Meal Plan Monday: February 22nd - 28th

It's closing week!  We close on our house this week so in preparation our meals are going to be super simple.  It will probably be more of the same next week as we will be moving.  So exciting!!

Monday: Angel Hair with Pesto

Tuesday: Ham, Peppers, Onions and Potato Hash Dinner
The original recipe called for kielbasa but we are going to use the leftover ham my mom brought this past weekend.
Recipe from The Two Bite Club

Wednesday: Breakfast Dinner
This is my mom's night out.  It wasn't last week so hubby is going to get it easy.

Thursday: White Pita Pizza
We have leftover naan in the freezer and left over ricotta from last week's lasagna soup so there you go.  Simple and almost free!
Recipe from Fit Foodie Life

Friday: Pesto Grilled Cheese
Recipe from Fit Foodie Life

Saturday: Dinner Out

Sunday:  Turkey Avocado Wraps

This is one of the meals included in my Clean Eating Challenge.  Contact me if you are interested in joining.

Meal Plan Monday: December 21st - December 27th

Merry Christmas!  I hope you all have enjoyed this holiday season and are ready for Christmas.  I'm going to be cutting it down to the wire so I have planned quick and easy meals for the week.    Because Chinese delivery is a popular Christmas dinner, I am making homemade Chinese food for Christmas Eve.  Making it at home in the crock-pot will cut down on calories and it will be ready when we get home from church.  I'm excited to make this Christmas dinner again.  It was so good last year it made me dance!  Just as food should!  What are your Christmas dinner traditions?

Monday: Subway 
I won a gift card at my office's white elephant gift exchange.  With tonight's busy schedule it seems like the perfect day to use it.

Tuesday: Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Recipe here

Wednesday: Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenderloins and Steamed Broccoli
Recipe here

Thursday: Beef and Broccoli in the Crock-pot
Recipe from Damn Delicious found on Lifehack 

Friday: Turkey Breasts, Arkansas Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Mashed Butternut Squash, Cranberry Sauce
Recipes here

Saturday: Left-overs

Sunday: Egg Roll in a Bowl
Recipe here

Meal Plan Monday: All Time Favorites

We are in Disney this week so we will be eating from that Meal Plan instead.  I have put together a list of my most popular meals on the blog.

1. Pita Pizza - Recipe Inspired from Fits Simple - I added sausage, made the sauce less chunky and added arugula on top.

2.  Egg Roll in a Bowl - This recipe is great for Friday Night "Take Out" nights.

3. Zoodles and Turkey Meatballs from the Fixate Cookbook - This is the number one recipe on the blog and of my Pinterest posts.  You have to get the cookbook for the recipe!  It's so good.

4. Cracker Barrel Chicken Tenderloins

5. Tomato Pesto Grilled Cheese - I want one just thinking about it.

I can't wait to share the awesome meals we have at Disney.  Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!
I will be doing the 3 Day Refresh after my trip.  Leave a comment, if you would like to join me or if you would like some more information.

 

Meal Plan: August 23rd - August 29th

It's a school night for us!  Summer is officially ending.  The busy schedule is upon us and I'm ready!  I spent the weekend organizing, planning, making To Do lists, planned for packing lunch boxes, and, of course, meal planned!  We are back to easy, fast, healthy weekday meals. Below is a look at our schedule for this week so you can get a feel for how I plan our dinners and my workouts. I will add that I do carpool to and from dance and have Hubs to help with dinner.

Here is what we are having for dinner this week:

Sunday: Dinner Out

Monday: Tuna Melts
I will be trying the 21 Day Fix Tuna Recipe in the Fixate cookbook.

1. Brown muffins in toaster or broiler oven.
2. Make your Tuna Salad
3. Top each muffin with tuna with cheese. I use slices of cheddar or muenster.  
4. Broil 5 inches from heat until cheese melts and is a little bown.

Tuesday: Cleaned up Walking Tacos
No Doritos.  This time I'm using a multi grain tortilla chip with some added spices.

Wednesday:  Chicken Parmesan Casserole
Recipe from Emily Bites using Fixate Grandma's Sauce

Thursday:  Grilled Cheese and Tomato Basil Soup
Soup recipe from Fixate

Friday: Subway

Saturday: Grilled Burgers with Smashed Avocado

Meal Plan: February 8th - February 14th

Happy Valentine's Day!  We are all set for the school parties.  The valentines are signed and snacks have been delivered to the school.  We are even set for a little party at the house.

