Menu Monday

I just started to spell Monday as Munday... either I have too much on my plate or I am losing my mind just a little.

I actually have quite a few projects going on right now. Hopefully I won't completely forget how to spell in the course of meeting deadlines over the next couple of weeks!

Monday: Toasted Sesame Ginger Chicken served with a side of Rice and a Salad {the salmon was so good last week, that I thought I would try this recipe again, but with Chicken}.

 

Tuesday: Grilled Steak with Roasted Garlic Brussel Sprouts

Wednesday: Barbacoa Burritos using leftovers from last week's Burrito Bowls
 

Thursday: Grilled Garlic Dijon Herb Chicken with Rice and a side Salad {using Gina's Skinny Tastes recipe for salmon}.
 

Friday: Date Night

Saturday: Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Pizza {recipe from How Sweet It Is}

Sunday: We are getting together with our class from church. I will be taking a dessert, though I haven't decided what yet. A strong contender is this recipe for Girl Scout Cookie Tagalong Cake Bars from Kevin and Amanda.

Menu Monday

I am a very laid-back, go with the flow, kind of gal. But I am also a notorious planner and list maker. Always have been, always will be. 92% of the time, I stick to my menu plan {we break the plan for impromptu social outings with friends or if I am not feeling up to cooking}. As for my grocery list, if it's not on the list, I'm not buying it. This drives my husband crazy when he happens to shop with me – he inevitably finds something not on the list and I will put my foot down {unless it is a need and not a want}. I try not to be too much of a dictator, but the meal planning and grocery list making has helped us to be consistent with our spending for nearly a decade now.

Monday: Toasted Sesame Ginger Salmon {recipe from How Sweet It Is} with Rice and Asparagus
 

Tuesday: Homemade Sausage, Bell Pepper and Olive Pizza {using the Garlic Bread Crust recipe from How Sweet It Is}
 

Wednesday: Barbacoa Burrito Bowls {recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes}
 

Thursday: Date Night
 

Friday-Sunday: Hubby is on his own {probably leftovers} as me and the baby head to the city to hang out with my sister and her family {and to do a little consignment sale shopping}.

My parents will be in town for the next couple of days, so I am also planning on making Pioneer Woman's Blueberry Baked French Toast but with a twist... I think I am going to use bananas instead of blueberries. This one of my favorite recipes, so I hope the bananas don't ruin it.

I will also be making my favorite Peach Cobbler for dessert tonight {recipe from Pink Parsley}. Hopefully the leftovers will last us a couple of nights.

Cheesy Chicken, Spinach and Orzo Casserole

This dish was going to be a vegetarian meal based on the Three Cheese Orzo and Spinach Dish by How Sweet It is. But Daniel complained about the number of times we have ate meatless dishes this week, so I decided to tweak the recipe and add chicken. The end result was a rating of 4.8/5 stars from Daniel. We are big fans of orzo, so I need to find more recipes that include this pasta.

Cheesy Chicken, Spinach and Orzo Casserole

serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 cup orzo pasta

2 cups water

2 tbsp chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 chicken breast, diced

1/4 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 cup Fiesta style cheese (or whatever you have on hand)

1 6-ounce bag of spinach

Directions

Boil water and chicken stock. Add orzo and cook for 9 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. 

Saute the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. 

Add chicken breast to the onion/garlic mixture and cook until browned, about 7 minutes.

Add the spinach and cooked orzo, cooking until spinach wilts.

Finally, stir in the cheese, mixing until melted and combined.

This is great comfort food.

Menu Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:

It would seem that I'm really falling down on my cooking this week...

Monday Dinner: Leftover Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

Tuesday Dinner: Barbacoa Burrito using leftover Pork from last week's Burrito Bowls. Daniel gave it 4.82/5 stars.

Wednesday Dinner: Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken and Portabella Mushrooms and a side salad. Daniel said the pasta was a bit bland for my cooking and gave it 4.47/5 stars.

Thursday Dinner: I have no idea what we ate. I guess I will blame that on being pregnant???

Friday Dinner: We ate at On The Border in Atlanta {thanks to our fiasco with Craigslist}. We loaded up on chips and salsa {our fave} and split the Monterey Jack Fajitas.

