Divas Cuisine

Menu for week of 10/22 - 10/28

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Loving the cooler temps here lately, although it is getting warm again in the afternoons. Nice, though, especially on the electric bill. Here's what we'll be eating this week- how about you?

Surf & turf: steak with sauteed mushrooms & freshly crumbled blue cheese, sweet pineapple salmon, organic baby spinach salad with balsamic vinaigrette (I put my steak & 'shrooms right on the steak- yum, yum)

3 cheese ravioli with butter & freshly grated parmesan; spinach & cheese ravioli with marinara; fruit salad

Simple Oven Roasted Sausage & Veggies

Simple oven roasted sausage and veggie dinner

Breakfast for dinner: freshly baked apple cider donuts; pumpkin pancakes w/real maple syrup; melon

Easy Baked Tilapia w/Veggies

Easy baked tilapia w/veggies; couscous; salad w/choice of dressing

Perfect Pot Roast

Pot roast w/potatoes, carrots, pearl onions & green beans; baked apples

Eat whatever doesn't eat you first aka leftovers

For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 10/15 - 10/21

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:10:00 +0000

Loving these cooler temps in the mornings, then we're mid 80s again by afternoon. Wish the weather would make up its mind already, it makes it hard to plan the menu when we're ping-ponging all over the place. I wake up wanting a hearty stew or casserole, then when it's time to start making dinner I don't want to turn the oven on. How about where you live- are your temps staying steady?

Pork Chops & Applesauce

Regardless of what mother nature is doing, we have bellies to fill, here's what we'll be eating this week:

It's a toss up between creamy eggplant ziti bake and bountiful garden veggie casserole- if we have the casserole we'll probably add chicken or fish

Hot dogs; mac & cheese; carrot & celery sticks

Pork chops & applesauce (updated for today's tastes); sesame green beans

Breakfast for dinner: baked french toast; sausage patties; fresh fruit

Chicken parmesan; angel hair pasta w/marinara; Caesar salad w/mock Caesar dressing (no egg, no anchovies)

Easy cheese & onion enchilada bake; spanish style rice; refried black beans, avocado salad

Easy veggie lo mein; Hawaiian chicken; pineapple spears

For more menu ideas head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 10/8 - 10/14

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:42:00 +0000

We're loving the cooler temps, how about you? What's the weather like where you are? We love eating heartier meals this time of the year, although with the drought we aren't able to enjoy the leaves changing colors since most of them died off earlier in the summer.

Here's our menu for the week- what's cooking at your house?

Cheesy turkey burger & eggplant casserole; green salad w/creamy Italian dressing

Crockpot mac & cheese; green beans; applesauce

Breakfast for dinner: sausage gravy over biscuits; scrambled eggs; fresh fruit compote

Smoked sausage; cheesy rice (box mix); normandy blend veggies

Ian's choice: dragon food aka fish sticks; hush puppies; potato smiles (frozen); steamed carrots

Eat whatever doesn't eat you first aka leftovers

Beef & broccoli stir fry w/sesame ginger sauce; oriental style cabbage salad

For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 10/1 - 10/7

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Dinner Salad w/Fruit

Dinner Salad* - spinach and spring mix salad w/turkey; oranges, strawberries and raspberries drizzled with a citrus vinaigrette & topped w/ shaved parmesan

Breakfast for dinner: bacon; pumpkin pancakes w/maple syrup; fruit cocktail

Black bean & sweet potato burgers on potato rolls w/grilled yellow squash, romaine, organic baby spinach and sliced tomato w/avocado mayo; zucchini & yellow squash oven baked chips

"Rare Who" roast beast; new potatoes and green beans; dinner salad w/choice of dressings & homemade croutons

Pork or chicken potstickers; veggie egg rolls; asian style cucumbers & tomatoes

Cottage pie made w/leftover roast beef; baked apples loaded w/cinnamon & oatmeal crumble topping

Antipasta platter; veggie stir fry over angel hair pasta

*Salad in pic has different components, same basic idea using what is on sale or in season

For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 9/24 - 9-30

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Sausage stuffed acorn squash; creamy cucumbers

Portabella "burgers" with all the fixings; oven baked sweet potato fries; applesauce

Buffalo chicken pasta salad; black olives, celery, carrot & cucumber sticks

Crockpot pork roast w/potatoes, carrots & onions; wedge salad w/creamy blue cheese dressing

BBQ sliders (made w/leftover pork) on Hawaiin sweet rolls; coleslaw; chips; root beer or dr pepper floats

Fettuccini alfredo w/chicken & broccoli; tossed salad w/Italian dressing

Eat whatever doesn't eat you first aka leftovers

Menu for week of 9/17 - 9/23

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:54:00 +0000

Another hectic week, and some of us n ot feeling well, so easy meals here. What's on your menu this week?