This is what we are having for dinner this week:

Sunday: Chicken Scaloppine With Pesto with Asparagus Orzo
I gave in to being over tired last week and took a night off from cooking.  This was a winner last night.

Chicken Recipe from Weight Watchers  
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup marsala wine
2 tablespoons pesto
4 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

Monday: Potato Pasta Kielbasa Skillet 
Recipe from Taste of Home
So I used the potatoes that were bought for this recipe to make Chocolate covered Potato Chips.  Whoops!  I raided the pantry and used ditalini pasta as a stand in.  Still delicious.

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday

Wednesday: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Thursday: Black Bean Enchiladas - Second baking dish; Frozen
Recipe from Wegmans

Friday: Dress Rehearsal Part 2: Subway

Saturday: Papa Murphy's Heart Pizza, Cupcakes and Chocolate covered strawberries

Meal Plan: December 14 - December 20

This meal plan was put together with the help of my husband.  The girls and I had a busy weekend of Christmas pageant rehearsal, a Bake-a-batch fundraiser, cookie baking, the actual pageant and our annual trip to see the Nutcracker.  What we didn't count on was the house getting sick.  So far we have stayed on track but it's just not in the cards tonight.

Here is what we are having/had for dinner:

Sunday - Baked Ravioli 
My friend came over for dinner with her daughters.  I wanted to make sure I made something they would enjoy so I consulted her Pinterest page.  Her girls had seconds so I say it was a hit. I also frozen an extra one for a quick dinner one night.
Recipe from: Tasty Kitchen

Monday - Illness really took over this night.  My hubby was down for the count and my carpool friend's daughter was sick.   Not wanting to start dinner at 7 we switched our Thursday plan of fast food to Monday.  The Subway app saved the day!  Dinner was ready when we walked in.

Tuesday - Skinny Sloppy Joes
It was made and then mom (me) threw in the towel and admitted I was sick.
Recipe info

Wednesday - It was supposed to be my favorite Cashew Chicken but no one feels like cooking tonight.

Thursday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
It's funny that I as I write this I'm watching Damaris make Homemade Tomato soup and Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwiches.

What cheese do you use for grilled cheese sandwiches?

Friday - Looks like we don't have a plan.  Perhaps it will be the Cashew Chicken.

Meal Plan: November 23 - November 29

It's Thanksgiving!!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I think I love it because it's simple.  The meal prep is not simple, of course, but the day is simple.  Good food, family time, football, naps, sitting around talking, good food.  It didn't take months to plan.  There wasn't a ton of shopping. Sadly, there are other days in this week.  Here is what else we are eating this week.

Sunday - Lasagna and Salad

This is the recipe my MIL made when she visited a few weeks ago.
Recipe from Pioneer Woman: The Best Lasagna.

Monday - Healthified Copycat Turkey Bacon Ranch Wrap with Grapes

4 Flatout Light Original flatbreads
8 oz 98% fat free roasted turkey deli meat

8 slices precooked bacon
4 slices Cheddar Cheese
1 tomato, thinly sliced
Red onion slices
1/4 cup Ranch yogurt dressing

Iceberg or Romaine lettuce

Directions

1. Spread ranch dressing all over the center of the flatbread.
2. Top with turkey, bacon, lettuce, cheese, onion, and tomatoes. Fold the sides in, and then roll up.

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
(Mom has  a work function)

Wednesday - Cheeseburgers and Homemade Chips
The secret to my cheeseburgers?... salt and pepper My family say they are the best burgers and can't believe there isn't another ingredient.
Homemade Chip Recipe from Momables

Thursday - Thanksgiving! - Mac and Cheese, Cole Slaw, Cranberry Sauce
The Mac and Cheese is a family secret.  My cousin used to tell me to use the recipe from the Ronzoni box.  Oh okay, I'll be nice.  Here's the link for the Ronzoni recipe. ;)

Cole Slaw Recipe

Cranberry Sauce
I don't know how long I have been making this recipe.  I still get a kick out of the cranberries popping open.  (Again, it's the simple things in life.)  I love it on my turkey and it's great for leftover sandwiches.
Recipe from Betty Crocker

