leftovers salad

i made 2 different salads the past 2 nights and had some left over herbs and veggies i wanted to use. so i loosely followed one of the recipes in the book and made this:

some potatos (as many as you think you'd eat for the meal- i used 3 medium sized russet potatoes but i think new potatoes or red potatoes would work best)

1 medium sized tomato thickly diced(this is just enough for eric and me, maybe one other person)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3-4 tbspn chopped cilantro
2 tbspn chopped chives
3 tbspn chopped basil
juice of one lemon
3 tbspn olive oil
salt and pepper for topping on salad
2 chicken breasts- grilled with salt and pepper (eric grilled them outside with a bit of olive oil on both sides too)

boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender
put in salad bowl
add onion, cilantro, chives, basil and tomato
cut grilled chicken into strips, add to salad bowl
whisk together lemon juice and olive oil and pour over salad

enjoy! serve warm. it's simple, but oh sooo good!

the best salad book ever

hey fuhz,

that salad book you gave me for my birthday is soooo great! thank you so much. i made my first one tonight, but i have about 15 more recipes marked. tonight we had a salad and eric grilled some fish outside. it was such a refreshing and tasty meal. here is the first salad recipe that kicks butt!

Tomato Salad with Feta Cheese (it sounds simple but boy is it good)

12 plum tomatoes, sliced (the store was out so i bought tomatoes on the vine and just sliced them)
1 very small red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 package baby spring greens
15 Greek olives (black or green, i bought them from an olive bar in the deli section- our's were green in a basil, olive oil mix)
7 oz feta cheese
1 egg
some flour
some olive oil


dressing
3 tbspn extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano ( i used dried)
pinch of sugar
pepper


make dressing by whisking the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and sugar and pepper in a small bowl. set aside.

prepare slad by arranging the tomatoes, oinion, green, and olives on plates (i put it all in one bowl to serve from)

cut the feta cheese into cubes about 1 inch square. beat the egg in a dish and put the flour on a separate plate. coat the cheese in the egg and shake off the excess, then coat in the flour.

heat olive oil in large skillet, add cheese and cook over medium heat turning over hte cubes of cheese until they are golden on all sides

scatter the fried feta over the salad. whisk together the perepared deressing and spoon over the salad. serve warm




yum!


alot of the recipes call for some 'nicer" ingredients that might be more expensive. i have decided though that theyall sound so yummy that it's worth tgiving it a try to see what it does to our grocery budget. and the way i feel now after eating such a yummy and healthy meal (we had fish too) makes the money worth spending. enjoy!

best cookies ever!! according to darin :)

Hersheys Premier White Chips and Macadamia Pieces cookies

6 Tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup butter flavored shortening
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup (8 oz package) white chips and macadamia pieces

1. Heat oven to 350

beat butter and shortening in a large bowl until blended. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat thoroughly. Add egg and vanilla, beating until well blended. stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into butter mixture. stir in baking pieces. drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. cool completely. about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

chicken, peppers, and onion with linguine

i found this recipe on foodnetwork.com from rachael ray. i had to modify it a bit b/c it was so spicy hot!

1 pound linguine
olive oil
1 1/2 lb skinless, bonelss chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
2 tbspn chopped fresh thyme (i used dried)
2 tspn lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (i accidentally dumped a whole lot more than this in and it was sooooo hot, i couldn't eat it very well b/c it was so hot! so next time i think i will omit this ingredient all together b/c i like the other flavors so much)
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cubanelle pepper seeded and thinly sliced (i couldn't find any so i didn't use this but they are supposed to be a mild pepper and probably wouldn't be too hot. i think they are also called banana peppers)
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
1 large sweet onion, quartered and thinly sliced
black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
one 28oz can crushed tomotoes
grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (i didn't have any)

1. bring large pot of water to boil. add salt, then pasta, cook until al dente

2. heat a large deep skillet over high heat. add olive oil, add chicken and cook over high heat until lightly browned. sprinkle the thyme, zest and red pepper flakes over the chicken and stir to combine. add the garlic, peppers and onion and season with salt and pepper. cook for 5 minutes stirring now and then until the veggies are soft. add the wine and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan (i never have any 'bits'. i have decided this is b/c i cook with non stick pans and they use real stainless steel on the food network channel) stir in the broth and tomatoes and bring to a bubble. simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes.

