menu plan: the hispanic farmer's market

g and i had a fun afternoon together this past saturday.  we went to cedars of lebanon state park and the lebanon flea market.  they're across the street from each other and just about twelve minutes from our house.  we loaded up on cinnamon rolls before leaving home, then after a nature hike through the park, we had tacos al pastor (me) and a steak quesadilla (g) from a food truck at the flea market.  then we picked up a few items for the week at the hispanic farmer's market.  their produce is simply the best, and it's also an easy place to pick up the authentic cheeses that i like.  i had fried plantain, queso seco, and fresh corn on the cob from our garden for dinner.  mmmmmmm.  it was a very good day.

this week's menu plan:
sunday - farmer's market
monday - bacon and eggs, strawberry shortcake
tuesday - chicken stir fry
wednesday - church
thursday - fajitas
friday - open
saturday - quesadillas

menu plan: tacos al pastor

tacos al pastor are my favorite thing to get from the mexiven food truck.  i finally found a recipe that does them justice.  be careful!  they're not hot on the tongue, but do leave a slow burn at the back of your throat.  mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

this week's menu plan:
sunday - far east buffet
monday - salmon, corn on the cob, salad
tuesday - stir fry
wednesday - the wilson county fair
thursday - leftovers
friday - open
saturday - hamburger, mac&cheese, carrots

we are especially looking forward to the fair food on wednesday and trying to eat healthy beforehand.

menu plan: bonfire mongolian grill and japanese steakhouse

g and i tried out the new mongolian grill in providence on sunday.  two thumbs up!  you fill a bowl with your ingredients (lots of great, fresh choices!) and then they cook it up and bring it to your table.  the place was PACKED being tax free weekend and all.  i was a bit nervous as i hate waiting, especially around LOTS of people (no offense, but it makes me anxious).  we were seated quick though and the food came out FAST!  plus, we got to sit in a quieter side room which i liked.  so, yep!  if you're a local, or there's one near you, give it a try!

this week's menu plan:
sunday - church
monday - tacos al pastor (new recipe - fingers crossed!), corn on the cob
tuesday - french toast, bacon, and eggs
wednesday - church
thursday - leftovers, corn on the cob
friday - open (payday!)
saturday - rotisserie chicken (grocery shopping day!), green beans, corn on the cob

lots of corn on the cob this week cuz it's fresh from our garden!!!

menu plan: the party's over

newsflash!  g can officially butter and cut his own french toast now.  just in time for middle school!

yep.  summer vacation was officially over for me last monday morning at 6:00 am when the alarm sounded to kick off a week of wonderful teacher work days.  summer vacation is officially over for g this coming monday morning at 6:00 am when the alarm will sound once more.  are we ready?  probably not, but we'll both be sporting cool new backpacks.

being back in a routine is good for us though, especially if i can manage to get to the grocery store this weekend.  g has put in a few dinner requests and i'm needing to get back on track in the kitchen.

this week's menu plan:
sunday - church
monday - tortilla soup
tuesday - taco salad
wednesday - church
thursday -leftovers
friday - tacos al pastor
saturday - open

menu plan: battle of the bulge

the man child is, for the very first time, off at boy scout camp all week.  the psychological impacts for both mother and child are deep and profound.  on a superficial note, someone else will be feeding him, therefore i do not have to cook.  i should eat a salad every day, however i did stock up on some favorite canned goods at the dg last night.  i think we all know which team will be victorious in the battle of the bulge this week.  #teameatlikeakid

menu plan

the dinner fairy finally showed up!  woot!  and who knew he looked like my ex?!  pardon me, i'm just a bit slap happy from a late night coke (past 8:00 pm here, dontchaknow).  that and the fact that i don't have to work tomorrow as it's the first monday of summer vacation!  fist pump!  so, yes, g's dad grilled a whole chicken and a whole rack of ribs, and we barely touched it as we were stuffed from a large basket of wings at bww.  we also still have leftover stir fry in the fridge and leftover tortilla soup in the freezer.  oh, and carrier's invited me out for daiquiris at our favorite mexican joint.  looks like i won't have to cook or even grocery shop this week.  g's even taken to baking and decorating his own cookies these days.  life is good.  ;)

menu plan: fish tacos

i finally cooked something.  perhaps this will be the start of my culinary revolution.  the fish tacos turned out surprisingly good.  i was shocked.  i've never tried before and to have a winner first time out of the oven, well.  and, of course, no recipe.  simple is best, right?  i just baked the fish with butter, salt, pepper, and lime like i normally would then topped it with diced avocado and mango, fresh cilantro, an extra dash of pepper and an extra squirt of lime.  and don't forget the side of platanos fritos con queso seco.  deliciouso!