Simple baked pork chops; spicy oven baked regular or sweet potato wedges; creamy cucumbers

Lemon pepper baked fish (whatever looks good); couscous w/veggies; tossed salad w/choice of dressing

Pressure cooker beef stew; fresh baked dinner rolls

Broccoli cheese soup; crusty french bread; side salad w/choice of dressing

Angel hair pasta w/roasted veggies tossed in olive oil and sprinkled w/freshly grated parmesan; caprese salad

Breakfast for dinner: blueberry stuffed french toast; fruit salad

Chicken salad w/apple, cranberries and walnuts & organic baby spinach on lightly toasted croissants; celery & carrot sticks

Menu for week of 9/10 - 9/16

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:02:00 +0000

Veggie & Cheese Omelet

Breakfast for dinner: omelets made to order; choice of rye toast or english muffins; sliced cantaloupe and honeydew

Turkey and veggie meatloaf; mashed potatoes; oven roasted broccoli

Cheesy tuna noodle casserole; peas; green beans; applesauce

Variety of deli meats & cheeses on choice of pretzel rolls or hoagie buns loaded w/veggies; chips and dip; root beer or dr pepper floats

Italian Sausage & Pepper Hoagie

Italian sausage & pepper hoagies; tossed salad w/creamy Italian dressing

Eat whatever doesn't eat you first aka leftovers

Cheese Enchiladas; spanish rice; veg refried beans; fresh guacamole

Menu for week of 8/27 - 9/2

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 03:46:00 +0000

The weather is wonky, but at least the heat has let up some. Still need more rain, though. Pretty easy meals again- what's new, right? Anyhoo, here's what our menu is looking like this week.

Beef & broccoli stir fry served over rice - this was a new to me recipe- we found it very salty, would use low sodium soy sauce next time and also marinate the beef first or use a better cut, but overall it was delicious.

Easy baked tilapia w/veggies; couscous

Penne pasta w/marinara sauce; bread

Meatballs, peppers & onions served over rice

Awesome buffalo chicken pizza; salad w/choice of dressing; cheesy breadsticks

Breakfast for dinner: bacon, eggs made to order; toasted whole grain bread; fresh fruit

Angel hair pasta w/roasted veggies

What's cooking at your house? For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 8/20 - 8/26

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:23:00 +0000

Sorry I'm getting this up so late- once more time got away from me. Here's what our menu looked like this week.

Burgers with all the fixings

Chicken; oven roasted parmesan potatoes; mixed veggies

Breakfast for dinner: bacon or sausage; eggs; toast; fruit

Pressure cooker roast beef

Leftover roast beef sandwiches with cheese toasted under the broiler; fruit

Oriental chicken salad; multi grain crackers

Spaghetti and meatballs; cheesy garlic bread; pineapple salad

What was on your menu this week? Any new recipes you particularly enjoyed or did you stick with the tried and true? We still have a burn ban so no outside grilling at all this summer for us- did you fare any better in that area?

Menu for week of 8/13 - 8/19

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:01:00 +0000

Did you ever think you'd hear yourself saying that a "cool front" was coming in since it is only going to be in the 90s? I know, me either. Gearing up for back to school and new jobs for Dev & Byron so a pretty simple week all in all. Here's what is on the menu for this week. What's cooking at your house?

Lentil Soup w/fresh Parm

Homemade honey mustard chicken nuggets or strips; french fries; mashed cauliflower

Spaghetti carbonara; peas

Lentil soup (vegetarian); homemade cheese crackers

Breakfast for dinner: quiche- choice of bacon/cheddar or cream cheese & roasted red pepper; fresh fruit

Swedish meatballs over egg noodles; tossed salad w/choice of dressing

Homemade bean & cheese burritos; avocado salad

Hamburgers on homemade 40 minute buns w/caramelized onions; oven baked sweet potato fries

For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 8/6 - 8/12

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 18:59:00 +0000

Keeping it simple this week- Ian is spending the week at Gigi's (my house) so we're catering to him- and trying not to heat up the house any more than necessary.