Saturday Dinner: Again, I have NO IDEA what we ate!!!

Sunday Lunch: We split a BBQ Hickory Burger at Red Robin in Huntsville.

Sunday Dinner: We went to see Pirates of the Carribean and then picked up a beef and cheese pizza from Papa John's on the way home.

Meal Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:
 

Mexican food, burgers and pizza seemed to be the theme... I will have to do a little better with my meal planning this week!

Monday Dinner: I received my first 5/5 stars from Daniel for this Barbacoa Burrito Bowl meal. It was amazing and reminded us of Chipotle Mexican Grill. {Recipes from Gina's Skinny Recipes}. If you like Chipotle, I definitely recommend checking out these recipes for Barbacoa Pork, Lime Cilantro Rice and Cuban Style Black Beans. Just add your favorite toppings – you could also wrap it all up in a tortilla shell for a Burrito instead of a Bowl.

Tuesday Dinner: I whipped up Bacon Cheese Turkey Burgers with a side of chips – homemade fries would have been nice but sometimes I get lazy. Daniel gave it 4.8/5 stars.

Wednesday Dinner: Crispy Shrimp Tacos turned out to be a bit of an involved process, but the end results were worth it. I wish I had made a salad or something to go on the side. I rarely make fried food, but it was goooood. {Recipe from White On Rice} Daniel gave it 4.82/5 stars.

Afterward we ran into town to meet friends at the local Dairy Bar for milkshakes. This may be a new fave.

Thursday Dinner: Date night. We mixed it up and went to Pizza Hut {we don't have many options in our town}. Pizza was good but the restaurant was FREEZING.

Friday Dinner: Lots of Mexican this week, I made Black Bean Tortilla Casserole {recipe adapted from Cara's Cravings}. Daniel gave it 4.83/5 stars – not bad for a meatless dish.

Saturday Dinner: After our 10-mile bike ride, we went to Sonic for burgers... not our healthiest week. Can I blame it on the pregnancy??? 

Sunday Lunch: We hit McCallisters Deli in Huntsville after church. We haven't been there in a while and they have changed their menu {again}. They went from having waaaaayyyyyy to many options to cutting out all of my favorites from the menu.

Sunday Dinner: Frozen pizza – again with the unhealthy.

Meal Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:

I was all about keeping things simple, healthy and delicious...

Monday Dinner: Due to the crazy storms last week, we packed up and headed to stay with family until power was restored. We found on on Monday morning that we finally had power at our house so we left Nashville and headed home. I attempted to go grocery shopping and learned that the Walmart in Scottsboro was still being partially powered by generators and there were basically no perishable items in the store. This meant no milk, no meat, no cheese. The produce was also significantly limited. When leaving Walmart I called Daniel to let him know the situation and we decided to try to grab a pizza from Papa John's. Unfortunately most of Scottsboro must have had the same idea. We scrapped the pizza idea and I grabbed dinner to go from Zaxby's.

Tuesday Dinner: I finally managed to find perishable items at the local Piggly Wiggly so I was able to make Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches with bell peppers and onions. Daniel gave this meal 4.7/5 stars and he doesn't even like roast beef.

Wednesday Dinner: Chicken Tender Salad. Since I cheated with the chicken and just heated up processed chicken tenders Daniel gave this salad 4.54/5 stars because he wasn't a huge fan of the "fake" meat.

Thursday Dinner: Frozen pizza – you need one night a week to stay at home but be lazy in the kitchen...

Friday Dinner: Tacos. Easy and yummy. I thought I had purchased the wider taco shells, but I didn't... next time I will pay better attention at the grocery store. Daniel gave it 4.73/5 stars.

Saturday Dinner: We went for a scenic drive/hike and stopped at McDonald's for burgers on the way home. We also made a detour to the local Dairy Bar for dessert. I was disappointed that they were out of Waffle Cones so I tried a Brownie Sundae instead. It was drenched in chocolate sauce and was so rich it was almost inedible. I like subtlety in my food. Daniel had better luck with his Peanut Butter Milk Shake. It was all very "small town USA" but I will have to go back and try a waffle cone with homemade ice cream before I give my verdict.

