Meal Planning May 12-19

Well this week it is back to the regular schedule of dinner making.  I enjoyed my "days off" from cooking but also look forward to preparing some really good for us meals.  It seems this week I really had a block on what to put on the menu this week.  But I did it, a full weeks of healthy meals, okay all but one as you shall see below.

Day 1
Grits and Grilleades (see recipe below)

Day 2
Salmon Ragu with Chickpeas (see Ellie Kreiger recipe below)

Day 3
Breakfast (cheat meal)
Scrambled eggs
Bacon
Fried Potatoes

Day 4
Pork Picatta w/Spinach
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Day 5
Lemon, Rosemary, and Balsamic Chicken Thighs
Spinach and Green Apple Salad
Parmasan Rice

Day 6
Chicken Enchiladas
Spanish Rice and Refried Beans

Day 7
Honey/Ginger Talapia
Fried Rice
Broccoli
(this meal is a carry over from last week)

Salmon with Chickpea Ragu
(From Ellie Krieger’s So Easy)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons, plus more for garnish
½ teaspoon salt
                                   ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
                                   4 (6 oz.) skinless salmon fillets

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot, zucchini, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the carrots are firm-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring to incorporate completely. Add the chicken broth and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the liquid thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat, and add 1 cup of the basil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper (and crushed red pepper flakes, if using), and stir to incorporate. Cover to keep warm while you cook the salmon.

Preheat the broiler. Season the salmon with the remaining ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Broil the salmon for 8 to 10 minutes per inch thickness, turning once.

To serve, spoon 1 ½ cups of the chickpea ragu into a shallow bowl or rimmed plate. Top with a fillet of salmon and garnish with the ribbons of basil.

 Grits and Grillades (I believe I pulled this from a Woman's Day issue this past year)

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds top round steak, cut into 3 inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion
1 red bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine (I actually use more broth and add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar as we don't buy wine)
Cheese Grits (recipe follows)
Garnish: chopped green onion

In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Add steak, tossing gently to coat.
In a medium Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add steak, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned.  Remove from pan, and set aside.  Add onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, and bay leaves.  Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until vegetables are tender.  Return beef to pan; stir in beef broth and wine.  Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, or until beef is tender.  Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes longer.  Remove, and discard bay leaves.  Serve over Cheese Grits.  Garnish with green onion, if desired.

Cheese Grits

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup old-fashioned grits
3/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon red pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine broth and garlic.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Slowly stir in grits; reduce heat to low and cook until grits are tender, stirring constantly, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, butter, and pepper.

Get a Handle on Your Paperwork

Is there a huge pile of paper sitting on your desk, kitchen counter, or entry table? Have you lost the utility bill? That important permission slip for your kids' school? Handling your paperwork isn't as difficult as it seems. Follow these easy steps and you can get a handle on your paper mountain and maintain for less than a minute a day.
Establish a home for your papers. I have five paper "spots" in my home. This may seem like a lot to some, but they are all well maintained and when I need to find something I know where it will be. My first is my to file basket attached to the side of my desk. The second is my file box, I place important paperwork such as bank statements, insurance papers, legal documents, receipts, and the like in the designated file folders. I also have a fire proof safe in my closet that holds VERY important documents like birth and marriage certificates, tax paper work, and home loan documents. On top of my desk is my mail holder, this holds my already opened bills, mail labels, and stamps. And the last paper spot is the homework, permission slip designated basket on the end of our kitchen counter, this spot is where the girls place their homework and any other school paperwork that needs my attention.
Once you have designated places for your paperwork clear the paper mountain. This task seems to be an impossible task. But you really can break this down into chunks and have it done quickly if you follow these simple steps. First pull out all of the sales ads and TOSS them. Don't look through them, you'll get more next week, get them out of the mountain. Next, look through all unopened envelopes, don't open though. Pull out all the monthly bills (utilities, mortgage, and credit cards) and look at the postmark, if it is older than 1 month toss it, you don't need to open it, if you haven't gotten a new one yet, a new one is on the way.
Now that your paper mountain is starting to take on more of a hill shape start making piles to be filed into their designated areas. Current bills with current bills, papers to be filed pile, and the other categories that fit your individual needs.
Put away your piles. If you have thoroughly gone through your mountain and made categories that fit all your paper storage needs this should take just a little time. The filing may be a little longer, but if you have a file box ready to go, this also should be just a small job.
Now that your paper mountain is cleared out, place something pretty in its place. Put a nice plant there, a family picture, or a bowl of fruit. If you have something nice there you will be less likely to start a new pile.
You have tamed the pile, but it is only temporary if you do not do daily maintanence. If you do not maintain your incoming papers on a daily basis a paper mountain will grow somewhere else.
Daily: Mail, grab your mail from the mailbox and then check it over the garbage can. Immediately throw out the circular ads and other junk mail. Don't let that stuff touch your counters, you don't ask for it to be sent to you and you shouldn't let it stay in your house. Next open all the other envelopes, right away. Check your bills and then toss out the outer envelope and excess. You only need the payment coupon and return envelope if you don't pay online. Place the bills in their designated home. Place any important papers that come in the mail in your to file pile.
Kids' school papers. Either you or your kids should empty out their backpacks on a daily basis. All completed school papers need to be tossed. Homework can be placed in the school basket along with any announcements, permission slips, etc...Every afternoon I go through my kids homework basket to check for papers that need to be returned to school. I fill them out and tell them to immediately place them in their backpacks so they are not lost and also the responsibility is placed back on them. Homework that is completed is also to be returned to back packs for the next day. I transfer any calendar events or important dates to our family calendar so I can through that paper out. By the end of every week, the school basket should be empty.
Weekly: File once a week. Pick a day or night that you plan to file your to file pile. Do it during the commercials of your favorite show. I promise if you file once a week it will take you tops 15 minutes to take care of the to file pile.
You also really should have a weekly or bi-weekly bill session time. Pull out the bill coupons and check them to make sure they are being paid on time. You can also do this during commercials on your favorite show. Write the check, fill out the envelope, place a stamp on it, then place it by your keys so you can mail it next time you head out.
Yearly: Purge your file box. Check stubs from work can be tossed after W-2's come in, bank statements older than a year can be shredded, expired warranties, out of date receipts, and old insurance paperwork can all be purged from your file box. The idea of the file box is to easily find something. If you have stuffed you have defeated its purpose, so be sure to purge it yearly.

