Meal Planning -- August 2014

1. DATE NIGHT ♥
2. Mexican Chopped Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing and chicken
3. Pesto Grilled Shrimp, Grill-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and corn-on-the-cob
4. Grilled pizza
5. Baked chicken thighs, easy boxed rice and green beans
6. Leftovers
7. Easy Crockpot Tortellini Soup
8. Chicken Fajitas
9. Girls' Spa Night! Tea Sandwiches & Spinach Salad
10. Grilled Chicken Sausage (We like Sabatino's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Sausage from Costco!) with Simple Roasted Brussells Sprouts
11. Grilled chicken and Strawberry and Avocado Spinach Salad
12. Chicken Tortilla Soup
13. Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice with pot-stickers 
14. Grilled pork chops with roasted parsnips and carrots
15. Nasty Nachos with roasted asparagus
16. Leftovers
17. Spaghetti with meat sauce, green salad and garlic bread
18. Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes with all the fixin's
19. Beef & Bean Oven Tacos and green salad
20. Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken with Lightened Up Coleslaw
21. Breakfast for dinner!
22. Takeout
23. Grilled chicken with rice and teriyaki grilled veggies
24. Salsa Verde Turkey Burger and Sweet Potato Fries
25. Baked Ziti (Tip: Double the recipe and freeze one pan for another dinner later!)
26. Sloppy Joes and green salad
27. Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas
28. Mediterranean Baked Chicken
29. Tortellini Skillet Lasagna and green salad
30. DATE NIGHT ♥
31. Simple Ground Beef Enchiladas and green salad

Meal Planning -- July 2014

1. Grilled chicken and Healthy Pasta Salad Caprese
2. Taco Pasta Casserole and green salad
3. Grilled pork chops with roasted parsnips and carrots
4. Fourth of July BBQ!!!
5. Beef & Bean Oven Tacos and green salad
6. Parmesan Chicken Bake and butternut squash
7. Baked Turkey & Jack Cheese Chimichangas with sautéed onions & bell peppers
8. Grilled chicken and Summer Pasta Salad with Baby Greens
9. Ham and Gruyère Crêpes with fresh fruit
10. Leftovers
11. DATE NIGHT
12. Asian Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Easy Garlic Snap Peas
13. Easy Pesto Tortellini Salad
14. Grilled chicken sausage, grilled asparagus and Crusty Bread
15. Stuffed Bell Peppers and leftover crusty bread
16. Grilled Chinese Chicken Kabobs, pot-stickers and Sesame Garlic Green Beans
17. Chicken Stuffed Poblano Chiles over rice
18. German Cabbage Buns and green beans
19. Barbequed Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries and green salad
20. Take-out
21. Caprese Chicken with spinach salad and French bread
22. Beef & Spinach Lo Mein
23. Mexican Chicken over rice with salad
24. Smoked Sausage Hobo Packets with dinner rolls
25. Fresh Quinoa Salad with chicken and rolls
26. Chicken Enchiladas and green salad
27. Baked Potatoes with turkey chili and roasted squash
28. Hamburger Oriental Casserole and applesauce
29. Leftovers
30. Cream Cheese Chicken Bacon Wrap, salad and bread
31. Healthy Chicken Quesadillas with added veggies

Cream Cheese Chicken Bacon Wrap

We eat a lot of chicken breasts in our house {thank you Zaycon Foods!}, so we love finding new ways to cook them up! This recipe is A+ in our house -- both in taste and ease of preparation. Hope you will enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

• 2 large {or 4 small} chicken breasts
• 8 strips of bacon
• 1 8-oz container of fat-free cream cheese
• 1 4-oz can of green chiles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease 9x13 baking dish.
2. Place a piece of a plastic wrap on top of each piece of chicken and use a meat tenderizer to flatten. If you have two large breasts, cut each in half before tenderizing.
3. Place 1/4 of the cream cheese and 1 ounce of green chiles in center of each piece of chicken and roll with cream cheese mixture on the inside and 2 slices of bacon on the outside.
4. Place chicken breasts -- seem side up -- in the baking dish and bake covered {I used aluminum foil} for 45 minutes.
5. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the bacon.

Serves 4.