In no particular order, this week we'll be having:

Lemon pepper tilapia; veggies

Poached Eggs

Breakfast for dinner: poached eggs w/english muffins or bagels; fresh fruit

Sliders w/choice of toppings; strawberries, banana cream pie

Triple Berry Spinach Salad

Choice of Asian style or honey bbq chicken tenders; rice; triple berry spinach salad

Lightened Up Tuna Salad Sandwich

Easy Freezer Pickles

Lightened up tuna salad sandwiches; easiest ever freezer pickles

Salads topped with naked (fake) chicken - Quorn brand, it's really good and choice of dressing

Smoked sausage, roasted or grilled summer squash (yellow and zucchini)

What's on the menu at your house this week?

Menu for week of 7/30 - 8/6

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 15:15:00 +0000

Still insanely hot, so more easy recipes. We desperately need rain and there is none in the forecast. How about you, are you doing much cooking in the heat or do you live where it is cooler? Inquiring minds want to know.

In no particular order, this week we'll be eating:

Chicken sandwich

Chicken sandwiches w/avocado, spinach, tomato, sprouts & mayo on whole grain bread (rotisserie style chicken made in crockpot)

Caprese Pasta Salad

Caprese pasta salad w/basic vinaigrette

Fish & veggie packets

Easy baked fish & veggie packets

Unstuffed cabbage

Unstuffed cabbage (previously frozen; mashed potatoes; garden salad w/choice of dressing

BLTs w/avocado and milkshakes

Poached eggs

Breakfast for dinner: poached eggs; bagels; fresh fruit

For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 7/23 - 7/29

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 13:45:00 +0000

Temps and tempers are soaring - am I the only one who gets a tad (HA!) testy when it's hotter than all get out and no relief in site? Grilling is not an option with the burn bans, so we're doing a lot of grab whatever, crockpot and light meals. How about you- what's been cooking (or not) where you live?

In no particular order, our menu looked something like this: (yes, it's late)

Crockpot rotisserie style chicken; I added mine to a huge salad w/fruit, veggies & Catalina dressing

Burgers on sesame seed buns w/choice of toppings & condiments

Simple sloppy Joe's (made w/browned ground beef & bbq sauce

Breakfast for dinner: Finnish oven pancake; fruit

Super simple 2 ingredient crockpot ham; oven roasted broccoli & cauliflower; salad w/choice of dressings

Oven roasted eggplant parm w/marinara served over angel hair pasta

Eat whatever doesn't eat you first aka leftovers

Menu for week of 7/16 - 7/22

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:02:00 +0000

Lentil Soup

Tex-mex casserole; salad w/dressing of choice

Choice of hot fudge sundae or banana split (once a summer we do ice cream for dinner, something I have done for almost 30 years now, since Dawn was a baby)

Gyros w/hm tzaztiki sauce; veggie platter

Breakfast for dinner: Finnish oven pancakes w/fresh cream & berries; sliced melon

Antipasta pasta salad; Wheat Thins or Triscuits

Oven baked bbq chicken; southern style baked beans; sweet corn; Hawaiian sweet rolls

Vegetarian lentil soup; corn muffins

That's our menu for the week, what's cooking at your house?

Simple oven roasted sausage and veggie dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 22:56:00 +0000

Simple, delicious and around here it's comfort food- a "big meal" without a lot of fuss and bother that is done in about 45 minutes including getting the veggies ready since once the potatoes are done you work on the rest.

You can gauge the amount needed by how many you need to serve, for 6 people and 4 dogs I used 1 ring of sausage, 1/3 head of each cabbage, 4 large potatoes, 1 lb carrots and 2 medium onions.

Simple Oven Roasted Sausage & Veggie Dinner

Ingredients

Potatoes, thin skinned (scrubbed well) or peeled, cubed into bite sized pieces
Carrots, peeled and sliced into bite sized pieces
Onions, peeled and cubed into bite sized chunks
Cabbage, white (green?) and red, cubed into bite sized chunks
Smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into bite sized chunks
Seasoning blend of choice
Olive or canola oil or cooking spray

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spritz baking sheet using olive or canola oil in your misto sprayer or use cooking spray, add layer (not touching) of potatoes, carrots and onions. Spritz/spray the veggies lightly with oil then sprinkle with seasoning of choice (Cajun, Creole or essence work really well here- make your own seasoning blends to control sodium and leave out unwanted ingredients.)
Bake for 15 minutes on lower rack. Meanwhile, get your cabbage ready on another oiled baking sheet, giving it the same spritz and seasoning (make sure to leave room to add your sausage).
Turn/stir the potatoes, etc and put the cabbage in to bake for 5 minutes.
Add sausage on pan with cabbage, bake for 5 minutes.
Flip cabbage & sausage, bake for 5 minutes more.
Everything should be nice and tender and deliciously browned and crispy.
Easy, yummy and only takes 30 minutes to bake. No more than 45 minutes from start to finish and that's if you are super slow peeling potatoes.
Enjoy.