3. combine the cooked pasta with the chicken pepper and onion sauce with a little grated cheese. serve at once and pass around extra cheese at the table.


**after i zested the lemon i squeezed one lemon's juice into the sauce(i added it when i added the broth and tomatoes) i really like the citris flavor of this dish so the extra lemon juice just enhanced that.


this was really good. a simple dish with some different ingredients and a complex flavor. it was yummy!!!

thai style chicken soup

this is the best soup i've ever had! it takes some special ingredients i got at the asian market in town, but this has to be one of my favorite all time recipes ever. after you do it a couple of times i am sure it wont take as long as the first time.


ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
3 lemon grass stalks, outer leaves removed, trim top and bottom (like you would a green onion), halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
3 large shallots, chopped
8 sprigs fresh cilantro
3 tbsp fish sauce
4 c chicken broth
2 (14oz) can coconut milk
1 tbspn sugar
1/2 # white mushrooms, sliced (you can omit these if you want)
1 # chicken breasts, sliced on bias into 1/8" thick pieces
3 tbspn lime juice
2 tsp thai red curry paste

garnish:
1/2 c fresh cilantro
2 serrano chiles (i didn't do this- too hot)
2 green onions, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges


preparation:

1. heat oil, add lemon grass, shallots, cilantro and 1 tbspn fish sauce; cook stirring frequently until softened (not brown)
2. stir in chicken broth and 1 can coconut milk, bring to simmer, cover, decrease heat, simmer till flavors blended, about 10 minutes. pour broth through fine mesh strainer and discard solids in strainer. return broth mixture to pan
3. return p an to medium high heat, stir in remaining can of coconut milk and sugar. bring to simmer, decrease heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook till tender (2-3 minutes). add chicken and cook, stirring constantly until non longer pink (1-3 minutes). remove soup from heat
4. combine lime juice, curry paste, and remaining fish sauce in a small bowl. stir into soup.
5. garnish with cilantro, scallions and lime.

** i make a cup of rice first and put rice in the bottom of my bowl and then spoon the soup over the rice. it gives it a little more texture and fills you up.

our menu for 2 weeks

let me know if you want any recipes from this

artichoke chicken

tacos

mediterranean frittata

spaghetti

chicken fajitas

roast beef with vegetables

dolmadas

spanish noodles

chef salad with chicken

American Shish Kabobs

here's what we are having tonight:

Shish Kabob

marinade:
some olive oil
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c red wine or maybe cooking sherry
some lemon juice
some garlic
little salt
some rosemary
some pepper

we are marinading chicken and steak ( i just bought some steak i don't really know how b/c i don't buy it very often)
i think you have to soak the skewers in water first, so do that. then thread the meat on. we are also threading on quatered onions, mushrooms (maybe you'd like them i f they were grilled!), green bell peppers, tomatoes, and one granny smith apple(i've never tried this before but it sounds really good)

actually i've never tried this entire recipe before and i am kinda making it up but i think it sounds like it has a lot of potential. it's pretty easy, you get your protein and your vegetable all in "one fell swoop". i am making red lobster biscuits to go with it too.

i googled shish kabobs and actually didn't come up with a lot of good recipes. maybe i'll keep looking. i'll let you know how this meal turns out.