Meal Planning - June 2014

 

1. Skinny Chicken Fajitas with Guacamole
2. Grilled Pizza with Mango Ginger Habanero sauce, sautéed onions & bell peppers and fresh mozzarella 
3. Grilled Chicken Sausage (We like Sabatino's Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Sausage from Costco!)with Simple Roasted Brussells Sprouts
4. Fresh Quinoa Salad with chicken
5. Leftovers
6. Family Night @ Home! Nasty Nachos and green salad with Crescent Sopapillas for dessert
7. DATE NIGHT ♥
8. California Chicken Burgers, Grilled Tator Tots and Grilled Asparagus
9. Simple Ground Beef Enchiladas and green salad
10. Grilled chicken salad
11. Baked Ziti, green beans and Garlic Knots
12. Healthy Chicken Quesadillas with added veggies
13. Meatloaf and butternut squash {recipe to come}
14. Take out!
15. Ranch Turkey Burgers, green salad and Sweet Potato Fries
16. Father's Day! Treat dad to Grilled Steaks, Party Potatoes and Grilled Veggies {recipe to come!}. Polish it off with Homemade Ice Cream
17. Grilled chicken, teriyaki grilled veggies and Wine and Rosemary Quinoa
18. Mexican Chicken over rice with Sautéed Bell Peppers
19. Leftovers
20. Breakfast for Dinner!
21. Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese and green salad
22. Grilled hot dogs, sliced watermelon and Loaded Baked Potato Salad
23. Saucy Asian Meatballs, Jasmine Rice and vegetable pot stickers
24. Spaghetti with meat sauce, Caesar salad and garlic bread {recipe to come}
25. Stuffed Bell Peppers and Homemade Naan
26. Leftovers
27. Grilled chicken & veggie skewers {recipe to come} and Caramelized Green Beans
28. Beef & Bean Oven Tacos and green salad
29. Grilled BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and corn-on-the-cob
30. Sloppy Joes and green salad

Meal Planning - April 2014

1. Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice with pot-stickers 
2. Grilled chicken with rice and teriyaki grilled veggies
3. Baked Potatoes with turkey chili and roasted squash
4. Chicken Pesto Pizza with green salad
5. Chicken Salad sandwiches and green salad
6. Meatloaf muffins (recipe to come) with seasonal veggies
7. Mexican Chicken with simple roasted Brussels sprouts
8. Leftovers
9. Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes with green beans
10. Stromboli with green salad
11. Chicken and Asparagus Penne with French bread
12. Nasty Nachos with green salad
13. Grilled Chicken Sausage with grilled veggies
14. Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole with green salad
15. Spaghetti with meat sauce, green salad and garlic bread
16. Leftovers
17. Grilled pork chops with roasted parsnips and carrots
18. Chicken Stuffed Poblano Chiles over rice
19. Parmesan and Sage-Crusted Pork Chops with simple roasted Brussels sprouts
20. Easter Baked Ham with Maple Glaze, mashed potatoes, 
21. Tangy BBQ Chicken with roasted butternut squash
22. Pork chops and roasted balsamic sweet potatoes
23. Breakfast for dinner
24. Smoked Sausage Hobo Packets with dinner rolls
25. Chicken Fajita Burritos with chips & guacamole
26. DATE NIGHT♥
27. Grilled Chicken Sausage and teriyaki grilled veggies
28. Bacon-wrapped chicken with rice and asparagus 
29. Leftovers
30. Pesto Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage

Meal Planning - March 2014

1. Tomato Basil Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
2. Baked Ziti, green salad and garlic bread
3. Crockpot Green Chili Chicken {recipe to come} with tortillas and sautéed carrots
4. Grilled chicken with rice and fresh green beans
5. Simple Ground Beef Enchiladas and sautéed bell peppers
6. Leftovers
7. Take-out
8. Loaded Baked Potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts
9. Pita Pizza and green salad
10. Ham, scalloped potatoes and fresh green beans
11. Pork Chops Yum-Yum, roasted veggies {recipe to come} and crescent rolls
12. Spaghetti with meat sauce and green salad
13. Beef &Spinach Lo Mein
14. Date Night!
15. Leftovers
16. Taco Pasta Casserole and fresh green beans
17. UPDATED! Corned beef and cabbage with carrots
18. Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine and  roasted Brussels sprouts
19. California Chicken Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
20. Taco salad
21. Barbecue Beef Brisket, mashed potatoes and roasted veggies
22. Date Night!
23. Fresh Quinoa Salad with chicken and rolls
24. Chicken Tortilla Soup
25. Leftovers
26. Breakfast for dinner
27. Grilled chicken and sautéed carrots & zucchini
28. Spaghetti with meat sauce, green salad and garlic bread
29. Take-out
30. Parmesan Chicken Bake and butternut squash
31. Cheese Tortellini & Sausage Soup and artichokes