Menu for week of 6/25 - 7/1

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 13:39:00 +0000

Blistering temps mean another week of eating (mostly) lighter fare. We do some *real* meals, but as you can see, lots of sandwiches and easy/light meals.

Simple oven roasted sausage & veggie dinner

Slow cooker country style pork ribs (may do in pressure cooker); crispy "Casey" potatoes; sweet corn; tossed salad w/choice of dressing

Turkey tacos w/all the fixings; avocado salad

Sweet potato black bean burgers (thanks, Pinterest) on buns w/choice of toppings; ???

Roasted chicken wraps; fresh fruit

Breakfast for dinner: either blueberry waffles, Finnish oven pancake or stuffed french toast; sausage links

Simple Mexican pinwheels; tossed salad w/choice of dressing; sliced pears

What's cooking (or not) at your house this week? For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 6/18 - 6/24

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Hot, hot, hot! Sometimes dinner isn't until after 10 pm, but never fear, there is still much deliciousness on our table. What's cooking at your house?

Fettucini alfredo w/chicken & broccoli; refreshing berry salad

Breakfast for dinner: bacon egg & cheese sandwiches on English muffins; citrus salad

Bbq chicken breasts; baked sweet potatoes; oven roasted yellow squash

Pork chops; rice; mixed veggies

Easy Lo Mein; watermelon, strawberries & blueberries

Lentil soup; baguette chips

Tuna mac; Hawaiian sweet rolls

Have a wonderful, delicious week.

Menu for week of 6/11 - 6/17

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 04:29:00 +0000

Eek, the day got away from me, again, so this is very late, but better than not posting, right? I will be posting the recipes later this week, but we have a few teaser pics to tempt your taste buds and hopefully entice you to come back. They are worth it, promise. :)

We tried a new dessert last night- the super popular Peanut Butter Bars that are all over Pinterest and supposed to taste like Reese's PB cups only better- in our opinion they were an EPIC FAIL! Gross. After reading some reviews I cut the butter, and they still tasted like coat your mouth with grease and a touch of sweet peanut butter. YUCK.

Anyhoo, here's what we'll be having for dinner this week.

Choice of crab cakes w/cocktail or tartar sauce or seasoned baked chicken breast (for non shellfish eaters); steamed carrots, snow peas and sugar snap peas

Pepper steak; rice; fresh berries

Freakin' awesome buffalo chicken pizza

Freakin' awesome buffalo chicken pizza; carrot & celery sticks w/blue cheese dip

Ginger sesame dressing

Oriental chicken salad

Oriental chicken salad w/ginger sesame dressing; dinner rolls

Breakfast for dinner: quiche w/cream cheese, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, broccoli & ?; fresh fruit

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells 2

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells 1

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells 3

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells; tossed salad w/Italian dressing

Fresh fruit & cheese

Nibbleys: fresh fruit & cheese plate; whole grain crackers

Anything tasty cooking at your house this week? For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 6/4 - 6/10

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:43:00 +0000

It is hot and the motivation and desire for big meals has gone along with the breeze. We get a few minutes of rain here and there, but nothing that helps so the burn ban is still in effect. We're fortunate not to have the huge fire problems as they do in the west, or the flooding the east has, but some relief would be welcome.

Ki, Ian & Robert got me a little ice cream maker (it's so cute!!!) for a mother's day / birthday gift so I may play with that this week - ice cream, sorbets and fro-yo's can certainly fit on our menu. I have NEVER made homemade ice cream save taken my turn at an old hand crank at a few summer bbq's when I was a kid, so any advice, tnt recipes etc would be very welcome.

On our menu this week, once more in no particular order:

Slow cooker rotisserie style chicken; oven roasted sweet &/or regular potatoes; oven roasted yellow squash, sesame green beans (the squash & green beans are from bil's garden, so extra delish!)