this week's menu plan:
sunday - church
monday - fish tacos
tuesday - stir fry
wednesday - church
thursday - chicken and vegetable soup
friday - leftovers
saturday - open

the little heifer approves.

menu plan: slugfest

i cooked once last week.  it was a great pot of tortilla soup and we ate it for leftovers too but still.  i cooked once last week.  i have morphed into a slug with squishy flesh and a sticky trail of empty coke cans.  i need intervention from my bloggy friends.

this week's menu plan:
sunday - church
monday - cheese quesadillas (him), leftover tortilla soup (me)
tuesday - fish tacos, corn on the cob
wednesday - church
thursday - steak fajitas
friday - open
saturday - stir fry

menu plan: peanut butter cookies

great grandma's peanut butter cookie recipe (which turns out is from that old red gingham "joy of cooking" cookbook that everyone's mom had when i was a kid.  hoping they will tide me over till my girl scout cookies show up.

1 cup crisco
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

mix first 6 ingredients together.  sift last 3 ingredients together in separate bowl.  gradually add dry ingredients to wet.  bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. 

this week's menu plan:
sunday - cranberry pork loin, green beans, cranberry sauce
monday - hamburger, macaroni and cheese, salad
tuesday - leftovers
wednesday - church
thursday - french toast and sausage
friday - open
saturday - fajitas

menu plan: supercup III

chelle and i enjoyed our 3rd annual "supercup" party last night, a term coined by one of her boys at our first such event when he couldn't think of the correct word to use.  this year i made delightfully tacky supercups for chelle and i to sip our adult beverages (aka coke) from.  i provided my usual, sausage/cream cheese/rotel dip and strawberry shortcake.  chelle brought pizza rolls for the boys and veggies for the appearance of healthy.  we both cooked chicken soup.  i have leftovers for days.  maybe i won't even cook the rest of this week.  and, hey, how 'bout that superbrawl?

this week's menu plan:
sunday - supercup party
monday - leftovers
tuesday - panda express at opry mills mall
wednesday - church
thursday - more leftovers?
friday - beef soft tacos
saturday - open

menu plan: poppyseed chicken

this is straight up comfort food.  poppyseed chicken.  omg.  so good.  i can only cook it when i'm having company, however, as it's not g's favorite so he won't eat the leftovers.  i can't eat all those leftovers myself!  comfort food is fattening!  and especially so as i usually use the boil in a bag white rice.  lame, i know, but i can't cook rice for beans.  not that i ever cook beans.  well, green beans i do.

anyhoo.  it's really easy.  just boil a bag of flash frozen chicken breasts with a small diced onion and some salt.  when it's done, dice the chicken and put it in a casserole dish with a mix of three cans of "cream of" condensed soup (your choice!  mostly i use 2 cream of chicken and one cream of mushroom) and a tub of sour cream.  poppyseeds are optional, but they are in the title.  bake till it bubbles.  add a sleeve of crushed ritz crackers mixed with a quarter cup of melted butter about five minutes before you pull it from the oven.  serve over rice and with green beans.  yum!

this week's menu plan:
sunday -something grilled
monday - spaghetti
tuesday - leftovers
wednesday - church
thursday - tortilla soup
friday - big breakfast for dinner
saturday - tbd

menu plan: we love red lobster

saturday was a stay in bed till noon, use aunt theresa's red lobster gift card, finally buy groceries kind of day.  sunday there is a scheduled face-off between the me who wants to chew on the to do list so we'll be ready to go back to school and the me who wants to suck the very marrow out of the last day of christmas vacation.  monday is judgement day.  without a doubt, a menu plan is in order to help control this chaos.

g was composing a recipe for making lobster pizza while we were dining out today.  how awesome is that?  i've raised him well, but i think we should wait on that gourmet cooking extravaganza till the basil-in-a-bag that he got for christmas is growing strong and i have fresh tomatoes on the back deck. ah, spring.  enough ramblings.  we still have winter to get through.

this week's menu plan:
sunday - poppyseed chicken, salad, crescent rolls
monday - crockpot carnitas, carrots
tuesday - leftovers
wednesday - church
thursday - homemade(ish) pizza
friday - steak, salad, corn on the cob
saturday - open

menu plan: vintage muffin tin



today has been a banner day!  i've gotten so much done!  i won't bore you with the cleaning details, but let's just say i won't be stressed by my messy house this week and i actually have some holiday décor up! what?  i know!  december isn't even into the double digits and i've already got on my christmas cheer.  unprecedented! 

i got this vintage muffin tin at jenni's "a vintage affair" yesterday.  i've been wanting one for quite some time.  i imagine it will move into the craft room once the holidays are over, but for now i've dressed it up with little tea lights and vintage glass ornaments a la jenni bowlin.  she really does have the best decorating ideas.

