We've been so busy and eating really simple meals.  Also grilling a lot since it is finally warm.  What about you?  What is on your menu plan?  

Monday:  Dinner at friends 
Tuesday:  Grilled brats and hot dogs, Hot German potato salad, spinach with garlic chips, lemon cake
Wednesday:  Shrimp Risotto, Tomato Caprese Salad
Thursday:  Lazy Cabbage roll casserole, buttered green beans
Friday:  Chicken tenders, french fries, butter beans
Saturday:  takeout pizza
Sunday:  Tomato soup, grilled cheese 

This was easy and delicious.  The boys had second helpings which is unusual for our 5 and 3 year olds.  They loved it.  This will be one of our busy weeknight go-to meals.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried thyme 
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
28 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
6 cups coarsly shredded cabbage, (1 small head)
1/2 cup uncooked rice

Instructions:
1.  Brown beef, onion, green pepper, worcestershire, thyme, garlic, and salt in skillet over medium heat.

2.  Stir in tomatoes and uncooked rice and heat until bubbling.  

3.  Place cabbage in slow cooker and pour meat mixture on top.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4-6 hours.  

Adapted from Spark Recipes.

I'm so behind on menu plans I thought I would give you two tonight.  Enjoy!

Monday:  Stuffed clams, Shrimp dumplings, Roasted asparagus, baked rice
Tuesday:  Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry with rice
Wednesday:  Homemade pizza on breadstick crust and salad
Thursday:  Waffles, strawberries, bacon
Friday:  Dinner out (Thanks Tim and Jordan for babysitting and feeding our kids!)
Saturday:  Roasted cabbage, sausage, onions, zucchini and asparagus, Irish Soda bread
Sunday:  Salad, Spinach and Cheese ravioli, garlic bread


Monday:  Hamburgers, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob
Tuesday:  Fresh green beans cooked with diced ham, macaroni and cheese
Wednesday:  Slow cooker country chicken stew, rolls
Thursday:  BBQ chicken thighs, corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad
Friday:  pizza while working at my son's school yard sale
Saturday:  pizza again (tired from working school yard sale)
Sunday:  Spinach dinner salad with avocado, tomato, and chicken

This is a fabulous recipe with so many flavors coming together to leave you wanting more.  It's simple, quick, and delicious.  We LOVED it.  It was so good, we will have to indulge again soon, very soon.  


Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 broccoli crowns, cut up
1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger or minced ginger from a jar
dash sesame oil, optional
hot cooked rice

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, combine 2 T. cornstarch, 2 T. water and garlic powder until smooth.
2.  Add beef and toss.
3.  In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 T. oil until beef reaches desired doneness; set aside.
4.  Stir-fry broccoli, onion, mushrooms, and garlic in 1 T. oil for 5-7 minutes.
5.  Return beef to pan.  Add sesame oil, if using.
6.  Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, 1 T. cornstarch, and 1/2 cup water until smooth; add to the pan.
7.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
8.  Serve over rice.

Adapted from Food.com.

Here are some ideas for another delicious week.  

Monday:  Sausage gravy and biscuits, Pan seared asparagus, oranges
Tuesday:  Beef in Red Wine and Mushroom sauce, Egg noodles, green beans, sliced tomatoes
Wednesday:  BBQ pork, potato salad, baked beans
Thursday:  leftover BBQ on homemade slider rolls, roasted asparagus
Friday:  Split pea and ham soup
Saturday:  Leftover soup, Italian bread sandwiches
Sunday:  Leftovers

Potato skins = Yum.  These take a little work to put together, but the effort is worth the end result.  Save the potato insides for a quick potato salad later in the week.  The cooked potato insides will stay good in the fridge for a couple of days until you have time to throw together a potato salad.  Feel free to change up the potato skin toppings to your liking.  We love them with a dolop of sour cream.  

Ingredients:

9 russet potatoes
bacon, cooked and crumbled
olive oil
butter
salt
shredded cheese

1.  Wash and prick potatoes with a fork.  Rub with a little olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes or more until tender.  

2.  Slice potatoes in half and scoop out insides leaving some potato around edges for stability.  A grapefruit spoon works well for scooping.  Save the potato insides to make potato salad later.  

3.  Brush outside of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake about 5 minutes potato side down.  

4.  Flip potatoes over and place a small piece of butter in each potato skin.  

5.  Sprinkle with sea salt, cheese, and bacon.  

6.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.  

It's starting to feel like Spring.  It's been warm and rainy here.  Here are a few simple ideas to add to your menu plan for the week.

Monday:  Chili
Tuesday:  Macaroni and Peas
Wednesday:  Honey lime shrimp, rice, steamed artichokes
Thursday:  Pork au jus, leftover rice, stuffing, rolls, salad
Friday:  Potato skins, corn and black bean salad, hamburgers
Saturday:  Steak, asparagus, leftover corn and black bean salad, grape tomatoes
Sunday:  dinner out

We love steamed artichokes for a Spring treat.  If you've never tried them you should, plus you can find them on sale this time of year.  

1.  In a large stock pot, place a couple of lemon slices, a clove of garlic, and a bay leaf with enough water to just reach the bottom of a steamer basket.  (a couple of inches of water)

2.  Wash artichokes.  Cut about an inch off of the stem.

3.  Use kitchen shears to trim the sharp edges off the leaves.

4.  Slice off about an inch off the top of the artichoke.

5.  Cover the artichokes and steam them until the leaves are tender and easily peel off, about 30-45 minutes.  I forgot to take a picture of the artichokes after they had cooked.  They will look more tender than these.  

Melt some butter and dip each petal in before eating.  To eat the petal scrape the inside fleshy part against your teeth.  Remove all of the petals and eat them this way.  Sounds weird, but it is delicious.  After removing the petals, scrape out and discard the inedible fuzzy covering over the artichoke heart.  Once you get to the artichoke heart, you can cut it into smaller pieces and dip into butter and enjoy.  

We were out of town for Easter and I am still catching up so here is a really late menu plan.  

Monday:  Crockpot beer chicken, homemade bread, black bean and corn salad, beets
Tuesday:  Homemade tortilla chips, salsa, potato salad, hot dogs, sliced tomatoes
Wednesday:  Sliced tomatoes, Roasted cabbage, zucchini and onions with turkey smoked sausage
Thursday:  We were traveling and made chef salads to go and PB & jelly for the kids along with fresh veggies for snacking.
Friday-Sunday:  We were out of town for Easter.

We love this salad.  The boys love it too.  Delicious and fresh, the lime juice gives it so much flavor.  This will be a regular addition to our summer meals.  

Ingredients:

•   1 12-16oz bag of frozen corn, thawed
  
•   1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  
•   2 tomatoes, diced
  
•   1 sweet onion, diced
  
•   1 zucchini, diced
•   juice from 1-3 limes
  
•   salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:
Toss all items together in a large bowl and add lime juice, salt & pepper as needed.



Recipe adapted from Laa Loosh.