Smoked sausage, pineapple & pepper kabobs (basted with hm honey Catalina dressing) served over fruity brown rice

Summery main dish dinner salad w/choice of dressings; hm Hawaiian sweet rolls (hopefully they will NOT turn into incredible bouncing bread this time

Fish & veggie packets; tossed salad w/choice of dressing

Loaded baked potatoes w/broccoli, cheese & bacon; big garden salad w/choice of dressing

Light & easy Chinese chicken salad; whole grain crackers

Breakfast for dinner: Thomas' English muffins were on sale, we got some pre-cooked bacon for less than half price to stock the freezer, eggs are $1 a dozen and we still have some from one of Ki's friends chickens and sliced 3 cheese blend was on sale for next to nothing, so it will be bacon, egg & cheese breakfast sandwiches along with some fresh fruit. Thanks to the deals we found at Kroger, the sandwiches will be less than $5 to make 8 of them- and they taste sooo much better than getting them out. I love a good deal. :)

Anything good cooking at your house? For more menu ideas, head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Summery main dish salad

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:46:00 +0000

We make a lot of salads in the summer, they are quick, easy, cool and not too filling.

Summery main dish salad

Here's one I came up with the other day that was spectacular with a lot of variety in it- tons of produce on sale at Kroger this week. Try it, I think you'll like it.

Baby spinach, romaine, radicchio, arugula, carrots, purple cabbage, leftover chicken breast from a slow cooker rotisserie style chicken, Swiss cheese, strawberries, peaches & pine nuts- I topped with a couple of Tablespoons of Catalina but a vinaigrette or really any salad dressing you like would be good on it.

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Electric pressure cooker

My grandma always used a pressure cooker, and now I know why, and it's not just because you have a fabulous meal in an hour. You would think a pot roast is a pot roast and it would taste the same as the pot roast you make in the oven or the crockpot, but you'd be wrong. The flavors are intensified and it is tender, tender, tender- melts in your mouth like buddah, baby.

We made an incredibly basic roast with minimal seasonings and onions as the only additions and it was to die for good.

Sliced onions

Peel and slice two large onions then lay them in the bottom of your pressure cooker. (I am using my fabulous, wonderful, best ever Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker.)

Seasoned boneless chuck roast

Rub your seasonings into your meat- we used a garlic salt w/parsley blend and fresh cracked black pepper.

Put your meat on your onions and add 2 cans beef broth (we used 2 cans of Swanson's 98% fat free because I got them on clearance), you can use any you want- low sodium, homemade, even bullion cubes dissolved in water.

Lock the lid into place and set the time on for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let 'er rip while you get your potatoes or whatever you are serving with it ready then release pressure when the time is up.

Remove meat & onions and at this point you can make your gravy right in the pressure cooker by mixing cornstarch, Wondra or flour and water, myo gravy mix or use our simple, never fail perfect gravy recipe using the liquid from the pressure cooker.

Pot roast w/mashed potatoes & gravy, sesame green beans

Pressure cooker pot roast

1 boneless chuck roast (~4 lbs)
2 large onions, sliced
2 cans beef broth
seasonings of choice

Put onions in bottom of pressure cooker.
Rub seasonings into meat and lay on top of onions
Pour on broth.
Lock the lid and turn on high, cook for ~1 hour.
Release pressure and remove meat & onions from cooker.
Make gravy and serve with sides of choice- we like roasted potatoes & carrots, mashed potatoes or use as au juice for french dip sandwiches.

Enjoy.

Menu for week of 5/21 - 5/27

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:12:00 +0000

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells

Ugh it is so hot here- 90's already, I don't like to even think of the *scorcher* months of June & July. Thankfully I have some toys that I can use that won't heat up our house as much. My current love is a Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker my mommy got me. She is the best. :)

Major deliciousness will be a repeat- in last weeks menu I put down sausage & pepper stuffed shells because I knew I wanted something made with our spaghetti sauce, and both Italian sausage & pepper hoagies and stuffed shells sounded good so I figured I would play around and find a way to combine them- and there are so many shells in a box I knew that I could make plenty so I also "cooked" for the freezer. They were so good that we're having them again this week already. Score!

