This week's menu

I suppose it's time to get back into meal planning. Not that I have much motivation, but I need to stop eating happy hour tacos for dinner. My waistline is starting to notice it.

Plus I'm working this weekend and I'm getting tired of trying to figure out gluten free-ish options at the cafeteria. I don't always win and crummy tummies are no fun.

So, here we go.

Wednesday- Chicken zucchini salad
Thursday- Ravioli + broccoli
Friday- Beef roast + green beans
Saturday- BBQ chicken legs + carrots
Sunday- Leftovers?
Monday- Burgers + beans + corn on the cob

Have a great week(end).

Thursday we have a dessert contest at work and I'm bringing this watermelon pizza, because I forgot my oven doesn't work very well and that kind of eliminates baked goods. Dope.

ode to a citrus juicer

Who knew this 50-cent garage sale find would become one of my top-used kitchen tools? Raise your hand if you hate biting into a seed or accidentally slurping one up through a straw. I can't be the only one, because these things exist!

Not that I juice citrus that much in everyday cooking. Since I bought it about a year ago, I use it several times a week, but it's mostly used for beverages; lemon water has become a common thing for me to carry around lately. Plus lime juice is essential for moscow mules and tacos and even on salads.

I love being able to get every last drop out of the fruit using the reamer. Why waste those bright sunny flavors?

The design fits over a measuring cup, but also fits perfectly over my everyday glasses, which  means I can juice directly into the cup I'm using and avoid dirtying another dish. You KNOW how much that makes my heart sing.

No fancy model needed. This aluminum version is great. Plus cleanup is a snap; juice, rinse, and repeat. I love my citrus juicer. I love even more that I got it for 50 cents.

Ode to a Citrus Juicer:

This 50 cent garage sale find is great!
No slurping seeds up, which I always hate.
Fresh lemon water carried with me now
and moscow mules for happy hour- pow!
And with this tool I get every last drop
of sunny flavor in my tall glass cup.
The handy shape fits over beverage rims.
You just don't want to stop.
This tool is handy and it peps me up.
Using this juicer fills me with the wins!

Ok, those last few lines were a stretch, but that's an ode for you.

This week's menu

Sunday- Pineapple chicken kabobs with green beans
Monday- Black bean and avocado wraps
Tuesday- Beef burrito bowls
Wednesday- Sausage and corn and beans
Thursday- Pizza and salads
Friday- Fish and potatoes

Crock pot beef and peppers

A twist on the classic crock pot beef, this recipe adds peppers and tomato juice for a different flavor. You get a ton of bang for your buck with a simple crock pot recipe like this. It tastes way more complex than it is.

Crock pot beef and peppers

Toss into a crock pot (with a liner!):

• A hunk of beef, whatever is on sale, usually labeled "roast"
• a few yellow and red peppers, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 T. worchestershire sauce
• enough tomato juice + red wine (about half of each) to almost cover the top of the meat

Cook on low heat until you come home from work when DAMN your house is going to smell good. The meat will shred with a fork.

Serve with quinoa and broccoli. I originally was going to add shelled edamame to this, but I forgot. It was still good.

P.S. Leftovers served on top of a baked potato with cheese are the bomb.

This week's menu

I had a really good menu last week. It had variety and imagination and I forgot to do my thing here with it. My bad. It had lettuce wraps and fantastic salads and [something else that I forgot] then we went out to eat steaks on Thursday and crawfish on Friday. It was a good week.

THIS week. We have food on the menu. And yet another big bag of kale to use up before it gets funky. Story of my life.

Monday- Veggie chicken alfredo (re: stick as many veggies as you can into the alfredo sauce. Kale, broccoli, peas) 
Tuesday- Crock pot beef with peppers and quinoa with edamame*
Wednesday- BIG salads because KALE needs to be eaten. Also some romaine.
Thursday- Beefy baked potatoes*
Friday- Buffalo chicken waffle bites

*Ideas I came up with in my head and I'm not sure a recipe exists yet. Logically, I should post them if they're good. Realistically, I set myself up for a shepherd's pie recipe a few weeks back and I made it and I ate it, but completely spaced out on posting it. So there's that.

Gotta work this weekend so there will likely be another menu for the next chunk of work days starting Thursday. Peace out.

Meatloaf with springtime mashed potatoes

I forget how tasty meatloaf is. Even half turkey/ half beef meatloaf. I don't make it enough.
I never forget how tasty mashed potatoes are. Those are just plain goo-ood. Peas and chives take these ones up a notch and sneak a bit of green into dinner. Keeping that 'eat more vegetables' resolution strong!

Meatloaf:

In a bowl, combine with your [clean] hands:

1/2 lb. each ground turkey and ground beef
1 handful of corn chex, crushed
1 egg
1/4 cup bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays)
1/2 t. granulated garlic
Salt and pepper, a few dashes each
Other ingredients: Want onions? Add in onions.  Peppers? Why not.  Fresh herbs? Go for it.  How about shredded carrots? Get creative.

Pat the mixture into a dish: A bread pan, a baking dish, or even a muffin tin. Bake at 400 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 175. Top with extra bbq sauce and broil until it starts to glaze. Serve with mashed potatoes.


Springtime Mashed Potatoes:

Boil washed and chopped red potatoes, skins on.

When fork-tender, dump them into the kitchen aid bowl, along with 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. milk, and 2 chive stalks, snipped into pieces. Mix on medium speed until... they look like mashed potatoes. Stir in frozen peas.

Hubs approved.

P.S. If you make extra potatoes and cook up some extra meat, you've got Shepherd's pie halfway ready...

Menu

When I work the weekend, I need dinner leftovers for lunch. I can't plan a new week's menu and go grocery shopping when I'm working. So, out of necessity, this week starts on a Friday.

This week's inspiration comes from a few random sources:

• Aldi sells some great gluten free wraps. They're pliable, big... and about to get stale. So- wraps for dinner!
• I had the southwest eggrolls at Ashley's house and they were really good. They were also happily eaten by her 3-year old and got a "good dinner" from her husband. With reviews like that, how can I NOT make them at my house?
• We started talking about Shepherd's pie in the break room at lunch the other day. Great idea! I plan to make this ahead using the leftovers from meatloaf night. I'm so resourceful.
• Friday I'm declaring an EAT OUT night because this is going to be a long week and I'm going to be tired by the end of it. Did I mention I'll be going in at 5am most of the week? I haven't done that in years, for good reason. I'm not pretty at 5am.

Friday- Wraps + carrot chips
Saturday- Vegetable soup + grilled cheese
Sunday- Saucy sausage + polenta
Monday- Avocado BLT salads
Tuesday- Meatloaf + mashed potatoes + carrots
Wednesday- Southwest eggrolls
Thursday- Shepherd's pie
Friday- OUT!