 

Sunday Dinner: After church, we stopped at Walmart to see if they had salmon in stock yet {this item was nowhere to be found earlier in the week}. They did, so we had Salmon with Corn on the Cob and Green Beans. Daniel gave 4.9/5 stars to the salmon; 4.7/5 to the beans and 4.2/5 to the corn (it was undercooked).

Menu Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:

 

Monday Dinner: Sausage, Tomato and Spinach Pasta. Daniel gave it 4.8/5 stars.

 

 

Tuesday Dinner: Steak Salad. Daniel gave it 4.67/5 stars.

 

Wednesday Dinner: I was supposed to make Philly Cheese steak sandwiches, but the power going out meant we were stuck eating Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

 

Thursday Dinner: Due to the power outages in Northern Alabama we cleaned out our fridge and headed to Nashville. My brother-in-law made us grilled salmon with rice and a salad. It was delish.

Friday Dinner: We ate at Olive Garden to celebrate my sister's birthday a little early and so that I could carb load for the Country Music half marathon I was to run in on Saturday.

Dessert was a family favorite: pistachio birthday cake for the birthday girl.

Saturday Lunch: Post race was a cheeseburger from McDonalds followed by a Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich and an ice cream cone from Chick-fil-a.

 

Saturday Dinner: We went to visit friends, Kristalynne and Nick, for dinner. Nick made us amazing grilled hamburgers. We also had mac n' cheese and Nick's famous salad. Afterward we made smores.

Sunday Lunch: Burgers from Five Guys.

 

Sunday Dinner: My brother-in-law grilled steaks for my sister's birthday. We also had stuffed mushrooms, baked potatoes and salad. We were well taken care of while we were without power.

Menu Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:

Monday Dinner: Tomato Florentine Soup with fresh Bread {Recipe adapted from Good Life Eats}. This was a great recipe. Unfortunately my camera setting was messed up so some of this week's pics are kind of crappy. Daniel gave it 4.42/5 stars.

 

 

For dessert I made these Outrageous Oreo Chocolate Brownies {Recipe adapted from Erin's Food Files}. Daniel gave it 4.7/5 stars. I was a little disappointed that the Oreo flavor wasn't stronger.

Tuesday Dinner: Stuffed Bell Peppers {Recipe courtesy of my friend Laura}. Daniel gave this 4.5/5 stars which is high considering it was a vegetarian dish.

 

Wednesday Dinner: Daniel and I went running {getting in some last minute training for my upcoming half marathon}. Afterward we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Buena Vistas, and split the Mex Tex Fajitas.

 

 

Thursday Dinner: Blackened Chicken with Rice and Sauteed Zucchini {Recipe courtesy of my mom}. This is a family favorite and one of the first meals I made for Daniel when we were dating. Daniel gave it 4.75/5 stars. 

 

Friday Dinner: We met up with Daniel's family at Cheddars in Smyrna, TN. I had the Smokehouse Burger and Daniel had Salmon. It was a great visit with family.

 

Saturday Lunch: We spent the rest of Easter weekend at my sister's place in Hermitage, TN. My parents came up from Arkansas and my brother dropped by as well. My brother-in-law made us Grilled BBQ Chicken and Corn on the Cob. My sister made a Strawberry and Almond Salad. Scrumptious.

Saturday Dinner: Some of my extended family came over to my sister and brother-in-laws for Pizza and Games. I made a Meat Pizza and two Supreme Pizzas. My brother made an Alfredo Pizza. And my aunt provided a Veggie tray.

 

Sunday Lunch: My B-I-L made a Potroast with Carrots and Mashed Potatoes and Gravy {my sister is a lucky woman}. 

 

Sunday Dinner: We picked up a pizza from Papa John's after we made it home.

Menu Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:

Monday Dinner: Taco Salad – my mom made this dish often when I was growing up. There is something about cold lettuce and warm meat that makes me happy. Daniel gave it 4.6/5 stars. 

We had these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies for dessert {Recipe Adapted from Blue-Eyed Bakers}. They would have been better if I had had the Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels from Trader Joes.

 

 

Tuesday Dinner: Pan-seared Steak with Baked Potato and Corn. Simple and yummy. Daniel gave it 4.7/5 stars.

