festive chocolate covered pretzels

ingredients:
pretzel rods
chocolate candy bark
sprinkles

1. melt chocolate bark in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval.
2. depending on size desired, leave pretzel whole or break. dip pretzel at least half way into melted chocolate (i found pouring melted chocolate into a tall cup to be helpful).
3. sprinkle with sprinkles! allow chocolate to harden and enjoy!

notes: easy way to get chocolate on pretzels to harden without laying them flat (and thus, messing them up)? ...flip over chocolate bark package and place pretzel stick in grooves. great treat to make with the little ones (and if you need a few extra minutes out of your one year old, try putting him in the high chair with cheese puffs (the natural kind, of course. ;) and when he gets a little bored with that give him a fork to poke 'em. :) perfect for any occasion...set out for parties or put some in a cute bag for friends.

chicken noodle soup

recipe adapted from friend, j.

about 1-1.5 hours from start to finish, although hands-on time is only about 30 min.

ingredients:
1 small yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2.5 cups chopped or diced carrots (i use a whole bag of frozen heb circle carrots or crinkle carrots)
2.5 cups celery
3-4 cups cubed or shredded chicken breast
4 cups of cooked pasta or rice (i use ww or multigrain plus pasta)
1 box (appx 18 oz) butternut squash soup
32 oz chicken broth
16 oz water (i always find a need more and just add until it looks right)
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. boil chicken, drain water and ickies, set aside. in same stock pot, sautee onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until tender.
2. add chicken and continue to saute.
3. add all liquids and bay leaves, bring to boil, and then lower heat to med. low. simmer for 45 minutes.
4. i add the pasta about 15-20 min into simmer time and let it cook until very soft (falling apart a bit). you can also cook pasta separately and add at the very end before serving.
5. salt and pepper to taste.

notes: i love, love this soup. i crave it. it makes plenty for leftovers and for freezing. everyone here loves it.

chocolate butter creme frosting

1.5 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp milk
9 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

1. on medium, beat butter fro 3 minutes until creamy. add milk and beat until smooth.
2. add melted chocolate and beat well, approximately 2 minutes.
3. add vanilla and beat for 3 minutes.
4. gradually add sugar and beat on low until creamy and of desired consistency.

notes: can't recall where exactly i found this recipe, but it is tasty! it has a light, fluffy consistency, different that your typical butter creme frosting. the flavor reminds me of the insides of a keebler elf cookie.

vanilla butter creme frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6-8 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. add butter and 4 cups sugar into bowl. add milk and vanilla. beat 3-5 minutes until smooth and creamy.
2. gradually add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time. beat 2 minutes after each addition until thick enough to be of good spreading consistency.

notes: your typical butter creme frosting. yum. store and use at room temperature.

ziti with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and gorgonzola sauce

recipe courtesy of cooking light, september 2008.

about 30 min from start to finish. serves 4.

ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 tbsp half-and-half
6 tbsp gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 cups fresh spinach

1. cook pasta.
2. heat olive oil in large skillet over medium. add tomatoes, salt, pepper and garlic to pan; cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasioally.
3. stir in half-and-half and cheese; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly.
4. stir in spinach and pasta; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionally.

notes: double recipe if you're going to want left overs. this pasta has a great flavor and lots of healthy color. we love this simple recipe!

tonight's meal: wild rice turkey bake

recipe courtesy of busycooks.about.com via friend, b.

prep 20-30 min; baking time 40-50 min.

ingredients:

3 cups wild rice (i use one box of uncle ben's wild rice)

3 cups shredded cooked turkey (or chicken) (i cook then shred in food processor)

16oz. pkg frozen french cut green beans, thawed

17oz. jar alfredo sauce (i find this is the minimum amt of sauce needed to keep it moist...i usually use 1.5 jars, maybe because i never measure out the rice or turkey)

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (3-4 slices ww bread chopped in food processor)

1. preheat oven to 350. mix turkey, rice, green beans and alfredo sauce in large bowl.