fresh herbs

I have been looking on Rachael Ray's 30 minutes meals website and a lot of the recipes look really good. But i've noticed she uses a lot of fresh herbs in all her meals, which sounds really good to me. however, fresh herbs are expensive and, i feel, hard to find. wal mart sells small packets of them in the produce section but they are just dang expensive. do you use a lot of fresh herbs and where do you find them? last summer my attempts are growing all the wonderful herbs myself were thwarted by all the shade around our house. i might try to cut down some branches and grow them on the roof of our little patio this summer. i'll have to look. it's such bummer after growing up with bob's garden and being able to go out to the garden and get unlimited supplies of these fresh herbs. i never knew how much you had to pay for that sort of thing! anyway, i was just hoping you had some ideas for herbs and if you use them dried or fresh when you make things. i will try out some of these recipes from the website and post them if they are any good.

i haven't posted in a long time b/c i haven't done anything really new or interesting. with the warmer weather we have heated up our outdoor grill and eric's been making dinners- cavender's chicken, lawry salt chicken, tonight we are doing a garlic lime grilled chicken which i think i posted back a while ago. we do some wild rice in the rice cooker with a cube of buillon and a steamed vegetable for the whole meal. then i don't feel bad eating ice cream for dessert b/c dinner was so light. actually, i made a really good chicken salad for dinner last week. i will post that recipe. we made the meal and packed it up in that sweet picnic backpack you gave us for christmas and rode our bikes to the park. it was really fun!

also, have you tried cooking/baking with organic products? if you have do you think they make any difference in taste? i've tried organic tomato sauces and haven't really tasted a difference. i notice the difference in my dairy products and bread products- maybe just the raw stuff. we always buy the regular frozen vegetables b/c they never go bad and then just steam them quickly for dinner. but the other week i bought a fresh broccoli b/c it was on sale and it was so much better than the frozen! i just don't want to keep buying it b/c if we dont' use it fast enough it will go bad.

on a completely different note- i found the receipt for my birthday present from eric a couple weeks ago. he put it behind my spoon and spatula container on the kitchen countertop and i was wiping down the counter and of course i found it. for some reason it came up this week and he found out so he gave me my present early! he got me an altimeter watch off of steep and cheap. it's pretty fun, but has a very large face.

well, post back when you get the chance. that chocolate cake looks really good. i'll have to try it. i made the beet cake for eric's birthday party and everyone loved it!

chicken fajita marinade and killer Mexican rice

I don't know if I've given you this recipe for mexican rice or not, but it is by far the best I've ever used.

Mexican Rice recipe

1 tsp salt
1 clove minced garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
2 cups chicken broth (I use boullion most of the time)
1/2 cup tomato puree (I use salsa)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion

heat oil. add rice and cook until golden. add and saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic. add salt, tomato and broth. simmer until tender about 20 minutes with the lid on just like other rice.

Fajita Marinade
Chicken or turkey
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper

marinate overnight or as long as you want. I marinaded it for several hours. I think the lime is what makes this taste so good, so don't leave that out!!

Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake

I made this for Grandma's birthday, and it was delicious. Grandma said it was one of the best chocolate cakes she'd ever eaten.

3/4 c. butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 1/4 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, at room temp.
3/4 c. whipping cream
1 1/2 c. semisweet choco chips

preheat oven to 350. grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans. in a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate, stirring over low heat.

combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl of electric mixer. add chocolate mixture, buttermilk and eggs. beat on low speed for 1 minute, then increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

divide batter between cake pans. bake until cake springs back when gently pressed, 25-30 min. cook in pans 5 minutes; invert onto wire rack.

meanwhile, bring cream just to a boil. remove from heat and stir in choco chips; mix until frosting is smooth and starts to thicken.

Place 1 cooled layer on cake plate. spread with 1/3 cup of frosting. top with second layer. frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

Meaty cheese manicotti

Meaty Cheese Manicotti

1 package manicotti shells
½ lb Italian sausage
½ lb ground round or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 (14 ½ oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano, DRAINED
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ cups shredded parmesan cheese


Cook pasta according to package. Rinse in cold water. Drain and set aside.

Remove casing from sausage and discard. Cook sausage, ground round and onion in a large skillet until done. Drain.

Add wine to skillet. Bring to a boil. Add whipping cream and Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, set aside.

