Thursday: Spaghetti Pie

Wednesday: Rice Balls

Those were a huge hit for both picky hubby and super picky toddler! Here's where I suggest cutting corners: buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of preparing the chicken the way the recipe suggests. And use baby food (earths best) sweet peas and creamed spinach medly puree and wow! I made one batch with the pea/spinach puree and the other batch with sweet potato babyfood and the spinach one was so much better!
You probably don't need it, but as a side dish, I threw some frozen sweet potato french fries on a cookie sheet, sprinkled them with salt and pepper and baked em at 350 until they seemed right. Nothing but the fanciest for my family!

Tuesday: Korean Barbecue Beef

Oh man! My husband went NUTS over this and said it was truly the best meal I have ever served up.

I added some sugar snap peas that I just steamed in the microwave (of course, I was the only one who ate those). We will absolutely be eating this meal again. 

Monday: Mexican Hodge Podge

This is my helter-skelter recipe that I go to in a pinch. I thought I'd start off the menu list with this one to really impress you all with my kitchen artistry!

Lets say I made beef soft taco's a day or so ago and I have lots of leftover ground beef. My family isn't really jazzed about leftovers. So I turn that into what I like to call Mexican Hodge Podge. 

Take the ground beef (however much you've got), a can of Mexican corn (drained), dump some salsa, a handful of shredded cheese, maybe a drained can of Rotel (drained), a bag of Uncle Bens 90 second microwave Spanish rice and a dollop of sour cream and mix that all up in a bowl. 

Microwave and......Voila! Mexican Hodge Podge. 

It's really, really good.

(maybe a little high in sodium, but it's quick, easy and a crowd pleaser for sure)

You could Jessica Seinfeld it with some kind of veggie puree. But I'm gonna keep this one just the way it is for now!

I'd post a picture, but then you probably wouldn't make it!

Sunday: Turkey Chili

Serve it up hot with some Jiffy corn bread and YUMM! Sneaking in veggies into something we all enjoy. But I only put in about half or even 1/3 of the beans. They just aren't my favorite.

Alli's Recipes for this week

I'm so glad to be a part of this blog!

And as you might guess by my ideas for the week, I'm no rock-star in the kitchen. So I'm just gonna share with you some easy recipe's straight out of some cook books that have been a hit with my family.

I might also preface by saying my husband is a SUPER picky eater as is my 2 year old. I am no health-guru but I do try to avoid eating and serving a bunch of junk. But for the sake of time, and to please the fussy eaters in my house, I do find I've been going for the quick fix, which is usually not nutritious.

 Therefore, let me introduce you to my new FAVORITE person: Jessica Seinfeld. She probably hates me though since I literally copied and pasted many of her recipe's into this blog.

Her cook book does recommend making a bunch of vegetable and fruit purees in advance. Ideas for that are listed below. But like I said, I'm no chef and couldn't care any less to find the time to spend in the kitchen so I tend to buy up baby food that is already pureed veggies in order to save time (costs more, but for me, time is money so it's a wash...plus I feed it to my 7 month old anyway, so it works for me).

Hope you enjoy this week's recipe ideas!

Thanks to all the contributors to this blog (especially Monica for coming up with this great idea) for helping me improve my culinary skills these past few weeks. My family is most appreciative!

Gwen's Week

Hello Fellow Mamas!! I am not a blogger or a cook, so this should be fun!! I have 2 boys who are constantly on the run with Basketball, Football, Baseball & Swim Team... YES, that is just this Spring!! Dallas is nuts about sports!! Many nights we are not home until after 7pm, so dinners are often rushed or grabbed on the way home. The menus I am posting are a combination of meals I wish I had time to prepare more often and a few of our "go-to" meals in a rush.

SATURDAY

Grilled Salmon

1/2 pound per Adult (or growing youth appetites)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Thyme

Lemon

Rub a small amount of Olive Oil over Salmon. Add Salt, Pepper & Thyme to taste. Grill skin side down for about 8 minutes, flip and cook until flaky. Add lemon if desired and serve.

Sides

Steamed Asparagus

Uncle Ben's Wild Rice (original NOT fast cooking)

SUNDAY

Beef Brisket

2 oz. Liquid Smoke

1 Tablespoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 Tablespoons Lea & Perrins

2-3 Tablespoons A-1

2 Cups Vinegar

2 Whole briskets

Combine 1st 8 ingredients in a saucepan & bring to a boil. Let cool. Pour over briskets and marinate overnight in fridge. Cover briskets & marinade with foil and cook for 6 hours @275. Remove Briskets from marinade & toss out the marinade. Slice & Serve.

MONDAY

Rotisserie Chicken from Tom Thumb $5.99!!

Signature Cafe' brand Mashed Potatoes

Signature Cafe' brand Homestyle Gravy

Veggie of choice

Note: Signature Cafe' brands are usually right below the rotisserie chicken. My boys LOVE this one (if I don't do it too often)

TUESDAY

Chicken & artichoke Hearts with Mushrooms

6 chicken breast halves skinned

1 stick butter

1/2 to 1 pound fresh mushrooms

2 Tablespoons flour

1 can chicken broth

1/2 to 1 Cup cooking sherry (or if you are drinking and cooking... what ever white wine you please)

1 14oz can artichoke hearts

Saute chicken in 1/2 stick butter - put aside. Saute mushrooms in 1/2 stick butter. Make a paste with flour and some chicken broth, then add remaining chicken broth & sherry. Pour over chicken & mushrooms. Simmer on low for 30-45 minutes. Add artichoke hearts during the last 15 minutes. Serve over rice. I usually use the Uncle Ben's boil in bag white rice... easy and good.

WEDNESDAY - It's the boys turn to make dinner!!

Pizza Crescent Rolls

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Hormel Pepperoni

Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

Any Pizza or Spaghetti Sauce

Place the Crescent dough triangles on an un-greased cookie sheet. Have your children add sauce, pepperoni & cheese to their liking, roll and bake according to the directions on the tube.

THURSDAY

Beef and Noodles

4 pounds Sirloin Tip Roast (or stew meat)

2 Tablespoons butter

1 package AuJus

1/2 Cup diced onion

Flour

2 Beef Bouillon Cubes

8oz Egg Noodles

Cut beef into bite sized cubes cutting off all fat (or go quick and easy with pre-cut stew meat). Saute beef in butter until browned. In a separate pan, mix AuJus package according to directions. Pour over browned beef in pan. Add onion and cook over low heat (just boiling) for 2 hours. Add a flour paste during the last 30 minutes. Serve over Egg Noodles which have been cooked with beef bouillon cubes.

Sides

Rolls

Veggie of choice or Salad

FRIDAY

Treat yourself - GO OUT TO DINNER!!

or... make sandwiches with Sunday's left over Brisket.

Have a GREAT week!

Gwen