4th Bed's the Charm...

Yes, we got our daughter another bed.  And yes, this is the 4th bed she's had in her whopping 18 month lifetime.  Bed 1 was her crib....bed 2 was the toddler bed that we stumbled into owning for $10...bed 3 was our guest full-size bed that we used when she hated the toddler bed....and bed 4 is a twin bed that we got for $25 from a friend (bedding and all) so that we can reclaim our guest bed. 
The good news with all of this moving and bed-changing is that we have finally had 3 successful nights of sleep, something we hadn't had for a couple of months now.  Caroline has slept the past 3 nights from 8:30/9pm until anywhere from 7am-8:30am.  Now, I must also say that the past 3 nights she has been pooped out and crashed pretty hard from playing at parties and get-togethers.  Hopefully it's not only a sign of being super stinkin tired, but rather the next step in growing up. 
It's amazing how time flies.  I know everyone always says that (especially after you have a kid).  And I know how totally consuming some of those moments are with a newborn/infant where you feel so overwhelmed and can only focus on that thing--whether it's lack of sleep, the baby's crying, the dwindling energy or motivation.  It's so strange that once those moments pass, time has flown by, and your little one is changing right before your eyes. 

Week 3 Menu: Dinners, Desserts, and a Breakfast to-go!!

This week I added a breakfast that will be great on the go for families that are busy during the week. 

I hope it's all as good as it looks!!  I'll let you know what we thought of it after the week is up in my Week in Review!!

Menu for Week 3:

*Weekly menus plan for one meal out and one night of leftovers.

·       California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise with Sweet Potato Fries

·       Penne Rosa with Shrimp

·       Busy Day Beef Brisket Sandwiches-or-not (crockpot) with Broccoli Salad

·       Delicious Black Bean Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice

·       Easy Garlic Chicken and Quick Roasted Potatoes

·       Breakfast:  Personal Baked Oatmeal To-Go (gluten free)

·       Dessert:  Strawberries and Cream Cake

Shopping List:

*Print this off and check off the items that you already have in your pantry.  Then either take this list or create a simpler one to the grocery to shop for the week of dinners.

Basic Pantry/Kitchen Items:

·         Olive oil

·         Garlic

·         Mayo

·         Vegetable oil

·         Chicken stock

·         Butter

·         Grated parmesan cheese

·         Brown sugar

·         Flour

·         Sugar

·         Vanilla

·         Honey (or sugar or sugar substitute) (for oatmeal)

·         Cinnamon

·         Chocolate chips, walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, etc (for oatmeal toppings)

Baking/Seasonings:

·         Red pepper flakes

·         Thyme

·         Paprika

·         Salt

·         Pepper

·         Garlic powder

·         Cayenne

·         Cumin

·         Liquid smoke

·         Worcestershire sauce

·         Corn starch

·         Lawry’s (or basic season salt)

·         Baking powder

·         Sriracha sauce

Dairy/Refrigerator Items:

·         Plain greek yogurt

·         Cream cheese (2 blocks)

·         Eggs (6)

·         Milk

·         Heavy cream

·         Plain yogurt

·         Orange Juice

Pasta/Rice/Bean Items:

·         Penne noodles

·         Flour tortillas

·         Rice

Can/Dry Good Items:

·         Marinara Sauce

·         BBQ Sauce

·         Can of black beans

·         3oz pkg of strawberry flavored gelatin

·         Applesauce

·         Rolled oats (not instant/quick)

·         Flax seed meal

·         Sunflower Seeds

·         Raisins or Dried Cranberries (for Broccoli Salad)

Meat:

·         Bacon

·         Shrimp (frozen or fresh)

·         Chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)

·         3 lbs. beef brisket

Produce Items:

·         Tomatoes (3)

·         Avocado

·         Lettuce

·         Basil

·         Mushrooms

·         Spinach

·         Sweet potatoes (2-4)

·         Red bell pepper

·         Jalapeno

·         Cilantro

·         Lime

·         Lemon

·         Potatoes (1 per person)

·         Strawberries

·         Banana

·         Broccoli (1 bunch)

Bread:

·         Loaf (any type for BLT and/or Brisket)

·         Buns (for Brisket)

Dinner:  California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayonnaise with Sweet Potato Fries

·         California BLT with Avocado and Basil Mayo Recipe:  http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-california-blt-with-avocado-and-basil-mayonnaise-173957

·         Sweet Potato Fries with spicy dipping sauce:  http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/guaranteed-crispy-sweet-potato-fries-sriracha-mayo-dip/

Dinner:  Penne Rosa with Shrimp

·         Penne Rosa with Shrimp: http://backtoherroots.com/2012/03/20/penne-rosa-with-shrimp/

