Menu - Week of March 30, 2009

I was digging through the freezer last night looking for something sweet to eat and it gave me a chance to do a quick inventory.  This is what I found:  several packages of frozen veggies, a bag of frozen shrimp, and a bag of frozen chicken thighs.  The shrimp and chicken inspired me to make a paella this week and to keep with the Spanish theme, I am going to make green pea soup like my grandma used to make and torta de papa. It's really time to be eating gazpacho, but my husband is not a big fan.... Here's the full menu:

• Monday - Paella, Spinach Salad, Canteloupe, Cucumbers and Carrots with Dip
  
• Tuesday - Dinner at PTA meeting (Potluck Tostadas)
  
• Wednesday - Green Pea Soup, Crusty Bread, Strawberries, Spinach Salad
  
• Thursday - Leftovers, Watermelon
  
• Friday - Dinner at Ball Park where we will be watching Daniel's baseball game.
  
• Saturday - Camping Food!  Steak, burgers, and hot dogs with all the fixins'.
  
• Sunday - Torta de Papa, Salad, Orange Wedges, Red Peppers, Carrots with Dip
  

Recipes forthcoming...

Menu - Week of March 23, 2009

Just returned from vacation and am enjoying planning menus again.  This week, as usual, is super hectic with baseball practices, gymnastics, and PTA meetings.  I am planning to make one big meal during the week and eat leftovers the next night.  It's a lot simpler that way and I love being outdoors in this great weather with the kids.  If I don't have to cook dinner, it stretches the amount of time we can be outside. 

• Monday - Chicken with Corn and Squash, Rice, Baby Spinach Salad, Pineapple
  
• Tuesday - Leftovers, Strawberries
  
• Wednesday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Watermelon
  
• Thursday - Pasta with Marinara Sauce, Salad, Grapes
  
• Friday - Sushi, Watermelon
  
• Saturday - I'm going to be in Houston for my sister's bachelorette party.
  
• Sunday - Steak, Grilled Asparagus, Baked Potatoes, Ice Cream Sundaes!
  

Enjoy!

Menu - Week of March 9, 2009

We had a great weekend full of activity and fun and I didn't have to cook on Saturday.  I packed a picnic lunch that we ate in the shade on the lawn of a beautiful building at Explore UT.  Dinner on Saturday was so easy because Alexia let us have the leftover enchiladas suizas from the potluck on Friday evening.  They are delicious!!!!  Then Sunday, I didn't feel like chicken so I had steak.  I felt like grilling but at the last minute I just broiled them.  They came out very good.  So am recycling the Savory Chicken recipe for this week.

This week is another marathon week of school volunteering so again the meals have to be easy and quick.  Here's what I am thinking:

• Monday - Savory Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Pineapple
  
• Tuesday - Leftovers, Mangoes
  
• Wednesday - Tortilla Soup (will post recipe when I get it from my friend), Carrots and Cucumber with Dip, Strawberries
  
• Thursday - Leftovers, Grapes
  
• Friday -  My brother is in town for a game and we are packing for our trip to the Grand Canyon so we will make hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill.
  
• Saturday and Sunday -  On vacation!
  

Have a great week!

Menu - Week of March 2, 2009

I love March in Texas!  This weather is so crazy. Hot one day.  Cold the next.  You can have a day with a high temperature of 80 and it will still be 39 degrees at night.  That type of weather makes it hard to plan a menu.   I don't like to eat heavy food when it's hot out and I don't like to eat salad or something too light when it's cold out.   This week in preparation to make a menu, I have looked through the pantry and freezer and found that I have frozen chicken, frozen shrimp, frozen cooked salmon, and lots of noodles, plus magnificent leftovers from last night's cookout.  We also have two nights that we won't be home for dinner.  I have to make do with what is in the house already because my husband went to the grocery store this weekend and used up all my grocery money budgeted for the week already. 

Here is what I am thinking for this week:

• Monday - Hamburgers (from cookout leftovers), Beans, Canteloupe, and Grapes
  
• Tuesday - Hot dogs (from cookout leftovers), Carrots with dip, Pineapple
  
• Wednesday - Fish Tacos (with the frozen cooked salmon), Pico de Gallo, Rice, Edamame
  
• Thursday - PTA Meeting - Dinner at the meeting.
  
• Friday - Mexican Dinner Night at a friend's house; I am bringing shrimp ceviche and rice pudding.  I will make extra rice to stir-fry it for dinner tomorrow.
  
• Saturday - We are going to be at Explore UT all day so we need something quick for dinner.  Stir-fry rice, Cauliflower, Apple Slices
  
• Sunday -  Savory Chicken Sunday Supper, Steamed Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots, Mangos
  

Pico de Gallo

This is a type of chunky salsa that is usually served over fajitas and fish tacos.   

1 tomato, cored, seeded, and diced

1/2 an onion,  diced 

1 serrano pepper, minced (seeded, if you don't like it hot)

1/2 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

juice of 3 limes

salt to taste

Mix all in glass bowl.  Let sit for a 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Savory Chicken Sunday Supper (from 365 Easy One-Dish Meals)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut into pieces, skinned

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 large red potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (you can use whatever potatoes you have in your pantry)

1/2 cup long grain rice

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon  marjoram

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil until hot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain off any fat.

2. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and carrots.  Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, 2-3 minutes.

3. Stir in potatoes, rice, broth, marjoram, salt, and pepper.  Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until rice and potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes.  Let stand covered, 5 minutes, before serving.

Enjoy!