Here I am getting ready for another week, and I have nine days of school left for this school year. As exciting as that is, it means the next two weeks will be hectic and tiring. As much as I don’t want to plan tonight, I know it is necessary to keep us from the drive-through lane. I also have no dinners provided on Wednesday, since that has ended for the summer. This is the time of year that I want to relax, but I know I can make it another 9 days. Today I got together with some girls from my Sunday school class for a “casserole shower” for one of our members who is counting the days down to twins. We all came home with 6 meals for the freezer. I will write more about it later, but I can’t stress how excited I am to have some new things in the freezer.
Sunday Night: Tricia’s Famous Lasagna (One of my children’s favorites)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2008/12/tricia-lasagna.html
Meatless Monday Night: Fried Rice with Tofu Egg Rolls (from the freezer)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/baked-egg-rolls.html
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/02/fried-rice-with-egg-meatless-monday.html
Tuesday Night: Pork Tenderloin in the crockpot with potatoes and fresh vegetables
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/pork-tenderloin-marinade.html
Wednesday Night: Cranberry Chicken Casserole (from the freezer) with peas from the freezer (Casserole Recipe Coming Soon)
Thursday Night: Pork Tenderloin Rice Bowls (rice, black beans, pico de gallo or salsa, cheese, topped with leftover pork tenderloin
Friday Night: Out
Saturday Night: Cooking Out for the Holiday Weekend
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Summer Stir-fry
This morning, as I was leaving for school, I stopped by the freezer to grab some meat for dinner tonight. I grabbed an Elk Fillet that I had purchased from the local market. I wasn't sure what to do with it and it was only a half a pound of meat. Well, I cut it, marinaded it, and stir-fried it, and it was a great light summer meal. Here is an easy stir-fry recipe that can use whatever is in the fridge.
1/2 to 1 lb of meat cubed (chicken, beef, elk, etc.)
3 T of soy sauce
1 T of sugar
3 to 4 veggies chopped into bite-size pieces (I used all locally grown food)
* 1 onion
* 2 carrots
* 1 head of broccoli
* 1 squash
* 1 head of Chinese Cabbage chopped
1 package of Udon Noodles cooked (or 1/2 bag of linguine)
Marinate meat in soy sauce and sugar mixture for 15 minutes to an hour. Pour a dollop of oil in to the stir-fry pan. Once heated, add meat and chopped onion. Cook over medium heat. Then, add the carrots and squash to mixture. About 5 minutes before serving add cabbage and broccoli. Add in cooked noodles. Serve and enjoy!
1/2 to 1 lb of meat cubed (chicken, beef, elk, etc.)
3 T of soy sauce
1 T of sugar
3 to 4 veggies chopped into bite-size pieces (I used all locally grown food)
* 1 onion
* 2 carrots
* 1 head of broccoli
* 1 squash
* 1 head of Chinese Cabbage chopped
1 package of Udon Noodles cooked (or 1/2 bag of linguine)
Marinate meat in soy sauce and sugar mixture for 15 minutes to an hour. Pour a dollop of oil in to the stir-fry pan. Once heated, add meat and chopped onion. Cook over medium heat. Then, add the carrots and squash to mixture. About 5 minutes before serving add cabbage and broccoli. Add in cooked noodles. Serve and enjoy!
Meals for the Week May 15- May 22
Sorry to be so late, but this has been one of those weeks. I haven't even had a schedule for the week and we have been having what is in the freezer, fridge, and pantry. So, here is what we have had this week:
Sunday Night: Left-overs from the weekend (easy- everyone had something different)
Meatless Monday: Potato Leek Soup with fresh bread (yes, repeat from last week, but the girls love it and there was just me and the girls to eat that night)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/chicken-and-barley-with-lemon-marinade.html
Tuesday: Rotisserie Chicken with Amy's Mac and Cheese and Green Beans
Wednesday: Locally Grown Stir-fry- with an Elk Fillet (recipe coming)
Thursday: Lemon Chicken with Barley
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/chicken-and-barley-with-lemon-marinade.html
Friday: Pizza Party for E's school! Last two weeks of preschool- excited and sad.
Saturday: Spaghetti (easy family favorite)
Sunday Night: Left-overs from the weekend (easy- everyone had something different)
Meatless Monday: Potato Leek Soup with fresh bread (yes, repeat from last week, but the girls love it and there was just me and the girls to eat that night)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/chicken-and-barley-with-lemon-marinade.html
Tuesday: Rotisserie Chicken with Amy's Mac and Cheese and Green Beans
Wednesday: Locally Grown Stir-fry- with an Elk Fillet (recipe coming)
Thursday: Lemon Chicken with Barley
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/04/chicken-and-barley-with-lemon-marinade.html
Friday: Pizza Party for E's school! Last two weeks of preschool- excited and sad.
Saturday: Spaghetti (easy family favorite)
Sunday, May 9, 2010
One Week’s Meals – May 9 to 14
Well, it is Sunday again and I am working on keeping us going another week. We hosted my cousin’s college graduation party this weekend, so the weekend was spent working on that meal. So, today I looked at what would be easy to cook and the best use of our leftovers. I also posted the sides again this week. All of my vegetables came from the farmers market this weekend and will make for great sides this week. This week at the local market I purchased: zucchini, squash, cucumber, and leeks. I have had to watch buying too many items at one time- it all looks so good that I want too much for one week.