 {via}

Wednesday Dinner: Frozen CPK Sicilian Pizza.

Thursday Dinner: We celebrated a friend's birthday at Margaritas Mexican Restaurant. Daniel and I split the Supreme Nachos.

Friday Dinner: I was craving Japanese food so we tried the local Tokyo Japan restaurant. I had the Hibachi Chicken. It was surprisingly good {and cheap}. 

Saturday Lunch: Nachos with leftovers from Monday night.

Saturday Dinner: Leftover Red Beans and Rice from last week.

Sunday Lunch: We went to Cracker Barrel in Huntsville and enjoyed breakfast.

Saturday Dinner: Burritos with leftovers from Monday night.

Menu Recap

Last week's meals were as follows:

Monday Dinner: Tomato Orzo Soup {Recipe here}. Daniel gave it 4.6/5 stars.

Tuesday Dinner: Black Bean Burger {Recipe from 20 Something Cupcakes} with Baked Onion Rings {recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes}. Daniel LOVES Black Bean Burgers so he gave this meal 4.73/5 stars. I am not a huge fan of Black Bean Burgers, so I would rate it 3/5.

Wednesday Dinner: Sauteed Chicken, Mushrooms and Asparagus on a bed of Whole Wheat Spaghetti. This is one of my favorite dishes for simple, fresh ingredients. Daniel gave this dish 4.2/5 stars.

Thursday Dinner: We ordered pizza from Papa John's

Friday Dinner: Red Beans and Rice {Recipe adapted from CDKitchen}. Daniel gave this 4.73/5 stars. I made it in a crockpot {including the rice} and it was perfect to come home to after an evening run. 

Saturday Dinner: We had leftovers for lunch then headed to the Walls of Jericho for some hiking. We were home by 7PM, but I didn't feel like cooking. Daniel heated up more leftovers and I had a bowl of cereal.

Sunday Lunch: We used a gift card we had to eat at Olive Garden in Huntsville. Not our favorite restaurant but it was good in terms of a free meal.

Sunday Dinner: More leftovers for Daniel and cereal for me.

Menu Recap

Last week's meals were as follows: 

Monday Dinner: Taco Soup {Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake}. Daniel gave it 4.75/5 stars.

 

Tuesday Dinner: We had dinner with friends – Jeremy and Laura. Laura made us cheese dip to go with chips, corn on the cob and an enchilada-type dish. Afterward we ate Rice Krispy Treats while we played Monopoly. 5/5 stars for a fun evening with friends.

Wednesday Dinner: Mushroom and Provolone Turkey Burger with Sauteed Asparagus. 
Daniel gave it 4/5 stars. 

Thursday Dinner: Date Night at Geno's Pizza. We split an order of Bread Sticks and a Supreme Pizza.

Friday Dinner: Spaghetti and Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs with a Side Salad {Recipe from Picky Palate}. Daniel gave it 4.6/5 stars. 

Saturday: We spent the day canoeing and then had a second lunch at Cantina Laredo. It was excellent. I tried the Chimichanga. It had a red sauce – I prefer a white sauce, but the dish was amazing. It had a side of grilled sugar snap peas that were fantastic. Daniel tried the enchiladas and loved them. The side of rice was a bit bland, but overall this restaurant was a hit. Our friends recommend the desserts here so we will have to come back another time and split a main course so we can try out the desserts.

Afterwards we went to Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt. Daniel and I were both stuffed, but we decided to split a cup of yogurt. We tried a combination of the cheesecake, coffee, peanut butter and cookies & cream flavors and topped it off with Heath Bar. It was amazing.

Sunday Lunch: Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatball Sandwiches using leftovers from Friday night with a side of Chips. Daniel gave this 4.4/5 stars

Sunday Dinner: Pepperoni Pizza. You really can't go wrong with a pizza... 
Daniel gave it 4.6/5 stars.

Oversized Chalkboards

I love, love, love this seating area {as seen on the 6th Street Design School blog}. I could totally see it as a breakfast nook. The chalkboard with quote is a nice touch. I use my own oversized chalkboard for posting my weekly menu.

 

photo (source)

 

 My Weekly Menu Chalkboard