September 20th - September 26th

This week I am in the mood to make some Italian recipes, so on Saturday I plan to make a batch of Red Sauce that can be used in several recipes throughout the week. Red sauce is very easy to make, inexpensive, and very versatile! It is a great addition to just about any recipe.

If you've read some of my other posts you may remember we were redecorating our living room. Madison took our old furniture to college, so we got some new pieces and have been putting it together slowly but surely. I'm so happy with how it is coming together and wanted to share the before and after pictures.  I am also happy Madison had room for some of the old furniture and is able to continue to enjoy it. She pretty much grew up with that furniture - we've had it for 15 years! Even with all those years of use (abuse), it held up great and is working out nicely for her in her new dorm. Hopefully it holds up for a few more years for her!

before

This was taken right after we moved back in after making all the 2004 hurricane repairs  - we did hang the picture back then, but pretty much everything else stayed the same over the years.

after

It finally looks like someone actually lives here!! This room always looked like we had just moved. It was plain with nothing to give it height or texture. It was the room in the house that was kind of neglected, but also the first thing you see when you walk in.  We still need to hang some family photos and artwork, and I'm working on Don for crown molding...  but that will probably be another 7 years haha

Thursday - Leftover night! I still have a few leftovers in the fridge I need to use up before they go to waste. We ended up going out to eat last night. I took my sweet niece to her riding lesson and didn't get home until late, so we met up with her mom and dad at Outback and took advantage of their 4 course meal for $15. Don and I shared the meal - it was delish.

Friday - Margarita Pork Chops with Cauliflower Garlic Mash and steamed green beans - see recipes below and note this does require some marinade time - preferably overnight.

Saturday - Spaghetti and Meatballs with a salad (Use 2-3 cups of sauce and reserve leftover for later in the week)

Sunday - Eggplant Lasagna with a salad. I have not tried this recipe before, but it sounds delicious! Use 4 cups of the leftover sauce to use in this recipe instead of buying jarred sauce

Monday - Sundried Tomato Sausage over Roasted Vegetable Orzo (see recipe below)

Tuesday - Chicken Parm over noodles.  Use remaining sauce with this recipe (see recipe below). Chicken breasts are not on sale at Publix this week - I have some in the freezer from when I stocked up while they were on sale. If you don't have any on hand - I recommend taking a trip to Sam's Club or the like and buy in bulk. They are usually around 1.99/lb at Sam's club.

Wednesday - leftovers (I'm sure I'll have enough leftovers for Wednesday and Thursday!)

Margarita Pork Chops

1 1/2 cups bottled margarita mix

2-3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Put everything into a large (gallon sized) freezer bag. Add your pork chops - about 2 to 3 lbs of the Center Cut Pork Rib Chops that are on sale for $3.49/lb.  Be careful the bones don't puncture the bag.  Put in the fridge overnight.  TIP:  Make up another bag with all the same ingredients and freeze it! That way you can take advantage of this great sale on the pork!

When ready to cook, turn on your oven broiler to hi and let pre-heat a few minutes.  Remove chops from marinade and place on foil lined baking sheet. Brush with extra marinade.  Place chops under the broiler for 5 minutes (Be sure to leave your oven door ajar because you are broiling, and WATCH these closely!), then remove from oven and turn over - baste again then back in the oven they go for another 5 minutes under the broiler with the oven door ajar.  Throw out the rest of the marinade.  Remove the chops from the oven and turn over again - put back in oven for 5 more minutes (oven door ajar).  Remove from oven (they should be done - unless they are extra thick, but just to be sure, check with an instant read thermometer to make sure they are at least 140 degrees - Pork is safe to eat at between 140-145 degrees - it's true. Please don't overcook these or you will be sad when you break a tooth trying to eat them) Let rest about 10 minutes before serving.  These are also delicious cooked on a grill too!

Garlic Cauliflower Mash (low-carb alternative to garlic mashed potatoes)

1 medium head of cauliflower

1 tbsp cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon of freshly minced garlic (or more to taste)

1/8 teaspoon chicken base

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

butter and chopped fresh chives for garnish

Cut cauliflower into small pieces and place in boiling water for about 5-6 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Drain well (do not cool), and pat dry with paper towels. In a blender or food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, chicken base, and pepper until smooth. An immersion blender works well if you have one. Garnish with chives and butter and serve hot.