Sunday Night- Out to eat- My family took me out for mother’s day. It was a great day with the family.
Meatless Monday Bean and Cheese Burritos with stir-fried veggies (squash, zucchini, and onions)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/05/bean-and-cheese-burritos-meatless.html
Well, it is Sunday again and I am working on keeping us going another week. We hosted my cousin’s college graduation party this weekend, so the weekend was spent working on that meal. So, today I looked at what would be easy to cook and the best use of our leftovers. I also posted the sides again this week. All of my vegetables came from the farmers market this weekend and will make for great sides this week. This week at the local market I purchased: zucchini, squash, cucumber, and leeks. I have had to watch buying too many items at one time- it all looks so good that I want too much for one week.
Sunday Night- Out to eat- My family took me out for mother’s day. It was a great day with the family.
Meatless Monday Bean and Cheese Burritos with stir-fried veggies (squash, zucchini, and onions)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2010/05/bean-and-cheese-burritos-meatless.html
Tuesday Left-overs from the Graduation Party (Grilled chicken, baked beans, and coleslaw)
Wednesday Church Picnic (end of choir for the year- one activity down- YIPPEE!)
Thursday Spaghetti and Meat Sauce with fresh cucumber salad (take sauce our of the freezer)
http://twosistersandfriends.blogspot.com/2008/12/potato-leek-soup.html
Bean and Cheese Burritos- Meatless Monday Meal
A quick meal that can be a life saver on those busy nights. Ingredients are simple and easy to keep on hand. Kids love these burritos.
Ingredients
◦7 flour tortillas, 10-inch (25cm) diameter
◦Filling:
3 1/2 cups fat-free refried beans, (two 16-ounce cans)
◦1/2 cup green chiles, canned, chopped (one 4-ounce can)
◦1/2 tsp cumin
◦1/2 tsp garlic powder
◦8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese*, shredded
Directions
◦Preheat over to 400°F (205°C).
◦Prepare filling by mixing refried beans, chilies, cumin and garlic together in a bowl.
◦Grate cheese.
◦Assemble burrito by spooning approximately 1/2 cup (130g) bean filling into the center of each tortilla and top with about one Tbsp of cheddar cheese. Fold in ends and then sides. Place burritos seam side down on baking sheets that have been sprayed with vegetable oil spray.
◦Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
◦Serve with a dab of light sour cream and salsa.
Ingredients
◦7 flour tortillas, 10-inch (25cm) diameter
◦Filling:
3 1/2 cups fat-free refried beans, (two 16-ounce cans)
◦1/2 cup green chiles, canned, chopped (one 4-ounce can)
◦1/2 tsp cumin
◦1/2 tsp garlic powder
◦8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese*, shredded
Directions
◦Preheat over to 400°F (205°C).
◦Prepare filling by mixing refried beans, chilies, cumin and garlic together in a bowl.
◦Grate cheese.
◦Assemble burrito by spooning approximately 1/2 cup (130g) bean filling into the center of each tortilla and top with about one Tbsp of cheddar cheese. Fold in ends and then sides. Place burritos seam side down on baking sheets that have been sprayed with vegetable oil spray.
◦Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden brown.
◦Serve with a dab of light sour cream and salsa.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Chicken kabobs
We made some chicken kabobs on the grill and they turned out pretty good. I used the following recipe to marinade the chicken. It was pretty darn spicy and since I'm a whimp I will only use 1/2 of the crushed red pepper next time. Although spicy, I really liked the flavor of this marinade! Besides chicken I used onion, green, red, yellow and orange bell pepper, an pineapple on our kabobs. You could add whatever you like!!
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt if desired. Reserve half of marinade for basting; cover. Cut chicken into 1-in. wide strips; weave on skewers. Place in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. glass baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain, discarding marinade. Place skewers on grill over medium-low coals. Grill, turning and basting with reserved marinade, for 12 minutes or until juices run clear.
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, honey, thyme, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt if desired. Reserve half of marinade for basting; cover. Cut chicken into 1-in. wide strips; weave on skewers. Place in an 11-in. x 7-in. x 2-in. glass baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain, discarding marinade. Place skewers on grill over medium-low coals. Grill, turning and basting with reserved marinade, for 12 minutes or until juices run clear.
Strawberry pie
My parents came to visit last weekend and we picked lots of strawberries at a local strawberry farm. Mom wanted to make a fresh strawberry pie. This was a delicious recipe!! It was one of the only ones we could find without jello. Adding jello to a pie just didn't seem right.
Here's proof of the freshness!!
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Arrange half of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Mash remaining berries and combine with sugar in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over berries in pastry shell. Chill for several hours before serving. In a small bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Serve each slice of pie with a dollop of whipped cream.
Note: we filled the entire bottom of the pie with whole strawberrries, not just 2 cups. The pie was delicious but a little runny. Next time we will try less water.
Here's proof of the freshness!!
1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Arrange half of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Mash remaining berries and combine with sugar in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over berries in pastry shell. Chill for several hours before serving. In a small bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Serve each slice of pie with a dollop of whipped cream.
Note: we filled the entire bottom of the pie with whole strawberrries, not just 2 cups. The pie was delicious but a little runny. Next time we will try less water.
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