this week's menu plan:

sunday - beef stew
monday - french bread pizza
tuesday - bacon, eggs, and muffins (not in the vintage muffin tin ;)
wednesday - church
thursday - shepherd's pie (g's request that keeps getting put off)
friday - open
saturday - tortilla soup (g's request that keeps getting cooked and devoured)
sunday - cici's pizza/cheekwood botanical gardens

menu plan: cravings

i didn't post a menu plan last week as all it would have said was "thanksgiving food."  gabriel was leaving town with his dad early wednesday morning to go visit his aunty and cousins in arkansas.  they always have a lovely honduran thanksgiving dinner there which he enjoys.  he didn't want to miss out on his deviled egg fix, however, so i made a typical southern style  thanksgiving dinner for us on sunday.  we ate on that till he left and then i went to sherri's for thanksgiving and brought home a resupply.  by the weekend i was turkey'd out and resorted to some childhood favorites.  not once, but twice (each) i might add.  it's a good thing my baby is coming home tonight so i can start cooking healthy again.  while buying the above indiscretions from the dollar general, i saw a can of beef stew and got a hankering for the real deal.  g has requested my version of taco salad as apparently his aunty's dogs ate his bag of yesterday and he was much peeved.  i also may need to work in a trip to the chinese buffet after seeing christy eat some at the crop friday.  sounds like the makings of a (menu) plan!

this week's menu plan:

sunday - canned goods from the dollar general
monday - taco salad
tuesday - elementary school teacher christmas party
wednesday - church (subway $2 special?)
thursday - esl teacher christmas party
friday - beef stew
saturday - chinese buffet

menu plan: calling all turkeys!

no turkey yet, but we're getting closer.  today was the annual cub scout thanksgiving dinner (our last as cub scouts, sniff).  while there were chicken tenders instead of the big bird, all the other traditional sides (and pies!) were in abundance.  happy, happy, happy!  afterwards the boys had a competition to make thanksgiving decor with a box of junk.  this is g's group (he's the big guy on the left).  now that's a funny bird, right?  i especially love the tp roll head.

so last week's tortilla soup really hit the spot several times as we ended up eating on it all week long.  that paired with an unexpected pork chop bounty this weekend has left us needing to clear out the fridge again this week. while it's not very exciting, i'm not complaining as i won't have to make a trip to the grocery!  woot!

this week's menu plan:
sunday - cub scout thanksgiving
monday - pork chops, macaroni and cheese, fried plantain
tuesday - spaghetti
wednesday - church
thursday - homemade pizza
friday - open
saturday - tortillas con quesillo

menu plan: birthday waffles all year long

 

we went to the local flea market/farmers' market yesterday.  i think we will be getting our central american food fix this week as we brought home a couple different hispanic cheeses, tortillas, and platanos.  on the way out i spotted a "fresh country style sausage" sign and did a quick stop.  i don't know what possessed me to pay $9 for a roll of homemade sausage, but i think that i am totally ruined for the grocery store variety now.  this stuff was good.  boy.  and g made me waffles this morning with the waffle iron he got for his birthday.  he's also left me the mess to clean up.  he's a giver that way.  anyone else out there put brown sugar on their waffles?  it's a habit i picked up out of nowhere as a child.  i just couldn't stand soggy waffles/pancakes/french toast.  enough ramblings.  on with the menu plan . . . 

this week's menu plan:

sunday - waffles and home made country style sausage

monday - tortilla soup (g's request)

tuesday - tortillas con quesillo, platanos fritos

wednesday - church

thursday - shepherd's pie

friday - open

saturday - leftovers

menu plan: chicken noodle soup

i finally got the freezer cleared out and went to the grocery store!  hooray!  the house smelled delicious all afternoon as the chicken noodle soup bubbled away on the stove and the carnitas bubbled away in the crockpot.  and now i don't have to cook again till thursday! hooray!  did i already say that?  ha!

this week's menu plan:

sunday - honduran chicken noodle soup (this time with fresh cilantro and sweet banana peppers)
monday - crockpot carnitas  and corn on the cob with lime (found a preseasoned flank steak)
tuesday - leftovers (it takes me and g a while to get it all eaten! ;)
wednesday - church
thursday - ham, potatoes of some sort, green beans, sweet potato casserole
friday - open
saturday - mexiven at the flea market.

menu plan: freezer soup

i do mean to brag as this came out seriously awesome, especially considering i flew without a recipe again.  i am also especially proud that the tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, and potatoes all came from my gardening endeavors or from homer's farm (that i helped with this past summer).  hello homegrown!

boil 3 (skin and bones still attached) chicken breasts with a medium diced onion, 5 medium diced potatoes, parsley, mrs. dash, and salt and pepper to taste.  when chicken i done, pull it out to debone, deskin, and shred it.  also go ahead and add the remaining ingredients at this point and add the shredded chicken back in.  let simmer a bit and then serve.  delicious!