Dinner:  Busy Day Beef Brisket Sandwiches (or Not) (Crockpot Recipe) with Broccoli Salad

·         Crockpot Beef Brisket:  thttp://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Busy-Day-Barbeque-Brisket/Detail.aspx

·         Broccoli Salad:  http://trickschefs.net/showthread.php?tid=675

Dinner:  Delicious Black Bean Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice

·         Black Bean Burritos:  http://trickschefs.net/showthread.php?tid=822 

·         Cilantro Lime Rice:  http://nikkisfixins.blogspot.com/2012/01/cilantro-lime-rice.html

Dinner:  Easy Garlic Chicken and Amazing Roasted Potatoes

·         Easy Garlic Chicken:  http://iowagirleats.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6009126

·      Quick Roasted Potatoes:  http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-garlic-chicken-5478

Dessert:  Strawberries and Cream Cake

·         Strawberries and Cream Cake:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/strawberries-and-cream-cake/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=strawberries%20and%20cream%20cake&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe

Breakfast:  Personal Baked Oatmeal To-Go (gluten free)

·         To-Go Oatmeal:  http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/personal-sized-baked-oatmeal-with-individual-toppings-gluten-free-diabetic-friendly/

The Potatoes of my Dreams...

So, I made the pinterest-famous Hasselback Potatoes last night.  They took a little bit of work/prep, but they were worth it.  I changed the "yellow potato" that the recipe called for to a regular Idaho/white potato.  No real problem, except that the white potato is a harder potato and I really needed to add another 30 mins to the cook time; they were a little "crunchy" in the center.  We split the two potatoes I made among four of us since they were large.  We all still had plenty of goodness. 

I hope that others try making and EATING these crazy potatoes....they are so neat looking and DELICIOUS!! 

Here is a picture of the potatoes after I stuffed them with goodness.

Here is a picture of my final product....yum!

Review of Menu for Week 1

With the completion of week 1 under my belt, I thought I would write a few quick words about the dishes.  Please add any comments on week 1 dishes you made so that we can all compare notes!  :)

Week 1 Menu:

Pizza

Chicken Philly Pasta

Slammin' Salmon with Risotto

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Marsala with Roasted Veggies

-Pizza:  We do the cheap and easy Kroger pizza crust mix and always have sauce and pizza cheese on hand.  It allows for a quick last minute meal and prevents us from ordering out.  As expected, it was good.  :)  I need to start making my own crust....I know it really makes it so much more enjoyable.
Did I like it?  yes.  Will I use this again?  yes.  Changes?  always.  :)

-Chicken Philly Pasta:  As I stated before in an earlier post, I went a little crazy by adding to whole jalapenos which made it too hot.  I probably will add one next time since we like a little zip in our meals. 
Did I like it?  yes.  Will I use this again?  probably (although my husband didn't care for it)  Changes?  I would like to use a gooier cheese (possibly a melting Mexican cheese or more of an Italian blend added).  I also added a splash of Celery Seeds and will add 1 jalapeno.

-Slammin' Salmon with Risotto (added grilled asparagus):  This was a good meal.  I marinated the fish for about 4 hours.  I was surprised that it didn't have a ton of flavor, but the flavor was good.  I used a similar marinade on the asparagus and we LOVED it!  (check my Risotto Virgin post for details).  The risotto was easy enough and was so good.  This was my favorite meal of the week.
Did I like it?  YES!  Will I use this again?  YES!!  Changes?  Maybe more garlic to the fish marinade, but that's because I'm a garlic freak.

-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Mashed Potatoes:  Another good meal.  My husband never had had an Italian style cabbage roll; he was used to the more vinegar based rolls.  He enjoyed this meal and even went for seconds.  I liked that I made a freezer meal for future ease. 
Did I like it?  yes.  Will I use it again?  yes.  Changes?  I'm going to look for a vinegar cabbage roll recipe (my husband is trying to track down his grandmother's recipe) and give that a try too.

-Chicken Marsala with Roasted Vegetables:  This was another good meal.  The chicken Marsala was quick and relatively easy.  The roasted vegetables had a lot of flavor (with the jar of roasted red peppers and basil).  I enjoyed the vegetables a lot.  I used dried basil since that is what I had, but I would really like to try it with fresh...I think it would be even better.  I used sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms in my mix.  Also, I burnt the daylights out of the first yam/sweet potato I roasted after only roasting it for 30 mins (the way the recipes says to do it).  I threw it out and started over again, only roasting it 15 mins and then another 20 mins with the softer veggies.  The sweet potatoes were really good in it.
Did I like it?  yes.  Will I use it again?  yes.  Changes?  Alter the roasting time as listed above.  I enjoyed the change in veggies that I used, but I think that any would be good. 

