week of April 3

Mexican pile-up - this is my go-to for delivering a meal.  I took this to two different families, feeding three families this night, and the extra work was barely noticeable.

Harisa Chili from the freezer

Chicken Salad sandwiches

Tomato Basil Soup with salad and sausages

Date night

week of March 27

It was a week full of busy evenings, which made for quick meals and pulling things from the freezer


Smoothies, Eggs and Toast

Mexican Pile-up

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

dinner with friends

Big Daddy's Pizza

week of March 20

Pizza

Potato Chicken Green Bean Bake

Chicken Noodle Soup with bone broth

Leftovers

Brown Bag dinner while watching Big Brother's basketball game

Greek Pasta Salad

week of March 6

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Egg in a Toast Hole with sweet peppers and fruit

Crispy Caramelized Pork Ramen Soup - still a family fave!

Costco Lasagna

Chicken and Apple Sausages with sweet potato fries and salad

week of February 27

Beef and Barley Garden Stew - one of my favorite use-whatever-random-veggies-I-can-find recipes.  Start with sautéing ground beef and chopped onions, add some garlic, throw in a bunch of chopped tomatoes or a couple cans of undrained diced tomatoes, then finish with some broth and whatever chopped veggies sound good to you.  Season to taste.  I also like to add about 1/2 cup of barley to make the finished product thick and more stew-like.  This pot included potatoes, turnip, carrot, parsnip, cabbage, and celeriac.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet, Feta, and Arugula Salad with homemade vinaigrette - my contribution to our community group dinner.

Greek Pasta Chicken Salad - I use some of this dressing to marinate the chicken.  I mix the cooked chicken with cooked penne pasta, chunked cucumbers and tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and toss it with more of the dressing.  My family devours this!  And my son was thrilled when he realized that the entire meal, which I serve in one large bowl, has something included from every food group!

Pizza and salad

Date-night in: Swiss Chard Tacos with spiced black beans while kids ate leftover pasta salad

Acorn Squash with Rice Pilaf (again!)



Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars - a new breakfast that we all enjoyed in the morning, and as a snack the next few days.  I made several changes from the original recipe that are reflected below:

BASE LAYER
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp coconut oil (not melted)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 heaping scoop plant-based protein powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt

TOPPING
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp maple syrup
juice of one lemon
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or any kind of chopped nut)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 8x11 baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the banana, maple syrup, oils and vanilla.  Using electric or hand mixer, mix until smooth.  Add in the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and salt and mix until well combined.  Mixture will be wet.  Transfer the mixture to the pan.  Smooth it out with a spatula and press it down evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes.

While bottom layer is baking, in the same mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping layer until well combined.

After first layer is done baking, remove pan from oven.  Pour topping layer over and spread it out evenly, pressing it down into the base layer.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Allow the bars to cool and set for 15-20 minutes before slicing into square servings.  Store in refrigerator.

week of February 20

*Spiralized Sweet Potato, Kale and Bacon Quiche - I made my first-ever quiche crust!  It worked!  Some changes I made to this recipe: used half whole wheat flour, used pastry cutter instead of food processor, used 8 eggs, and mozzarella cheese.

Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Pilaf - I love this meal.  Half the enjoyment for me is making up the pilaf recipe as I go.  This time I included some rotisserie shredded chicken, celery, onion, garlic, toasted almonds and craisins with the wild rice cooked in chicken broth.

Dinner at neighbors' home

Brats, sweet potato fries, salad (Dad's dinner of choice when Mom's not home)

BBQ out with friends

week of February 13

This week I got sick, so my husband stepped in and helped big time with dinners.  And no one went hungry.


Chicken Fried Rice - leftover rice makes for the best fried rice!

Sausage with roasted vegetables

Eggs, Bacon, and Daddy Cereal (AKA Post Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Nuts)

Costco Pizza

Mexican pile-up

week of February 6

*Oven Fajitas - super easy . . . my family ate the entire pan!

*Pizza Sandwich Melts - another delicious meal with no leftovers.  See below for recipe.

Honey Garlic Chicken with edamames and shared with friends

Vegetable and Cheese Frittata from SNED by Heidi Swanson with sourdough whole wheat bread - I used cauliflower and topped it with mozzarella cheese

Green Lentil Soup to share with a refugee family

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for community group dinner




Pizza Sandwich Melts, from One-Pan Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens:

Use ciabatta rolls.  Cut rolls in half.

Cover large roasting pan with tin foil.  Preheat oven to 350.

Line pan with bottoms of the bread rolls.  Use the following ingredients to layer on the roll bottoms:
one 12-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup thin strips green sweet pepper
3 to 4 oz. sliced pepperoni
one 2.25 oz. sliced pitted ripe olives, drained
Top with 6 oz. shredded smoked mozzarella cheese

Spread cut sides of roll tops with one 8-oz. can pizza sauce (or make your own) and place on top to make sandwiches.

Combine the following and then pour evenly over sandwiches:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes at 350.  Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and roll tops are light brown.

week of January 30

Mexican Pile-up

Toad-in-the-Hole

Stuffed Bell Pepper soup from a freezer meals cooking party.

Dinner at Bidwell with friends - I highly recommend the wood-fired Moonpie pizza!

Dinner with my aunts and uncles . . . I took this apple crisp for dessert.  Next time I'll try mixing apples and pears.

Thai Beef with Coconut Rice

Week of January 23

Popcorn, Apples, Nutnana smoothies - first night of my husband being away, so I kept it simple and fun for the rest of us =)

Green Lentil Soup from Super Natural Every Day.  I love lentils.  And soup.  This was a delicious combination.  I only blended half the lentils to keep some texture in the soup.  Make sure to add a little water or broth when reheating.

Roasted Chicken Legs - my plan was to make this for dinner, but I didn't make it to the right store in time to buy harissa.  Instead, I tossed some halved cherry tomatoes, one lemon cut into eight slices, one red onion cut in wedges, and a few potatoes cut into chunks with some crushed garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  After spreading on a roasting pan, I nestled drumsticks into the veggies, added a little more seasoning to the chicken, then roasted at 400F for about 45 minutes.  It worked great!  Similar to this meal, but even simpler.

Sweet Potato Sausage Hash - served over greens with a fried egg on it.

Paleo Sweet Potato Chili to host community group


Chickpea Wraps for lunch, from SNED by Heidi Swanson - my husband and I both enjoyed this.  I wrapped my chickpea filling in collard green leaves as a wrap.  My husband used a whole wheat tortilla for his wrap with garden greens.  And my oldest gingersnap ate as much as I did using saltine crackers as his scoop!