Slow Roasted Ribs with Spice Rub

Delicious and tender, your family will be asking for more. Serve with mashed potatoes and corn and you have a feast!



Ingredients:
Rack of ribs (baby back, spare ribs, or St. Louis Style)
Spice Rub (recipe below)
Cooking Spray

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 275 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Pour half of spice rub mixture over one side of ribs and rub in making sure the whole side is covered. Repeat on other side. Cook for 2 hours at 275 then turn oven up to 350 degrees and cook and additional hour. Remove from oven and let rest a few minutes before cutt
ing the ribs apart.






Spice Rub:
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp paprika
1/tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp brown sugar


Mix together with a whisk or shake vigorously in a jar till all spices are mixed well.

Tips and Tricks for Grocery Shopping

We have all been in the grocery store with no plan, no list, and no patience. Believe it or not, there are simple steps you can take to make your grocery planning and trips much less stressful.

Step 1 - Pick a day you will go on religiously. This could be weekly or bi-weekly, on your pay days or your day off, just pick a day and make it habit to go on that day. This will really cut back on all those unexpected trips to the store every week, that really wear you down.

Step 2 - Plan a menu. If you look at my weekly blogs, I post the menu for my family every week. Look at your calendar see what you have planned and plan your dinners around it. Plan out what you will serve for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and be sure to get enough to last you till your next planned grocery trip.

Step 3 - This list, now this is where I really find my success at the grocery store. Having a list helps me not to impulse buy especially when I'm hungry and ultimately helps me to save money and time. Using my planned menu I begin to build my grocery list. This is something I begin a day or two before my scheduled shopping day so I have a day or two to discover things we need from the store.
Now some people might think I'm a little obsessive compulsive but I keep my grocery list on my computer. My list (shown above) is divided into grocery sections of the store. We've all gotten all the way across the store and forgotten 2 items back on the other side. Well my list actually helps prevent this. I place my needed items in the correct category and when I'm in the store I make sure everything in that section is marked off and wala, I don't have to go back. My store categories are as follows: produce, dried goods (this is for packaged goods such as pastas, cereals, snacks), canned goods, breads (including tortillas), bins (we have a bulk bins section at my store which I frequent), meats, frozen, dairy, and misc. (sodas, beauty, paper items, and other odds and ends). Each week I open my grocery list, delete last week's, type in this weeks, print and go shopping.

Other tips for getting the things you need from the grocery store are having a to buy list posted on the fridge or somewhere in the kitchen. When you run out you jot it down and then add it to your grocery list when you are making it. Also, I know you've heard it before, but try not to go to the store when you are hungry. It is so easy to be swayed by the deli and bakery when we are hungry. Same goes for when you are exhausted...we can get into who cares moods and not be careful about our purchases.
I hope this is helpful to you. I will also in the future post about how I go about shopping at different stores and plan my menus.

Meal Planning May 5-11

Okay this next week my hubby will be out of town for 4 nights so I'm giving myself a pass to make some super easy meals this week.

