I won't go so far as to mention any names, but we have a few slightly picky eaters around here.  Basically, they'd rather sit in the dentist's chair for 2 hours topping it off with a trip to the Dr.'s than eat a tiny salad or 3 green beans.  It doesn't matter if the veggies are cooked, raw, cheesy, salty, buttery, or smothered in oodles of heavenly goodness.  If a vegetable is identified, it is automatically scraped to the side of the plate where all nastiness goes.  I am tired of the fight, but bound and determined not to lose to a bunch of kids.

I wouldn't doubt that I've become Our Best Bites most dedicated follower.  We've loved everything we've tried and I love that most of the recipes are normal person meals.  Like yes, I do have a life outside of the kitchen and no, I don't want to spend 4 hours at the grocery store (with helpers) searching for ingredients that no one's heard of.  These ladies are real people too.  

Sept. 27 - Oct. 3

Monday:  BBQ pork sandwiches
Tuesday:  chicken cacciatore
Wednesday: jambablaya
Thursday: Spinach raviolis
Friday: tacos
Saturday: grilled chicken
Sunday: black bean soup

Last week was a pretty darn successful week of dinners.  I'm having a hard time deciding which recipe to pass along.  I'D love to share them all, but my kids seem to think that it's time for me to get off the computer.  So for the sake of time, I'm forced to choose.   We LOVED the creamy chicken taquitos.  I used flour tortillas instead of corn, so they were more like baked burritos, but the flavor is soooo good.

Biscuits and gravy have become a favorite for everyone.  I think Reas and I were married about 2 seconds before I discovered his thing for biscuits and gravy.  I had no clue how to make sausage gravy, but being the good little 21 year-old wife that I was, I called up Crystalin, the dinnertime diva (keep in mind, she would never go as far as calling herself that) to find out how she made it.  This was pre-blogging days of course, so she instructed me over the phone while I scribbled down notes with an actual pen and paper.   Now you can find her recipe for the gravy as well as the most awesome buttery biscuits you will ever lay your paws on, right here.  If you're a biscuits and gravy kind of person, really these biscuits are the ONLY way to go.

Sept. 20-26

Monday: sweet and sour chicken
Tuesday:  biscuits and gravy
Wednesday:  creamy chicken taquitos
Thursday:  English muffin pizzas
Friday: bacon and cheese omelets
Saturday: fry bread and beans
Sunday:   steak fajitas

Sorry. No super exciting recipes to pass on from last week.  Just keeping it real here.

Although, I will say that in the last couple of week's I've learned that fresh lime juice squeezed onto just about anything Mexican-ish is absolutely necessary in our household now.  I know the restaraunts always provide limes, and I KNOW the recipes always suggest them.  So why it's taken me so long to use them regularly in my own kitchen...I DON'T KNOW.  I'm a slow learner, I guess

P.S.  No, I'm not really going to name any future daughters Katniss, although I'd think it was pretty cool if someone else did.

I got around to getting my menu done - good thing because the week is upon us. 
On the menu this week:

Monday - smothered burritos
Tuesday - Italian Beef Hoagies
Wednesday - Stroganoff
Thursday - Chicken nuggets, fruit salad
Friday - Dad's taking the kids camping...I'm off the hook
Saturday - BLT's
Sunday - Chicken Pot Pie

I really can't post this without explaining why my Thursday menus will be pathetic for the next 6-8 weeks.  The kids will be playing soccer with the primary kids at church right during dinnertime every Thursday.  We'll either be packing up dinner to take it with us or eating something fast before heading out the door.
This week, chicken nuggets. 
Onto the fun part - a recipe to share.

I can't remember exactly where this recipe originated, but I think it was maybe my sister- in- law's. 
This is a great recipe for using up leftover pork roasts or chicken.  I just chop it up small and a little will go a long way after it's mixed in with all the other ingredients.  This recipe looks a little involved, but really it's a pretty easy one frying pan deal, especially if you try the alternate version I discovered this week. 