2. place in 12x8 glass dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

3. bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until casserole bubbles at edges and bread crumbs are browned.

notes: the girl's like her mom and not a fan of her food all mixed up (however, mom likes this dish a lot). flavor of this dish is great, though. it's super easy and freezes well, too.

tonight's meal: lunch meat wraps

start to finish appx 2 minutes if you're fast. :)

we're fancy-fancy here, i tell ya! i had panini's on the menu, but these wraps were in my fridge and i'm all about using up what i have, so ta-da...quick and delicious!

ingredients:

flat-out flatbread (italian herb)

tasty deli-meat of your choice

green-leaf lettuce (to me, so much tastier than that iceberg stuff)...or you could use fresh spinach; that would be tasty, too.

cheese of your choice (we used cheddar since that's what i had already open)

mayo or dressing of your choice (tonight jamie combined mayo with a fancy renaissance festival salsa and poof...custom spicy mayo to the rescue!)

serve with pasta salad and fruit.

notes: the little ones don't eat deli-meat sandwiches for whatever reason so i just had the girl make their dinner tonight...flat out wrap, drizzled olive oil, and shredded mozzerella baked in 350 oven for about 5 minutes....tasty pizza that disappeared in minutes!

tonight's meal: burgers on the barbie, sweet potatoe fries, fresh green beans

start to finish 30 minutes

jamie's perfect burgers

ingredients:
90/10 ground beef, fresh
salt, pepper

1. heat grill on high.
2. form patties, manipulating as little as possible. salt and pepper both sides.
3. sear on high 2-3 min each side. turn heat down to med-med/high until done. add cheese, if desired, just before burgers are ready to come off grill.

notes: after much trial-and-error, playing around with fancy burger recipes, etc., we've found this simple little "recipe" to be the tastiest by far. as good as any restaurant burger, even. the kids don't leave anything on their plates when we have these burgers!

tonight's meal: parmesean crusted tilapia, steamed broccoli, cheddar-sage mashed potatoes

about 30 min from start to finish

parmesean crusted tilapia

ingredients:
tilapia filets
shredded parmesean
bread crumbs

heat appx 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over med/med-high. salt and pepper both sides of tilapia. sprinkle both sides with breadcrumbs and parmesean cheese. saute in skillet appx 10 min, flipping half-way through.


cheddar-sage mashed potatoes
(adapted from redbook, march 2008)

ingredients:
1.5 lbs yukon old potatoes, peeled (if desired), cut into chunks
1/2-1 cup milk (recipe originally called for 1/2c)
1/2 tsp sage (recipe originally called for 1 tsp)
1/2-1 cup cheddar cheese (recipe originally called for 1/2c)

1. in large pot, bring potatoes, with enough cold water to cover, to a boil. boil 15 minutes or until tender.
2. drain potatoes; return to pot. add milk and sage; mash over low heat until potatoes are smooth and creamy. stir in cheese until melted.
3. salt and pepper to taste.

review: this was the first time for this particular mashed potato recipe. i found adding more than the recommended milk and cheese was necessary to give me the desired consistency and cheesiness. i like how it had a little hint of sage...i think a whole tsp would have been too much. it was quick and easy and super yummy.

notes: this tilapia is one of my go-to meals. sometimes i don't add the breadcrumbs and it's just as tasty. healthy and fast...always a family favorite.

tonight's meal: spaghetti (with marilyn's meat sauce)

appx 30 min from start to finish.

ingredients:

1lb ground turkey or beef (we usually use turkey)

1/2 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp parsley

1/2 tbsp basil

3/4 tsp salt

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste + 1 can filled with water

1/2 tbsp sugar

angel hair/thin spaghetti noodles (we usually use whole wheat)

1. brown meat slowly.

2. add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer.

3. boil noodles, drain and top with meat sauce.

notes: this is also the meat sauce for the lasagna we make (the very first casserole i would ever eat!). it's definitely one of our go-to meals. the kids gobble it up (like they both had three helpings kind of gobbleitup). it's so easy, healthy, and tasty... you'll never serve a sauce from a jar again!

*bonus: add jar or two of carrots stage 1 baby food for extra hidden nutrition. it'll be your little secret. i usually leave out the sugar (or at least reduce it) when i do this.

dessert: cousin laura's famous brownies

i was going to make these tonight for a party tomorrow night; but since the kids have the flu, the party's been moved and there's no more need for my brownies. :( i'll share anyway...

ingredients:

1 box of brownie mix

3 giant sized (think: movie theatre size) symphony bars with almonds and toffee

1. prepare brownie mix as directed.

2. grease a 9x13 pan, pour 1/2 brownie mix into pan. on top, add the three symphony bars, creating a second layer. finally, pour second 1/2 of brownie mix on top.

3. bake according to box directions.