Combine meats, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Spoon into manicotti shells. Arrange in lightly greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and pour cream mixture evenly over shells. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 10 minutes more. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

chicken pot pie soup

This is really yummy and I don't know if it's cuz of the noodles or the recipe, so try to make it with noodles made with egg yolks and wheat flour. The kind I got are amish and are square like 2 inches by 2 inches.

4 cups broth, water or combination ( I made my own by throwing a whole pieced up chicken into the pot for a while)
6 oz noodles
chicken from boiled chicken
3/4 cup diced potatoes
3/4 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
14.5 oz can cream of chicken soup

bring liquid to a boil. Add noodles and bring to a boil again. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. remove 2 cups of broth and mix with cream of chicken soup. add to noodles. add remaining ingredients. simmer or bake until vegetables are tender.

this was a soup someone brought us while we were getting meals from the church after the baby came. this was my favorite. it is kinda like a soup, but pretty thick. it is yummy!!

granola cookie bars

Here's the recipe for the cookies that nurse made for us while we were in the hospital that darin ate all of them.

Granola Cookie Bars


1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
4 c. oatmeal
3 c. flour (I think I used half whole wheat and increased the water to 1 Tbsp.)
2 tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. coconut
1 c. raisins

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, water and vanilla. Add flour, salt and oatmeal. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough is very stiff. Press into greased 15x10x1" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 22-27 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

chunky tomato potato soup

this is a10/10!! i ate it for lunch at work every day last week!

2 tbsp butter
2 onions chopped
4 cups cubed potatoes
1 1/2 c chopped celery
1 1/2 c chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves pressed
1 tbspn italian seasoning
2 cups milk
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatos
1 1/4 c chicken broth
1 small can tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste


melt butter, cook onions until tender
mix in potatoes, celery, carrots and garlic
season with italian seasoning
pour in milk slowly and bring to a boil
mix in tomatos , broth, and tomatoe paste
return to boil, reduced heat and simmer until potatoes are tender
add salt and peper

pilsner pics and red lobster biscuits

red lobster biscuits

mix together:
2 c bisquick
2/3 c milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

melt 1/4 c butter, add 1/4 tsp garlic powder; beat into batter for 30 seconds

topping:
1 tbspn butter melted, 1 tbsp parmesian cheese, 1/4 tsp parsley

drop batter onto ungreased cookie sheet, spoon topping onto tops of unbaked dough balls

bake 8-10 minutes at 450

crockpot chicken and blackbeans and cream cheese

This looks good. I haven't tried it yet, but will.


Crockpot Chicken and Blackbeans and Cream Cheese
Created by admin, January 18, 2007
Description
Nothing beats a meal you can throw together and come back later and enjoy.

Ingredients

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 can black bean
1 can corn
1 jar salsa , any kind
1 package cream cheese
Methods/steps
Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crockpot. Add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained. Keep in crockpot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour. All done and enjoy!

some olive garden recipes that look tasty

I'm going to try to make this one tomorrow. looks good

Olive Garden Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:

---CHEESE STUFFING---
1/2 cup smoked provolone or gouda cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato flakes, if in oil, drain first
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

---CHICKEN---
2 pounds Skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 ounces cooking oil
2 cups flour
salt and pepper, to taste

---SAUCE---
1 small onion, chopped
6 cups button mushrooms, thinly sliced
24 ounces marsala wine
8 ounces heavy cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. STUFFING: Combine all cheese stuffing ingredients in a bowl.

3. CHICKEN: Butterfly thickest section to create two lobes - pound until 1/4"-1/2" thick. Place pounded chicken breasts on a plate and place desired amount of stuffing on one half of chicken breast. Gently press stuffing down and fold over other side of chicken breast.

4. Preheat a large saute pan on stove top. add 4 oz oil, heat oil until shimmering. Place approximately 2 cups flour in a pan and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess flour. Place stuffed chicken breasts in saute pan with the preheated oil. Cook each side until golden. When chicken is seared on both sides remove them from saute pan and place them in a baking pan and into the oven for 10-20 minutes. Bake until juices run clear and stuffing and center reach a temperature of at least 165 degrees.