Egg Rolls

2 Tbs. oil
1 lb. ground pork or chicken
salt and pepper
1/2 C minced yellow onions (I've used onion powder)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic (or minced)
1 lb. shredded cabbage (I like to use the handy bags of coleslaw mix - I like the crispiness the carrots give)
soy sauce, to taste
1 Tbs. sugar
1 lb. fresh bean sprouts (I've never actually used these in this recipe.  No reason, except I've never used bean sprouts for anything...I probably should one day)
1/4 C. green onion, green part only
egg roll wrappers
oil for frying

Preheat oil.  Add meat, season with salt and pepper.  Stir fry 3 minutes.  Add onion and garlic, cook 2 minutes.  Add cabbage, season with salt and pepper. Stir fry 1 minute.  Season with soy sauce and sugar.  Add sprouts and green onion.  To assemble, spoon 1/4 cup filling in rectangular shape, fold in ends, roll up and seal with egg wash.  Fry until golden 2-3 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

Here's my little alteration:  I had a lot of filling left over, but didn't feel like frying up more of the eggrolls.  Instead, I mixed it in with left over spaghetti type pasta, added a little more soy sauce, and created my own quick chow mein to use up the extras.  Besides, I'm thinking the egg rolls wouldn't be that great reheated.  The crisp factor ya know...

Enjoy.

Last week's menu tasted as great as I was hoping, but there was an obvious favorite.  I've had this recipe scribbled down on a crumpled half sheet of paper for ever. Have no idea who to give the credit to, and don't know why it took me this long to try it out.  This easy Summer meal is great.

Chicken Club Salad with Avocado dressing

For the salad:  Layer romaine,  pea shoots, sliced tomoatos, crisp bacon, red onion, cold chopped turkey or chicken.

For the avocado dressing:

3 avocados
1 clove, or minced garlic
2 Tbl. hot sauce
salt to taste
2 Tbl. red wine vinegar
a few good squeezes of fresh lemon juice
enough olive oil to thin out for dipping or dressing

Mash it all together and you're done.

We made sandwiches on big, soft bolillo rolls instead of having it as a salad. I made the dressing thicker - more like guacamole - just by using less olive oil.  Then we lathered up the rolls with the dressing and stuffed those babies with all the fixins. Divine! Just don't use that word when describing it to your manly man - he might be afraid to eat it. Instead, put an extra squirt of hot sauce in his dressing and rip open a bag of salsa verde doritos for him. Macho for the man, divine for the lady. As for the kids, they went for the chicken and lettuce minus the dressing, but they were happy too.

Here's next week's menu:

Monday -  Taco Salad
Tuesday - Egg rolls and fried rice
Wednesday - Spaghetti
Thursday - Fry bread and Beans
Friday - homemade pizza
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - Bacon wrapped teriyaki skewers

happy eating!

Woohoo!  Week 1's meal plan is ready.  Ahhhh....I feel like a freer woman already.  Actually, this is really week 2 for me.  I did it last week too.  Just didn't share it.

Here's what we'll be eating next week.

Monday - Chili Rubbed Chicken
Tuesday - Sweet and Sour Ribs
Wednesday - Baked Potato Bar
Thursday - Chicken Club Sandwiches w/ avocado dressing
Friday - Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner
Sunday - Meatballs and Rice

So I think how this will play out is with each menu posting I'll share my favorite recipe from the previous week's list.  That way everything will have been tried and tested and I can give an honest to goodness accurate opinion about the recipes.  Of course, I'd be happy to share any recipes that might catch your eye.  Just ask.  Last week I tried a couple of new recipes and some good ol' standbyes. 

It was a toss up between two of them, so you get a double wammy this time around.

Kalua Pork from my sister-in-law is by far our family's favorite pulled pork recipe.  Everyone loves it and that's saying a lot - I have some super picky meat eaters.  It is so easy and absolutely heavenly.  As a side note, it calls for apple cider which is sometimes hard to find in the spring and summer.  This time around, I substituted apple juice and it still turned out great.  And make sure you make the sauce she suggests.  It is SO good.

