinner at church

Thursday:

Grilled Flank steak with black bean and corn salad.

Friday:

Out to dinner with friends

Saturday

Cheesey Chicken Enchiladas

Sunday

Blackened Tilapia with Radish and Cucumber Salad

Monday:

Baked Beef Ziti

Tuesday:

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

Wednesday:

Church

Now, I may change the order of these around a little bit according to how I think things may last. But these are the choices and what I shopped for!

Week of Feb 26

DH's birthday was last night so we went to our new favorite place called Chicken & the Egg which is a farm to table restaurant and we had a GREAT dinner. I just love love love that place!

We had planned our menu and shopped yesterday but I am just posting today.

Tonight:

Chicken Pot Pie (8 PP for a rather large serving)

Salad of Butter Greens and Grape Tomatoes

We are both sick with a cold that we are pretty sure we got from the 1st grader so this is a nod to the idea of chicken soup (but I didn't want soup).

Monday

Shrimp Stir Fry

Bought frozen stir-fry veg and are using the shrimp we didn't quite finish from last week's coconut shrimp curry (which was really spicy, btw)

Tuesday

Cajun Chicken

We were supposed to have this on Mardi Gras but decided to have pancakes instead.

And that is all we are planning for this week since we are heading out of town on Thursday! See you next week!

Mardi Gras Week Menu

It is Mardi Gras this week. Can you believe it? We are going to give a nod to Mardi Gras in our own Fat Tuesday dinner. I am going to make a kid friendly version of King Cake and hide the traditional King Cake Baby in it too. Should be fun!

Here s the menu for the week:

Sunday:

Ropa Vieja

Monday:

Country Fried Steak and Gravy

Mashed "Faux"-tatos

Green Beans

Tuesday:

Cajun Chicken

Wednesday:

(Church)

Thursday:

Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry

Friday:

Maryland Crab Cakes

Saturday:

Out for Paul's birthday!

February menu

This menu and ziplist thing is really working for me. I chose to go to the store yesterday while I was out so I hadn't made a list and really worked out what I wanted to do. I went anyway because I thought today would be really packed with people planning for the super bowl parties. So anyway, I looked on my phone ziplist app which lists my favorite recipes. I chose from among them and added them to my shopping list, taking off anything that I was sure I had at home. I ended up having to add some things on the fly that I remembered I needed as i went along, but the main thing is that I got the meals planned.

So here goes...

Saturday:

Marietta Pizza Company pizza at friend's house for family game night

Sunday:

Broccoli and Sausage Casserole

Monday:

Vegetable and Turkey Meatloaf

Tuesday:

(Paul cooking)

Chicken

Wednesday:

(Church)

Thursday:

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Friday:

Butternut Squash Pasta with Ricotta

I am going to try something this week with the WW thing. Since I have these meals planned already, I am going to try adding them into the tracker now, so that my daily points target is already set up. Just to see how that goes. I will update next week.

Menu 1.30.12

Monday:

Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean Soup

Salad

Whole Grain French Bread Rolls

(This was supposed to be our dinner Saturday night but I didn't make it home and then we had skirt steak an roasted broccoli last night)

Tuesday:

Pork Tenderloin Roast w/ pineapple (Paul's recipe that he will probably make up on the fly - I will post it later)

turnip greens

quinoa

Wednesday:

(church)

Thursday:

Chicken Enchiladas

"mexi"-rice

Friday:

Ham steak

potatoes

Broccoli

Soups

I have been wanting soups lately and have not had an easy time finding recipes that sound good. I found this list and thought I would post it for future reference.

http://blog.ziplist.com/recipe-box-12-winter-soups-we-love/

Another Menu

This week I will be in Savannah from Wednesday through Saturday but I had so much success with planning dinner menus last week that I thought I would give it a try again this week anyway. So here goes...

Saturday:

As planned - 7 PP

Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew

Sunday:

Another WW recipe for 7 PP

Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash and Ricotta

Monday

Baked Dijon Chicken with Lime (thanks for suggesting this, Mom!) 5 PP

Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime

Tuesday:

A WW recipe for 4 PP

Tuscan Pumpkin-White Bean Soup

Wednesday through Friday, I will be out of town.

Saturday:

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken 4 PP (without the rice)

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

O MY STARS, these were good!

Spice Pumpkin Muffins

1 Box Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix

15 oz Canned Pure Pumpkin (NOT Pumpkin Pie Mix)

1/2 cup Egg Beaters or 1 egg

Preheat over to 350.

Mix all ingredients together with hand mixer until blended. Don't overmix (about 2 minutes). Put Muffin cups in muffin tin and fill with batter. Yields 24 muffins. Bake 18-21 minutes.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE - - - - - -

These are 1 point per serving and the serving size is TWO MUFFINS!!!

Week of January 14 MENU

Here is our menu for the week - planning ahead, y'know?

Saturday:

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Hungry Girl Cheesy-Good Corn Bread Muffins

Sunday:

Provencal Beef Stew

Monday:

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

Tuesday:

Spaghetti and Salad (Paul's recipe)

Wednesday:

(Church and music lessons)

Sandwiches in lunch boxes

Thursday:

Vegetable and Turkey Meatloaf Recipe

Friday:

Cuban-Style Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew

Pot Roast in the Crock Pot

This is what we had for dinner last night.

Skinny Pot Roast

I did tweak the recipe a little. Instead of onion powder, I added a sliced onion. I wish I had added twice as many carrots. I used red potatoes. I also wish I had taken the top off of the slow cooker while I was making the rice to thicken the sauce a little. If I had done that, I would have removed the roast and added some salt to the rest, as I thought it needed more salt. Problem with the slow cooker is that if you add salt at the beginning, the roast gets stringy which I did not want. This roast basically melted in your mouth. Yum.

Served it with 1/2 cup of white rice for a WW points value of 9.