Overall, I think that it was a successful first week.  Since it is summer (and I'm a teacher), I've had more time to dedicate to the planning and executing of these meals.  It will be interesting to see what happens when I go back to work full time.  I'm sure some of the meals will be a little simpler, but I promise not to drop the quality and taste!! 

I'm thinking of adding a dessert recipe for the week (which I did for week 2) and possibly a breakfast option (either one for grab-n-go meals throughout the week or a weekend breakfast meal).  What do you think?  Also, does the 5 meals for the week work for people?  Is it too much or two little?  Should I add a crockpot meal each week too?  Let me know your thoughts!

Week 2 Menu : Delicous dinners throughout the week

Menu for Week 2:

*Weekly menus plan for one meal out and one night of leftovers.

·         Broiled Tilapia Parmesan with Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

·         Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

·         Grilled Chicken with Summer Vegetable Tian

·         Taco Pie with Grilled Corn Salad

·         Crockpot Coca Cola BBQ Chicken with corn bread

·         ***Plus a Dessert Recipe:  No-Bake Boston Cream Pie

Shopping List:

*Print this off and check off the items that you already have in your pantry.  Then either take this list or create a simpler one to the grocery to shop for the week of dinners.

Basic Pantry/Kitchen Items:

·         Parmesan Cheese (shredded/powdered)

·         Butter

·         Mayonnaise

·         Lemon juice

·         Black pepper

·         Salt

·         Onion  powder

·         Garlic powder

·         Dried basil

·         Olive oil

·         Cooking spray

·         Season salt (or poultry seasonings)

·         Garlic

·         Eggs (5)

·         Sugar

·         Vanilla

Spices/ Baking Items:

·         rosemary

·         thyme

·         taco seasoning packet

·         Cocoa powder

·         Confectioners’/Powdered sugar

Dairy/Refrigerator Items:

·         Parmigiano-Reggiano Sliced thin (a few slices)

·         Shredded Mozzarella cheese (3 cups)

·         Feta Cheese crumbles (4 oz)  can be herb/garlic

·         Shredded Italian cheese (1 cup)

·         Shredded Cheddar cheese (1 cup)

·         Milk

·         Sour cream

·         4 cups Half and Half

·         Heavy cream

Can/Dry Good Items:

·         1 pkg of Lasagna noodles

·         Can of vegetable broth

·         Can of artichoke hearts

·         Jar of tomato pasta sauce

·         Salsa

·         Bottle of BBQ sauce

·         1 can of Coca Cola

·         Mashed potato flakes

·         20 oz of Graham Crackers

           Corn Bread Mix **Make sure you get the items needed for whichever mix you choose.  I like the mixes that use a can of cream of corn since they are a sweeter and less-dry corn bread.

Meat:

·         Tilapia fillets (I buy frozen fillets)

·         Chicken breasts- enough for 2 meals (I buy frozen breasts)

·         1-2 lbs of lean ground beef

Produce Items:

·         Yellow Potatoes Lg. (1 per person + another one)

·         Zucchini

·         Yellow squash

·         Lettuce

·         2 tomatoes

·         2 Roma/plum tomatoes

·         6 ears of corn

·         Green pepper

·         Jalapeno (if liked in salsa)

·         Cilantro

·         Lemon

Freezer:

·         10 oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach

Dinner:  Broiled Tilapia Parmesan with Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

Link to the Tilapia Parm recipe….http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broiled-tilapia-parmesan/detail.aspx

Link to the Potato recipe….http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/sidedishes/scalloped-hasselback-potatoes/

Link to the photo steps (super handy) Potato recipe ….http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/scalloped-hasselback-potatoes/

Dinner:  Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

Link to the recipe….http://allrecipes.com/recipe/artichoke-spinach-lasagna/detail.aspx

Dinner:  Grilled Chicken with Summer Vegetable Tian

Grill the chicken any way you like.

Link to the recipe….http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/08/summer-vegetable-tian-660-recipe-110.html

Dinner:  Taco Pie with Grilled Corn Salad

Link to the recipe….http://bsrecipe.blogspot.com/2012/06/real-taco-pie.html

Link to the recipe….http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-corn-salad/detail.aspx

Dinner:  Crockpot Coca Cola BBQ Chicken with Corn Bread

Link to the recipe….http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/07/slow-cooker-coca-cola-barbecue-chicken.html

Dessert:  No-Bake Boston Cream Pie

Link to the recipe….http://www.thekitchn.com/-cookbook-recipe-137474