Thai Peanut Noodles  Holy moly these are good.  That's all I'm sayin.'  Ok, actually that's not all I'm saying.   The Asian hot sauce that the recipe calls for is a little pricey considering I thought I'd probably never need it again, so I used crushed red pepper instead.  And dang,I can't even imagine them getting any better. Now that I know I'll be making this regularly, I'll consider trying the real stuff.

On another note, I've been thinking.  My life nor should my blog revolve around cooking.  Posting a menu once a week seems very boring to me, but I need to do it or I'm afraid I'll slip back into my old ways.  This is not to say that real cooking blogs are boring.  I love reading them.  I just wouldn't be any good at writing them. So, I'm going to try making a two week menu plan and then I'll only have a food related post once every two weeks.  It will take a little more planning obviously, but the truth of the matter is I have more fun writing about other stuff.  Such as the lady's car that I backed into in the Old Navy parking lot 2 days ago.   Seriously.  I am so mad...at myself.  There's no one else to blame and that's what has me fuming.  But, more on this little BIG issue later.

 For now, I'm heading out for a couple of days with my favorite person in the world for our overdue 10th anniversary getaway.  On our to do list:  hiking, a Brian Regan show (LOVE this big cheeseball and the way he makes my face hurt from laughing), eating, playing at the beach, sleeping in, and probably eating some more.  I'm out.

Here's a fun little afternoon boredom buster if your little busters are getting bored like mine (how's that for a tongue twister - made it up myself. Bet you'd never guess.)

Recently my eyes were opened to the fact that I mention icecream - a lot.  I hadn't realized my obsession was so obvious.  Sometimes a girl's just got to let it out.  I won't talk about icecream today.  Instead, let's talk about chocolate cake.  I wouldn't say I love chocolate cake.  I'm actually kind of picky about it...it's usually too dry or the icing is too grocery store bakery-ish, if you know what I mean.  I do LOVE Costco's all American chocolate cake and my newest love - the cake I had a couple of weeks ago while visiting a dear friend (I can't remember where she said it came from...Anne Marie, any help here?).  

Anyway, I have a secret.  Or at least I think it's a secret to the general population.  I know how to make so - so chocolate cake like out of this world crazy undeniably wickedly awesome.  And it's soooooo easy.  Pour milk over it.  That's it.  Milk is the ticket to a chocolatey cakey wild ride aboard the bliss train.  I have to thank my chocolate loving dad for this.  I think it must've been something he did on the farm or something.  Gotta love those farm boys.  I remember him doing this all the time with our leftover drying birthday cake, which we had an abundance of considering the mass production of birthday cakes that occurred in our house each year.  All those years I looked at him like, "What in the world are you eating?!"  Actually, I don't think I only looked at him like that.  I'm pretty sure I said it to him too.  It wasn't until after I was married that I finally tried it.  It was love at first mushy bite.  That's the thing about this method.  It's very mushy.  So if you're into chocolate mush soggied up by ice cold milk, then I'm pretty sure you'll like it.  If the thought makes you sick, try it any way.  You might like it - you might not, but I guarantee it won't be as bad as you might think.

Ok so here we go with the how to's. 

Cut up your fresh strawberries into slices, chunks, octagons...whatever you want.  Depending on how macho your blender is, maybe you don't need to cut them at all.  My blender...well you'll see in a minute why we have to slice.  About 2 or so cups is good, but I don't really think the proportions need to be all that exact.

Next, sugar those babies up with about 3 heaping tablespoons of sugar and wait a few minutes for them to get all juicy like.

Plop them in the blender and then fill her up with vanilla icecream.  Ours is a 5 cup blender and we mostly fill it - don't pack it in, or you will have a mess.  Just nice airy scoops .




Now, go.  Be happy...and call me if you've got leftovers.

One of my absolute favorite things about Christmas is the smell! Throughout most of December I have a pot of the most disgusting looking mush simmering away on my stovetop. Looks like crap...smells like heaven. And YOU, oh you lucky duck, get to hear about it.


