Week 112 Menu

Menu is, of course, subject to change based on when Peanut decides to make his appearance! 1.5 weeks until his due date!

Sunday: Orange beef
Monday: Pumpkin pancakes
Tuesday: Leftover orange beef
Wednesday: Buffalo chicken wraps
Thursday: Homemade BBQ chicken pizza
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Out

Made several batches of pizza dough and will possibly make some chicken pot pies for the freezer this week.

Week 111 Menu

Sunday: Big salads and roasted potatoes
Monday: Stuffed chicken breast
Tuesday: Spinach enchiladas from freezer
Wednesday: Dinner at church.
Thursday: Sweet Parsnip Pancakes and green beans
Friday: Leek and chard frittata
Saturday: Out.

Carmen Miranda Smoothie

I was brought up to transform sad, past-their-prime bananas into banana bread. Today, I was looking at some geriatric bananas and remembered the smoothie.

There are about a million recipes for smoothies out there - on Pinterest alone! And, the beauty of the smoothie is you can put whatever you want into it! I had some CSA mangoes and bananas that were begging to be eaten. So, in the blender they went! And, how easy can they be! My only problem is that we don't have a blender - just a food processor. A little challenge, but gets the job done. And, when you have the toughest critics in the house saying "mmmm" (Pookie Pants couldn't say much because she was busy slugging it down) and "not bad" (a huge compliment from Scott), you know it's a keeper.

Carmen Miranda Smoothie

- 2 c frozen blueberries. strawberries, raspberries....whatever you've got!
- 2 mangoes, roughly chopped
- 2 bananas, roughly chopped
- 1 c ice
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 c orange juice
- 1/2 c plain (or vanilla) yogurt

Combine in a blender and puree until all is combined and creamy!

Week 110 Menu

Sunday: Shredded beef wraps, roasted cauliflower and mixed fruit smoothies
Monday: Chicken and roasted vegetable couscous
Tuesday: Kale and Sweet Potato Salad (inspiration from Just the Tip)
Wednesday: Dinner at church.
Thursday: Steak from freezer (Omaha Steak gift!) and edamame salad
Friday: Garlic, roasted red pepper linguine
Saturday: Out.

Kale Chips

In our CSA basket, we've been getting a lot of greens and kale this winter. Lucky for us in Florida, there's still some good produce being harvested locally! I've found some good recipes for preparing greens, but am always looking for more variety! One sure-fire way to eat up a bunch of kale that is extra tasty is kale chips! It's incredible how easy they are to make and how good they are! One friend said, "they're awesome!...just don't eat them next to potato chips." Very true. They are a great snack, but for professional snackers, you won't be fooled. :)

The same friend cooked up several baking sheets worth of kale chips to bring to a party. Her 3 and; 5-year old girls demolished the heaping bowl of kale chips on the way over to the party! I told Shelby to try a chip before she could have dessert. She grabbed one and, with a big smile on her face, took a big bite. After 3 chews, the smile disappeared, she declared she didn't like it, and "returned' the chip to her plate. Oh well. Must be an acquired taste. Her loss.....more for us!

photo courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

Kale Chips 

1 bunch of kale

1 T olive oil

salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash and dry kale. Remove the thick stems/ribs and tear into large pieces.

3. Toss kale in olive oil.

4. Spread out in a single layer on two baking sheets.

5. Sprinkle salt on top.

6. Bake for 15 minutes until crispy.

Enjoy!!

Week 109 Menu

Sunday: game day decision.....out for pizza!
Monday: Yorkshire pudding with cranberry sauce
Tuesday: Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast in slow cooker with kale chips
Wednesday: Dinner at church.
Thursday: Shredded beef sandwiches (leftover pot roast) with homemade buns and roasted cauliflower
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Out.

Week 108 Menu

Sunday: Beef & vegetable soup (mother in law making it....yum!!)
Monday: Mini Italian meatloaves (some to eat tonight, most to freeze)
Tuesday: Mac and Cheese Panera-style
Wednesday: Dinner at church
Thursday: Shredded buffalo chicken wraps
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Out.