Friday - Pasta with Bolognese Sauce
We froze the left-overs from the other week.  This time we are having it over rigatoni.  Who wants to cook after Thanksgiving?
Recipe from SkinnyTaste.com

Have a great Thanksgiving!  What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

What's for dinner?: July 20 - July 26

We are back from a week in Virginia Beach where we visited family and my daughter competed in a dance competition.  It was an exciting week and full of good summer food.  We had hot dogs, pulled pork, smoked brisket, pulled pork, tuna subs, crab legs, pulled pork, burgers.  Full on vacation food.  Have you ever gotten to a point where you just wanted the Elaine "Big Salad"?

Here's what we are having for dinner this week:

Sunday: Banana Splits for National Ice Cream Day
Yes, we are the coolest parents ever.  We were tired, it was easy and we had a "holiday" to give us an excuse.  Our splits had bananas, Neapolitan ice cream, whipped cream, peanuts, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, pineapple from my pineapple plant and a cherry on top.

Monday:  Chicken Milanese with Spring Greens and Rice Pilaf
I love making this recipe because it is kid friendly without being too kiddy. I do put ranch on the girls salads rather than the lemon dressing.  Pair it with a box of Near East Rice Pilaf (Any flavor will do.  We are having the one with almonds)
Make it even faster by buying a bottle of Lemon Vinaigrette.
Recipe from My Recipes


 

















Tuesday: Tacos with Black Beans
The walking tacos we had the other week added black beans to the ground beef.  I'm going to replicate that with our tacos.  We all really liked it.  Not sure how black beans in the tacos and on the side will go but we have been loving them over regular refried beans lately.  Have you ever bought refried black beans?  Delicious!

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Salad
Have you ever had a spaghetti sandwich?  I totally got the craving while typing this.  I think I will pass on the Texas toast garlic bread.  You just take a slice of sandwich bread, butter the bread, add the spaghetti and fold in half.

Thursday: Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomato Soup
My favorite sandwich from Doumar's where we visited last week. 

Friday: Utah State Dinner - Pastrami Burger, Funeral Potatoes and Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad

Saturday:  We will be at birthday party.

Have a great week!

What are we having for dinner?: May 18 - May 23

Or maybe I should say what we had.  It has been a crazy week.  The girls have had dance pictures almost every night since Sunday.  It feels nice to actually sit down, and do something I actually want to do.

Here's what we are having for dinner this week:



Sunday: Awesome Sauce Chicken with Spanish Rice and Refried Black Beans


On Friday we went out to a Mexican restaurant.  My husband's dinner came with this awesome avocado, jalapeno, cilantro sauce.  It was so good I wanted to drink it.  I hunted Pinterest to see if I could find the Copycat recipe.  I didn't find the exact match but this recipe from Tasty Kitchen.  It tasted just like the sauce as the restaurant.  I added more water so I could use it on the chicken as a marinade and kept half for a dipping sauce.  It was so good I was dancin'.



Monday:
The girls:
Perdue Chicken Nuggets
Easy Mac (Wegmans Brand)

The adults:
Wegmans Pasta Bowls

Tuesday: Easy Spaghetti Bolognese from Spoonful.com
I found this recipe for my husband because I was going out to dinner with a friend.  He said it was super easy since everything is made in the same pot and thanked me for finding the recipe.  The leftovers were delicious.

Wednesday: Black Bean Quesadillas with Cilantro Lime Rice
Quesadilla Recipe - My Recipes
Rice Recipe - The Recipe Critic

Thursday: Bacon, Tomato, Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup


Speed things up by buying the precooked bacon.

Friday:  Mrs. Flax Dinner aka Appetizer Dinner
If you remember the movie Mermaids from the 90's you know what I mean by Mrs. Flax Dinner.  "A word about Mrs. Flax and food: the word is "hors d'oeurves." Fun Finger Foods is her main source book and it's all the woman cooks." This stuck with my mom and I so whenever we have a meal of appetizers (aka to our family as pickies or appys)

Saturday: Our Niece is getting married!!

 

When you make a grilled cheese do you butter the bread or add the butter to the skillet?