5. SAUCE: Add the onions to the saute pan. stir with spatula. After 2 minutes add the mushrooms, saute mixture until onions are translucent. Deglaze saute pan with the marsala wine - make sure to incorporate particles from bottom of pan. Bring wine to a simmer and add heavy cream. Simmer sauce on low heat until reduced by half.

6. Place cooked chicken breast on a plate and top with onions, mushrooms and sauce. Serve with your favorite garlic mashed potato recipe.



I also want to make this recipe, but will have to wait a little bit maybe till Darin is not "off sugar" he's trying to cut weight by cutting out sugar. good idea!!


Olive Garden Black Tie Mousse Cake
Ingredients:

---Bottom Layer---
1 box Chocolate cake mix, devil's food

---Second Layer---
1 teaspoon Unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons boiling water
4 ounces chocolate chips
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

---Third Layer---
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour, sifted
1 teaspoon Unflavored gelatin
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

---Fourth Layer---
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
18 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
1. Bottom Layer: Bake according to directions on box, using round pans and cool. Once cooled, (cut cake into layers if you choose and use one layer) make a collar using wax paper. Make the collar at least four inches taller than cake.
2. Second Layer: Melt chocolate and cream cheese together. Let cool. Soften gelatin with cold water for 1 minute, then add boiling water, stir until dissolved and clear. Let this cool while you start whipping the heavy cream and sugar. As cream starts to thicken, add gelatin. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Add 1/4 of the cream to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly. Then fold this into the remaining cream. Once you have completed spread onto cake and refrigerate.

3. Third Layer: Beat egg yolks until pale. Add sugar, flour and gelatin, then beat until mixed. Bring cream and vanilla extract to a boil. Add a small amount of cream to egg mixture while stirring. Gradually add until all of the cream has been added and then pour entire mixture through a strainer into the pan. Continue to cook until custard begins to thicken. Cool slightly pour on top of chocolate mousse and freeze while getting the icing ready.

4. Fourth Layer: Bring butter and cream to a boil, pour over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let cool (slightly warmer than room temp) until it starts to thicken. Remove cake from freezer and remove the collar. Pour some of the ganache (what you feel comfortable working with) and using a spatula spread it evenly across the top and sides of cake. While this is still wet put chocolate chips onto the side of the cake. And refrigerate. Continue to let the remaining ganache cool and firm up, place into a cake decorating bag with star tip and place a border on the cake if you like.

Asian Turkey Pot Stickers

1/2 c chopped scallions
2 tbspn grated fresh ginger root
1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp tasted sesame oil
24 square wonton wrappers
1 c chicken broth

finely chop scallions and ginger
in large bowl combine turkey, scallions, ginger, worcestershire sauce and sesame oil
lay dumpling skins on counter
place spoonful of turkey mixture into the middle of each skin
moisten the edges of the skins and fold together to make a triangle
heat oil in large skillet
place full wraps in skillet until browned on both sides
add some chicken broth and cover the pan to steam the dumplings all the way through
steam until all liquid is absorbed


*it makes quite a few dumplings. i used the pampered chef family skillet and had to fill it 3 times. each time i added about 1/3 c of the chicken broth to steam the dumplings and then removed them to a plate. i placed waxed paper between the layers b/c the steamed/fried wonton wrappers can stick to each other very easily. if you just want them c rispy try not adding the chicken broth, although i like the chewy texture it makes.

dipping sauce:

1/4 soy sauce
3 tbspn rice vinegar or lemon juice (we used apply cider vinegar b/c that's what we had)
2 tsp sesame oil


dip the dumplings in the sauce and enjoy! i made white rice with the left over chopped scallions in it and broccoli. it suggests making a grated carot salad by grating 1 bag carrots, adding golden or dark raisens and a vinaigrette dressing.