Day 1 - Two Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowls
I use Rachel Ray's recipe for this and I LOVE it!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/two-sauce-weeknight-lasagna-bowls-recipe/index.html
Day 2 - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with tomato soup
Day 3 - Shrimp tossed with lemon pasta
Side salad
***saute`e shrimp in olive oil and lemon zest...remove add a pat of butter, the juice of
a lemon, a tsp of garlic, if you want a creamy consistency add a little milk or cream at
the very end. toss with the pasta and garlic.
Day 4 - Chili Dogs
Day 5 - Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad (from my freezer, recipe was posted earlier this year)
Day 6 - Pork Roast with vegetables (this was carried over from this past week)
Day 7 - Honey/Ginger Talapia
Fried Rice (well sorta)
Steamed Broccoli
***in a plastic bag marinate talapia in 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1 tablespoon
grated ginger for 1 hour (not more than because the lime juice can start cooking your
fish). Remove fish and season. Grill or broil till done.
***for the rice, prepare 2 cups of rice with packaging directions, but instead of
using water, use chicken broth. In a separate non-stick
skillet heat canola oil, in a small bowl beat two eggs, pour into hot pan and scramble for a
minute, add rice and mix together. Season rice with soy sauce (low sodium is best), green
onion, and salt and pepper if needed.

Coffee Shop at Home

We all love our coffee beverages, but if your on a budget they aren't something you get to indulge in all the time. Well I've come up with my own little coffee drink without the expense, but its still a treat and almost rivals the fancy coffee house...I said almost.
Instant espresso is the key, because I don't have one of those espresso machines nor do I want the maintenance of one. You can pick a jar or can of the instant espresso at the grocery store for between $3-$5. This might be the cost of 1 coffee house drink, but you will get about 8-10 drinks from this one jar.
My favorite drink from home is the mocha latte. First I fill a microwave safe glass mug with about half a cup of water and microwave it for 1 minute. Then I add 1 heaping tsp of espresso powder (or 2 tsp if I want it really strong), 1 tsp of cocoa powder, and about 2 tsp of sugar and mix all of these with the hot water until all is dissolved. Then I take milk and fill the mug the rest of the way, stick back in the microwave for about a minute and a half. Then its ready to enjoy.
Variations:
1 tsp of vanilla extract instead of cocoa (could even add a dash of cinnamon with it)
add caramel and vanilla instead of cocoa and sugar
Or just drink unflavored and/or unsweetened
Blended - still heat up the water and dissolve flavors and sweeteners but then blend with milk and ice till smooth
I know nothing really beats going to the coffee house for our FIX but this can help with the cravings for a fraction of the cost.
And Starbucks fans, I think it is well worth mentioning that starting the 6th of May Starbucks will be having happy hour from 3pm-6pm - half price on Frappuccino, hey even I know you really can't beat the real thing!

Celebrate the World with Your Kids

I have just finished spring break with my girls and I have to say after two weeks of not much planned I'm a little worried about the summer. I have 1 month to plan some activities for us to do so we have something to look forward to and to also entertain us. A few days ago my husband and I decided this summer we should celebrate the world with the kids. This really shouldn't cost us any money, unless we want it to, and it will be a great learning experience for all of us.

Our goal is going to be to experience a country that we have never experienced before a couple of times a month. We aren't talking Mexico either because as Southern Californians we experience Mexican cuisine quite often. I think an African Country, an European country, a South American Country, and an Asian country are definitely on the agenda as they represent 4 of the 7 continents.

We have 8 weeks that will be available to us this summer so we will pick a country bi-weekly which allows 4 countries. I love our library system because after we pick our countries I can go to our libraries website and reserve books about the country and also some cookbooks. Of course the internet is a huge ocean of information too. Each week on our designated family night we will cook a meal in honor of the country and do a little something else too. Maybe a craft or read a traditional story or custom from the country.

This is a series of activities I look forward to. Its economical, cultural, and family oriented. I know the girls will love going through cook books with me to figure out what we will be brave enough to try. I will post our weekly menus starting in late June and perhaps some pictures to go with it. Also, I will be on the hunt for more budget friendly ideas and activities to do with the kids this summer. I want to make it a fun summer, I only have so many left with my kids.

Add Character to Your Table

I have the book Country Living Shoestring Chic - Extraordinary Style for Less and I love love love this idea. In the book Gail Abbott suggests using mismatched table china when entertaining. Plates, glasses, silverware, everything...if it makes you feel good, use it. I love this because I actually have a set of dishes, but I only have so many and really not a lot of money to add more. But I can pick up pretty little dishes all over the place for pennies on the dollar. I can pick up as many as I want and if one gets broken, while it will be sad, it won't be a hopeless situation of trying to replace with the same china pattern.
Plus what adds more character and conversation than a table full of colorful plates and glasses? Its a simple elegance with a very low price tag. I can't wait to get out and start looking for my new china!