Make up a little pot of this homemade potpourri and I promise you the next guest in your home will exclaim, "ohhh! It smells so good in here." Now, isn't that what we all want? Especially when we're trying to mask the odor of dirty diapers, overdue laundry, and dishes hiding in the oven. Not that I've ever done that or anything.


Here's what you need:


1 sliced apple

1 sliced orange (lemons would probably work too, although I haven't tried them)

2 or so cinnamon sticks

5-6 whole cloves

a pinch of whole allspice


Put it all in a small pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, turn to low, and let it do its magic. remember to add water as needed. Easy easy. One pot will stay fragrant for a week or more, depending on how long you simmer it. And the longer you use it, the worse it looks. yum.


Last year, I made up little bags with all the ingredients, tied a ribbon with the instructions, and gave them to friends and neighbors. Everyone seemed to enjoy it...well, the women anyway. I imagine there were a few husbands who thought cookies or fudge would've been just fine.

Happy Sniffing

I've told you about my great sister in law's blog before, but let me tell ya, it just keeps getting better! You have GOT to go check out her recipes. She's added a ton of great stuff since I last posted about her.

Last night we had the BEST dinner I've made with my own two hands in looooong time. I'm talking like the kind of good where each and every bite sends you into a moment of mouthwatering heavenly bliss. It was that good. And guess who's eating the leftovers RIGHT NOW?! It even gets better - it's so easy to make. It's even a crockpot recipe for all you fans. It's a recipe for kalua pork. Here's the direct link. http://theweeklymenu.blogspot.com/2009/06/ka-lua-pig.html

Promise you won't be disappointed.

In honor of Fall being just around the corner, I thought I'd share some of most favorite Fall recipes. These are the ones that continually stay in the front of my recipe box throughout the cooler months and I always know just what I need to prepare them in a snap. And because I'm not one to be a slave to my kitchen, they're all pretty basic.

Hope you find something that catches your eye! Enjoy!

If any of you are like me, ocassionally or perhaps not so occassionally, 5:00 rolls around and you realize, uh oh, my family would probably like to have dinner tonight. Next thing you do, open the fridge, the freezer, the cupboards, somehow hoping that a little fairy has put something new in there. But really you know you're just going to find the same old refried beans, cans of corn and peaches, and bag of frozen broccoli that you keep meaning to use to make a healthy dinner.

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who at times suffers from the 5:00 Dinner Blues. If you're part of the club I have a little secret that might help. My super cool and talented sister-in-law Crystalin, who just happens to be an amazing cook as well, has started a recipe blog. HERE she posts lots of great family friendly recipes. Recently she just posted a bunch of recipes for yummy summertime drinks like pina coladas, strawberry shakes, orange julius, and more. Check them out. And your husband will LOVE you for it! Don't forget to leave her a little love comment.

Occassionally her kitchen skills call for spices that make me think, "WHAT the heck is that?" but not very often - and that's just me, who's not so creative in the kitchen. So I just ask her. She never laughs, or at least I don't know that she is since it's all computer talk anyway. She's a great question answerer. I just know you'll love her.

So I'm not sure which it is - I have a pumpkin deficiency, or the wee babe I'm growing has a pumpkin deficiency, OR these cookies are really just THAT good. Whatever the case, I cannot keep my hands out of the these delightful treats. When we got married my sweet grandma passed on a whole collection of her cookbooks to me. I found this recipe in one of them. The books are so old and so cute - and Robin, I could totally see them on display in your kitchen, except for that you don't cook, so maybe not.



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 C. butter (sounding good already, eh?)
2 C. sugar
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 C. chocolate chips (the recipe ACTUALLY has raisins and chopped nuts here, but really...)


Cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, and next 5 ingredients; add to batter and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips ( or raisins and nuts, blah blah). Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.




Just look at this baby!



And the best part - Grammy even signed the inside. Don't you love how Grandmas sign everything? THANKS GRAMMY!