Let's Play A Game!

The first 5 people to respond to this post will receive something made by me for you ! I get to pick what I make for you, but it will be especially for you.

**Here is the deal:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. You will receive it sometime this year.
4. You have no clue what it will be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

** The Catch
The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FABULOUS homemade gift by me!!! So come and play along.

The Repeat Week

Ecckkk... the sickness had a hold of us last week! It is cold and miserable and not at all spring like here. :( I'm so ready, ready, ready for some nice warm weather!

Because of the sickies in my house - not all the recipes from last week actually got made, as cup 'o noodle or top ramen is our go-to food no matter what the ailment!

Monday - I think this awesome sounding Mediterranean Tuna Salad is just the ticket. We will be going to Lowe's to check out paint for the mini-chicks bedrooms and planters for the herb garden I'm planning. I'm thinking that sushi needs to be on the lunch agenda. It is spring break here and I took Monday off.

Tuesday - NO POINTS! (Can you tell how I'm always so excited about that! LOL) This is week is is basic burger and fries from the joint in town. I'm so sad they quit making their version of a chili cheese fries, because I loved those things. Think fries, cheese sauce, ground beef, and pickled jalepenos... It was greasy heaven in a styrofoam container! I'll just have to be happy with the burger and fries this week!

Wednesday - I'm going for Moroccan Tagine that didn't get made last week.

Thursday - I found Lazy Chicken over at A Year of Crockpotting. I have the cutest mini-farfalle that need to be used up. I'll use my own sauce I made last week.

Friday - The family fave of shake n' bake pork chops. I think Roasted Cardamon Carrots will make a nice side.

Saturday - We never got around to the oven-fried chicken fried steaks last week either. Those cubed rounds steaks are still in the freezer needin' to be used up.

Sunday - I also never got around to roasted chickens last week (the spaghetti was voted for on Sunday instead of chicken).

Not as an exciting week as some, but isn't that the way life works?

New Yummy Week

The new week is upon us.........

Monday - I'm going to make Pan-Seared Red Snapper this week. Turns out I took the whole trout out of the freezer instead of the snapper last week. OOPS!

Tuesday - This was a no-brainer for KK and I this week: Goop and homemade biscuits. Goop is basically creamed eggs. My mom made this for Sunday breakfast just about every weekend my entire childhood (when we weren't having waffles with strawberries and whipped cream - my dad's favorite!) I don't use a recipe, I just make a thick white sauce and cut up a bunch of hard-boiled eggs into it. Mrs. S. has an aversion to eggs, so as kids my mom would always save her some without eggs. Sometimes we'd have it over toast and sometimes over biscuits. My go to biscuit recipe has become the Never Fail Biscuits from AR. I really do think the cream of tartar makes them extra flaky. I can't wait for Tuesday!

Wednesday - Another on of my "oven-fried" favorites - this time chicken fried steak. I like a light bread crumb coating and the trick of the non-stick spray really crisps them up. We'll have mashed potatoes and my favorite red wine gravy. I can't wait for Wednesday.

Thursday - We are going meatless on Thursday again with this Moroccan Tagine I found on AR. I have no idea what a "tagine" is, but I was intrigued by the butternut squash and garbanzo beans. I'm not really sure SS is going to dig this at all, but I always make her try it and if she really truly doesn't like it, I let her have cereal. Which usually elicits jumps for joy. (I'm personally not a fan of cereal and don't understand my kids love for it! They must of gotten it from my mom who also loved cereal for breakfast, lunch or dinner!) I can't wait for Thursday!

Friday - It's family favorite time on Friday. Sloppy Joe's are on the agenda. I have been using this recipe for a couple of years. It is one of those rare finds for me that is "the best" no further looking required. I love it, the girls love, and I can't wait for Friday!

Saturday - SS will be happy on Saturday. It's her favorite: Spaghetti. I'll never forget when I took the girls to Disneyland when they were 4 & 6, and the first night we were eating in the restaurant at the hotel and SS licked her bowl clean of spaghetti, picked up the bowl and handed it to the waitress and said "More please." LOL I was so grateful when the waitress brought her another bowl and didn't even charge me! This week, I think I'll give this Recipezaar Sauce another go, since I enjoyed it a lot from a few weeks ago. I think I'll make some mini-meatballs to go with it this time. I can't wait for Saturday!

Sunday - I'm also in love with Famous Dave's Roasted Chicken. I might even do two to have more leftovers for something great next week (chicken salad, chicken spaghetti, ???).

Everybody have a good week!

Easy-Peasy Plan

It took me forever to make a meal-plan last week. I couldn't decide, I was scouring recipes. I don't know what my problem was, because this week I decided in about 15 minutes with complete recipes and everything!

Monday - Have you noticed I always do seafood on Monday's? This week is no exception with Pan-Seared Red Snapper on the agenda. I loved this Spinach and Onion Couscous as did the mini-chicks, and it sounds good with the fish.

Tuesday - Have you ever noticed I always have something fattening on Tuesday's? :) I'm cravin' some red meat - so I tried this London Broil with blue cheese way last summer and have used the spice rub on my steaks ever since. Also, since I'm not a countin' these potatoes that all my cooking friends have been making are finally gonna be mine:

SCALLOPED POTATOES

2 cups whipping cream
5oz pkg. of Boursin cheese with herbs
3 ½ lbs. red potatoes, scrubbed, thinly sliced
1 ½ tbs. chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan with 2-inch sides.

Stir cream and cheese in heavy saucepan until cheese melts and is smooth.
Arrange ½ the potatoes in overlapping rows. Season with salt and pepper. Pour ½ the cheese mixture over potatoes to cover.

Repeat with remaining pots, salt and pepper, and cheese mixture.

Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour. Top with parsley.

I will definitely make my own cheese also!

Wednesday - Have you ever noticed on Wednesday's I get back to counting points? This week we are going meatless and having Mexican Tortilla Pizza's with the lentil's from these tacos, instead of refried beans. Since we aren't trying for vegan, cheese'll probably make an appearance somewhere!

Thursday - Have you ever noticed on Thursday's it quick/easy or crock pot? I bought a nice package of boneless pork roasts and Costco a few weeks back and thought this Tangy Slow-Cooker Pork Roast would be a good utilization of it.

Friday - Have you ever noticed there is nothing special about Friday's on my meal plan? LOL
I'm feeling we need some chicken and maybe some Chinese influences. From the WW recipe board:

Kung Pao Chicken

If you like fiery flavors, add up to one teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Speed up dinner by using bottled ground fresh ginger and bottled minced garlic. Total time: 30 minutes.

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World), divided
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup chicken mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 239(30% from fat); FAT 7.9g (sat 1.1g,mono 3.7g,poly 2.3g); PROTEIN 30.9g; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 60mg; SODIUM 589mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.4g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2005

Saturday - Have you ever noticed that I either go allllll out on Saturday's or just go easy? This week it's easy Potato Soup (made like my mom did) and low-fat grilled cheese.

Sunday - Have you ever noticed that there is no rhyme or reason to Sunday's meals? This week it will be a pizza of some type. I might make a dough or just do an english muffin. I definitely make pizza sauce and I have some turkey pepperoni that needs to be used.

I hope everybody has a great meal week!