In no particular order, here is our menu for the week:

Pressure cooker pot roast w/onions

Pot Roast w/onions (pressure cooker); mashed potatoes; sesame green beans

Breakfast for dinner: farm fresh fried egg sandwiches on English muffins w/cheese; honeydew, cantaloupe & watermelon

Pot pie or cottage pie made w/leftover pot roast; ww dinner rolls; tossed salad w/choice of dressing

Veggie egg rolls; easy fried rice; sliced kiwi & strawberries

Brats

Brats served on toasted buns w/caramelized onions; oven baked regular or sweet potato fries: fresh fruit

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells

Sausage & pepper stuffed shells: garlic bread made from leftover buns; romaine salad w/lots of veggies & creamy Italian dressing

Bountiful garden veggie casserole

Oven *fried* panko & parmesan chicken strips; bountiful garden veggie casserole

I'll be adding the recipes for the pot roast and stuffed shells later today, but I wanted to get this linked up to MPM. What's on your menu this week? Are you playing along? For more menu ideas head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 5/14 - 5/20

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:01:00 +0000

It's summer hot here, so fairly light eating- a lot of new to us recipes we'll be posting the ones that work well so be sure to look for them if you want to add to your repertoire. As usual, the menu is in no particular order, we'll see how the week goes and what sounds good on which day and fits in with our schedules (which have lightened up considerably now that school's over for another semester).

Homemade chicken gyros w/tzatziki; watermelon & honeydew

Pasta salad loaded w/veggies & fresh mozzarella; ? not sure what we'll serve with, if anything

Updated pork chops & applesauce; sesame green beans

BLAST (bacon, lettuce, avocado, spinach & tomato) wraps; smoothies or rootbeer floats

Italian sausage and pepper stuffed shells; garlic bread; mock Caesar salad (dressing has no eggs, no anchovies)

Simple baked chicken breasts; baked veggie casserole; garlic bread made on leftover buns

Breakfast for dinner- dippy eggs (that's what Ian calls poached eggs and it stuck); buttered bagels; fruit

What's cooking at your house? Are you eating summery yet or did you get that snow last week? For more menu ideas head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu for week of 5/7 - 5/13

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:49:00 +0000

Trying a new salad that got outstanding reviews this week since we have all the ingredients- hoping it brings a bit of the Island Magic to our sweltering days. Nothing else much fancy going on- furniture will be delivered tomorrow and we've been doing a LOT of reorganizing/rearranging and are getting on track to repaint, refloor, revamp this place so we'll have to see how it goes. Either we'll follow the menu in no particular order or eat lots of salads and sandwiches. ;)

Baked chicken breasts*, spicy curly sweet potato oven fries (HM); grape tomatoes
*make extra chicken for Chinese chicken salad

Lemon pepper fish (light white, whatever is fresh); spaghetti squash w/oven roasted grape tomatoes, red, yellow & orange peppers, and zucchini topped w/shaved parmesan; garlic bread made from leftover hamburger & hot dog buns; strawberries

Light & easy Chinese chicken salad; Hawaiian sweet bread

Breakfast for dinner: omelet w/softened cream cheese (we mix in a bit of garlic powder & whatever spices strike our fancy), roasted red peppers, mushrooms & green chilies; 12 grain toast; fresh fruit

Pressure cooker beef stew; hot buttered dinner rolls

Island pork tenderloin salad; ?? maybe some pineapple & kiwi or something, not sure- we'll see what sounds good when we make it

French onion soup; open faced cheddar, tomato & bacon sandwiches on rye

What's cooking in your neck of the woods? Trying any new recipes, or have you tried any lately? We're always looking for something new to add to our repertoire. For more menu ideas head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Sesame Green Beans

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry Conrad) — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:37:00 +0000

This is one of those stupidly easy recipes that you can't screw up, but everyone compliments them. In fact, we made them for Ki's wedding and I'm almost embarrassed to admit that due to time & budget constraints we went with canned whole green beans and this was the MOST requested recipe.

How good are they, really? For reference, Ki's granny made her crawfish fettucini and everyone who tried it wants her to move here and they will take turns hosting her so she can cook for them. She is a seriously excellent cook, one of the best I know, and I learned a lot from her. She was one who requested the recipe and said that whenever she has to bring something to a potluck she will be making these, and will probably never eat green beans any other way.

Green beans, any kind- fresh, frozen, canned, doesn't matter.
Cook green beans however you like them done- crisp tender, mush, doesn't matter but DON'T season them! When they are done to your liking add equal parts butter and soy sauce, just enough to coat, probably a Tbsp of each for a lb of beans. Sprinkle with sesame seeds - we prefer toasted, but plain work as well. Toss gently.

For the wedding we kept them warm in a crockpot and they stayed perfect.