menu for two weeks

thanks for posting your menu! as soon as i saw that the mexican casserole invovled doritos i knew it was darin's recipe! the stew sounds really good! i'll have to try it, maybe start de-sensitizing eric's allergies to beef...muhahaha. here's my menu:

Monday:Asian Pot Stickers (dumplings) really good- a wrapped meal, maybe darin would like this- it is ground turkey with green onions and ginger wrapped in wonton wrappers and fried/steamed with chicken broth. dip in a soy sauce/sesame seed oil sauce. let me know if you would like more detail. eric and i did the meal together and got the whole thing done with dishes washed in one hour so it doesn't take as long as some wrapped meals...but tastes very asian. i don't know how much you guys like asian food.

tuesday: spanish noodles (bob's recipe from back in the day)
wednesday:kimble's house
Thursday: left over dumplings
friday: left over frozen chicken dinner or frozen pizza
Saturday: family burrito
Sunday: Grilled Chicken with lime sauce (coat chicken breasts with egg, dip in bread crumbs. heat olive oil in large skillet, place chicken into skillet and fry till golden. remove from skilet. squeeze juice of 2 limes into skillet. cook over low heat until it boils. add 5 tbspn butter, stir till melted. season with chives and dill. spoon sauce over chicken and serve. this recipe is pretty good, maybe an 8/10 so not outstanding but it is nice to switch it up a bit every once in a while)

Monday: sloppy joes
tuesday: California Sherry chicken
Wed: Kimble's
Thrusday: left over sloppy joes
Friday: left over California Sherry chicken
Saturday: i don't know- we are going to church with tyler and alyssa and having dinner with thema nd i've done the dinner the past 3 weeks so i'm hoping she'll do acrock pot meal..
Sunday: Mexian soup- you gave me this recipe last year and i've never made it. it has velveeta in it and rotel. i'm making corn bread with it
Monday: chili and corn bread

i'm making salads for lunch and taking them to work. they are really yummy and have really hit the spot. i just can't eat sandwiches anymore! i start with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, add croutons, dried cranberries, avacado, a tart granny smith apple, and some feta or blue cheese. i make my own dressing with olive oil, balsamic vinger, oregano, and cavenders. yum! i've been eating snacks of raw natural almonds, organic yogurt(again, better than regular), a kiwi or banana or pear (b/c that produce is cheap right now at the store). that usually get me trhough a 12 hour shift. i thought you might be inspired by any of those things for a good snack. also dried blueberries, peaches or apricots are good too.

menu for the week

Monday night- Mexican casserole (one of darin's recipes)

line a 9x12 pyrex dish with Doritos (taco flavor)
layer of diced chicken
layer of chopped green chiles
layer of chopped onions
cover with 1 can cream of chicken and 1 can cream of mushroom
top with grated cheese
layer again and bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until bubbly


Tuesday night- Spaghetti and meatballs and french bread

Wednesday night- chimichangas with beans, cheese, and taco meat

Thursday night- stew
meat, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions quartered.
put them in the crock pot in the morning on low and add 1 packet of powdered italian dressing, one packet of powdered ranch dressing, and one packet of brown gravy. let it cook all day. delicious!

Friday night- Tex Mex Chicken Melt

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 oz grated cheddar cheese
1 chicken breast boiled and then chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 T taco seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 plum tomatoes, sliced
2 T parsley, snipped ( i use dried)


use your left over french bread from spaghetti and slice them into 1/4 inch slices
arrange slices on a rectangle stone (or cookie sheet)
In a bowl combine chicken, onion, bell pepper, 1/2 cup of the cheese, mayo, taco seasoning, and garlic. mix well
using a medium scoop, divide filling evenly among bread slices. slice the tomatoes. place one tomato slice over filling on each bread slice. sprinkle parsley on the tomatoes and then sprinkle the tops with left over cheese. bake 15 min at 375 or until golden brown.
this would also work as an appetizer for a party.


Sunday dinner- your artichoke chicken recipe.