4. allow to cool completely (several hours) before cutting into tiny squares.

notes: everyone will wonder how you did these...it can be your little secret or you can decide to share how easy they are! ;) they are rich, though, so i find tiny bite-sized squares are most enjoyable.

tonight's meal: chicken soft tacos/flatbread wraps

start to finish about 20 min.

ingredients:

chicken breasts, seasoned and grilled or sauteed

flatbread/tortillas/wraps of your choice (we went with flatbread this time)

shredded cheddar/mexican blend cheese

ranch dressing

lettuce, tomatoes optional

1. prepare chicken and slice.

2. add chicken to flatbread. then add cheese and other fixings as desired.

3. top with sauce (ranch dressing + tony's/zatarain's = spicy ranch).

super fast, easy, and yummy. we just serve the ingredients separately for the kids, since they aren't big on having their foods all mixed together (i.e., pile of chicken, pile of cheese, etc.) you could get really creative with this; we just like our foods kinda simple, here. :)

tonight's meal: white bean turkey chili

(this recipe from hunt's tomatoes)

about 35 min from start to finish

ingredients:

1 pkg (20oz) lean ground turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans (150z each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed

2 cans (11.5 oz each) tomato-vegetable (v8) juice

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

salt and pepper/tony's to taste

shredded cheddar cheese to top, optional

1 spray large saucepan with cooking spray. add turkey, onion and bell pepper. cook and stir over medium heat about 8 min or until turkey is crumbled and no longer pink.

2. stir in remaining ingredients. bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. reduce heat to low; cover. simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

tonight's meal: grilled pork chops with cherry tomatoes and garlic butter

(adapted from real simple, sept 2009)

appx 25 min from start to finish

ingredients:

4tbsp (1/2 stick butter)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (1/3 tsp dried)

4 bone-in pork chops

salt and pepper

1lb cherry or grape tomatoes

1. heat grill to med-high. in small bowl, combine butter, garlic, rosemary; melt and set aside.

2. season pork with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through.

3. meanwhile, heat tomatoes in skillet on medium heat. add appx 1/2 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. toss and allow to cook 3-5 min.

4. top pork chops and tomatoes with garlic butter just before serving.

served with: fresh green beans and corn on the cob

*notes: um....yum. YUM! everybody comes back for seconds with this one! super easy, super quick, and super good!

a new recipe: chicken, broccoli, and brown rice

(adapted from campbell's)

appx 25-30 min from start to finish

ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

4 chicken breasts

1 can (10.75 oz) campbell's healthy request condensed cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups uncooked instant brown rice (i used an uncle ben's brown and wild rice ready rice packet...lazy, i know).

2 cups fresh (or frozen) broccoli flowerets

1. heat oil in skillet over med-high. salt and pepper both sides of chicken. add chicken and cook until well browned on both sides. i also butterflied mine midway through (i think it's easier (and way less yucky) to do when it's already mostly cooked). remove chicken from skillet.

2. stir soup and water into skillet. bring to a boil

3. stir rice and broccoli in skillet. reduce heat to low. return chicken to skillet. cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and rice and broccoli are tender.

review:

this was a big hit with the boys in the family. i thought it was pretty good, maybe just a bit too salty. using plain brown rice would have probably helped with that, but i was more about the quick and easy tonight. the girl wasn't really into the look of the meal. i'll give her that. maybe not the best eye candy. there was plenty for jamie's lunch tomorrow and i froze a complete serving, too. overall, pretty good and i'd make it again.

october meal plan

here's what's on the books for the next month or so. i'll make my big grocery run this weekend and get all the fresh produce for this week's meals. i'll still have to go back, of course, but only for more fresh produce and essentials we happen to run out of. so, here's my list...

grilled pork chops with cherry tomatoes and garlic butter, corn on the cob, green beans

grilled chicken soft tacos, left-over corn

turkey chilli

italian herb pita pizzas

left over turkey chilli on hotdogs

grilled fish, mashed potatoes, soy sauce broccoli

spaghetti

wild rice turkey bake

grilled chicken and spinach pesto pasta

chicken primavera pizza

slow-cooker veggie curry

grilled sandwiches, pasta salad over fresh spinach leaves

hamburgers, sweet potato fries, fresh green beans

ziti with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and gorgonzola sauce

swiss spinach strudel

chicken noodle soup

quatro formagio pesto pasta

chicken sausage, sweet potatoes, green beans

crawfish etoufee