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 sandwich bag of frozen corn
1 sandwich bag of diced frozen bell peppers
1 sandwich bag of diced frozen tomatoes

and for this week's menu plan, we are still working on cleaning out the freezer.  we're getting closer to a major grocery run!

sunday - burgers and (leftover) sliced baked potato
monday - pork chops and corn on the cob
tuesday - spaghetti
wednesday - church
thursday - french toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon
friday - trick or treat!
saturday - tammy's!

menu plan: chicken and vegetable soup

do you follow recipes with your soups, or do you just wing it?  i have been thinking often of late about how people cooked back in the little house on the prairie days.  i just can't imagine that recipes were quite as complicated back then.  and when you're traveling on the plains in a covered wagon with no dollar general on every corner (corner?  what corner?) well what did you use for spices and such?  thoughts to ponder.

this pot of soup was super simple and super yummy.  i've gotten in the habit of saving extra chicken broth when the occasion arises, so this one started with a package of chicken breasts plus extra broth.  the seasoning was just onion, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  carrots plus fresh corn on the cob and potatoes from homer's farm.  really good stuff.

i have once again managed to get out of the habit of cooking regularly.  oops!  you know what that means.  public accountability.  this week will be brought to you by what is left in the fridge that needs to be rescued or pitched.

this week's menu plan (starting off slow):
sunday - leftover chicken and noodle soup
monday - chicken nuggets, mac&cheese (kraft, of course), and carrots
tuesday - baked salmon, corn on the cob, and red lobster cheddar biscuit (boxed mix)
wednesday - church
thursday - steak, baked potatoes, salad
friday - cub scout campout
saturday - cub scout campout

menu plan: garden eats

summer started with this huge basket of lettuce from homer's farm and a burning desire to work more veggies into our dining rotation.  sadly, most of the lettuce wilted as i didn't know how to store it properly.  i have since researched better refrigeration options.

we did manage to salvage enough large leaves to try our hand at lettuce wraps.  we put way too much bounty in them and they overflowed.  turns out lettuce does not hold quite as much as a tortilla of similar size.  we're not cultured enough to know exactly what goes in lettuce wraps either, so we improvised.  mine had yellow rice, ground beef, and tiny bits of raw carrots.  they were really so fresh and tasty.  g, of course, needs to put cheese on most everything, but really i wouldn't suggest that unless you are a child.

i remember my big sister making fried green tomatoes when i was a little girl.  i have had these several times this summer.  they are oh so good.  we had this corn tortilla mix flour in the pantry and it is fried green tomato frying perfection.  it's really more of a corn meal, but a fine grained cornmeal.

they are absolutely delicious with bacon and eggs.  i can't get enough of them.  and don't worry.  i've already earmarked "food photography" as a personal goal for 2015.

 these beauties were all from homer's farm and went into a beef stew idea that a friend told me about.

the before picture is much better than the after.  the cabbage chunk is having an awkward moment.  i tried to photograph it again the next day, but the rice came out looking like maggots and that didn't seem too appetizing for you.  the stew was okay, but not that great either.  i asked the same friend the next week for spice suggestions and she said she uses ginger and garlic, neither of which do i like.  i will have to put more thought into it next time.  i still think the dish has potential.

stir fry, i have discovered, is an excellent use for all those bell peppers.  i seem to be very good at growing peppers.  we actually loved this mix.  it was bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and baby carrots with chicken and jasmine rice.

i tried to slip in some tomatoes on a sandwich i made for g.  i knew better.  i do not like raw tomatoes, so of course my son would not.  the rest of it was awesome.  leftover taco meat with a layer of cheese and fried egg.  and on a side note, banana peppers fry up so well in taco meat.  they are much milder than even bell peppers, but add a bit of textures and veggie goodness.

even slightly cooking tomatoes makes them completely tolerable.  here they are on tortilla crust pizza.  g will even eat them this way.  i took the idea for tortilla pizza from the bbb living blog.  two thumbs up from me and g.  three actually as his little friend liked it too.

tomatoes and bell peppers making another appearance, this time as fish fillet garnishes.  plus a little stir fry on the side.

tacos with lettuce from the garden.  how fun to just step out the door to pick just enough for dinner.

and a few sweet johnny jump ups to garnish my niece's birthday cupcakes.  i love my garden.

now that school has started back, i'm needing to get back into a menu planning routine.  i took the first step in that direction this evening by going to the grown up grocery for the first time in a month.  we spent $175 and that was after taking off the $60 for my excellent couponing and sales watching discounts.  painful.  i'm not quite ready to make a real plan yet, but at least we have solid options.  next week i'll play martha.  until then, many happy dinners to you and yours.