Cabbage Buns

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup instant rice, uncooked
• 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 package hot roll mix
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sauté onion in large skillet. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, and brown. 
3. Add cream of mushroom soup and rice, stir well.
4. Stir in cabbage and cook until soft.
5. Make roll dough according to directions on box. Pinch the dough into balls (about the size of golf balls) and roll out into nice squares, one at a time.  
6. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of hamburger mixture and place in the center of the square of dough.  Bring the corners up to the middle of the square and pinch the seams together with your fingers.  Turn the square over and place on a greased cookie sheet. Lightly brush melted butter on buns before baking. Continue until you've used up your ingredients.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are a nice golden brown. Makes 12 buns.

Money-Saving Grocery Tips

© Davidcrehner | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Looking to cut down on your monthly spending {or maybe just stick to your budget}? Check out my blog post on Money-Saving Grocery Tips over at the Hello, Darling Blog.

Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

If you'd told me 2 years ago to that I would love Brussels sprouts I would have laughed in your face. Then a friend made them for a pot luck. I was hooked! Since then I've tried a couple of recipes and found this combination to be the "one" for me. And the key to it is using a cast iron skillet. Although you can roast Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, I highly recommend a heavy skillet made of cast iron!

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pepper to taste 
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cast iron skillet in oven to heat while you prep your Brussels sprouts.
2. Peel off outer leaves on Brussels sprouts, rinse in cold water, cut off stem and chop in half.
3. Mix Brussels sprouts with olive oil in large bowl and zip lock bag, coating the sprouts well.
4. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour Brussels sprouts inside, carefully placing them chopped-side down. Season with pepper.
5. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning the sprouts over halfway through.
6. Once you have removed from oven, top with Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

Meal Planning

So, I'm trying out a new meal-planning method. I'm planning meals one month at a time and trying to only shop twice a month (1st and 15th, and based on sale prices may change up the veggie side dishes!). Here is the first month:

1. Out of Town
2. SUPER BOWL! Chicken Fajita Burritos with chips & guacamole
3. Teriyaki Chicken* {UPDATE: recipe not coming -- it wasn't as great as I hoped!} and artichokes
4. Baked Ziti* and asparagus
5. Breakfast for Dinner 
6. Leftovers
7. Beef & Bean Oven Tacos and green salad
8. DATE NIGHT♥
9. Chicken Pot Pie
10. Slow Cooker Old Bay Rotisserie Chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts and French bread
11. Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
12. Chicken Salad Sandwiches {recipe to come} and green salad
13. Hamburger Oriental Casserole and applesauce
14. Valentine's Day♥ Steak with twice baked potatoes and fresh green beans
15. English Muffin Pizza and green salad
16. Leftovers
17. Cabbage Buns and sautéed squash medley
18. Grilled Chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts and crescent rolls
19. Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and green salad
20. Tangy BBQ Chicken* and butternut squash
21. Stuffed Bell Peppers and artichokes
22. DATE NIGHT♥
23. Mexican Chicken* with sautéed bell peppers
24. Leftovers
25. Baked Chicken Thighs and fresh quinoa salad
26. Birthday Celebration! -- Dinner TBD
27. Sloppy Joes and green salad
28. End-of-month Take Out

*Freeze-ahead meals that are already made!

Mexican Chicken

Ingredients:

• (1) 10-oz can Rotel
• (1) 15-oz can tomato sauce 
• (1)10-oz  can enchilada sauce (I'm a wimp so I like mild)
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Mix first four ingredients in slow cooker and then add chicken. 
2. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 on high, or until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165*. 
3. Remove cooked chicken and shred, then return chicken to sauce and allow to marinate for 10-15 minutes. 
4. Chicken is great over rice or rolled up in a tortilla with sautéed onion and bell peppers! 

Serves 6+