Sundried Tomato Sausage over Roasted Vegetable Orzo

1 package fully cooked al Fresco Sundried Tomato Chicken Sausage, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

• 1 summer squash, sliced
• 1 red onion, cut into chunks
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pinch white sugar
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chicken base
• 1/2 cup Sake or dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. I like to do all my slicing and chopping while the oven is pre-heating. Place zucchini, squash, onions, mushrooms and sausage on a foil lined baking sheet. Top with garlic, olive oil, and sugar and toss gently to coat sausage and veges. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and make sure contents are in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast until veges are tender - about 20-25 mins.

While the veges are roasting, melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned. Mix the water, chicken base, and wine and slowly add to the orzo; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed - about 15-20 mins.. Mix in roasted veges and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste and ENJOY!

Chicken Parmesan over noodles

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1 cup dry bread crumbs

4 slices mozzarella cheese (or use shredded cheese if you prefer)

2-3 cups red sauce (reserved from earlier in the week)

noodles of your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay out three shallow dishes (I use paper plates for easier clean-up). Measure the flour into one, eggs into another, and bread crumbs into the third dish. Turn each chicken breast over and pull apart to level it out a bit for even cooking. Flatten out the thickest part by pressing down on it with your hand. Be sure your chicken is dry (I like to let mine sit out on paper towels for about 30 mins before using, but if you don't have that time you can pat dry with a paper towel). Coat each breast with flour, dip in egg mixture, and then coat with bread crumbs. Place coated chicken in a greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 15 mins. Then pour red sauce evenly over each piece of chicken and continue baking for about 10 mins. or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees in the thickest part of the chicken. Cover chicken with cheese and bake until melted. While chicken is baking be sure to cook your noodles according to the directions on the package. When chicken is done, serve over noodles and enjoy!

Shopping List

Produce

2 large eggplants

Salad (Fresh Express is BOGO Free this week at Publix)

garlic

1 medium head of cauliflower

chives (can use dried if you prefer)

1 zucchini

1 summer squash

1 large red onion

1 white onion

1 lb portobello mushrooms

parsley

basil

oregano (can use dried)

thyme (can use dried)

green beans

Dairy

Butter (Publix brand butter is on sale this week, so it is a good time to buy at 2 for $5)

1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

4 slices Mozzarella Cheese (or add another cup to the shredded)

Eggs

cream cheese

milk

Canned goods

12 oz tomato paste (basil, garlic, and oregano flavor)

28 oz tomato sauce (basil, garlic, and oregano flavor)

28 oz diced tomatoes (basil, garlic, and oregano flavor)

Spices

salt

pepper

Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs (need at least 3 cups)

Olive Oil (I like Lucini Brand)

chicken base (you'll find this near the chicken broth)

sugar

flour

Other

1.5 cups bottled margarita mix

1/2 cup Sake or any Dry White Wine

8 ozs Orzo Pasta

8 oz pasta of your choice for the chicken parm

8 oz pasta of your choice for the spaghetti and meatballs

Meats

1 package fully cooked package al Fresco fully cooked Sundried Tomato chicken sausage

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (not on sale at Publix this week - purchase at Sam's club or the like if possible to save $$)

3 lbs ground round

4 - center cut pork rib chops (on sale for $3.49/lb)

August 9th - August 15th

After having a couple of weeks off, it is back to reality for me!  

I really enjoyed my time in Seattle with Madison and the other allrecipes.com Allstars. It was nice to have a break from real-life.  Funny thing - I missed my real-life just a teensy bit while away, but now that I'm home and trying to get caught up on everything, I realize how crazy that was!!

So here I sit at midnight making up my menu for the coming week, so I can get out to the grocery store tomorrow right after my work shift!  If I get to the grocery early I just might have time to get some cleaning and laundry done and who knows - maybe even get to the gym (hmmmm...not likely) before I'm back in the kitchen making dinner

This week my menu consists of mostly new recipes. As an allrecipes.com Allstar I have some required tasks each month. They went easy on us this month and just asked us to make, review, and photograph 'faceless' recipes on the site. So, if the recipe doesn't have a photo it is fair game! I like having options and freedom to choose what sounds good to me. What I don't like too much, though, is most of the 'faceless' recipes don't have reviews (or have very few reviews).  I LOVE the review feature of allrecipes.com! I think it is my favorite feature out of the many wonderful features the site offers. I have had a lot of good luck choosing recipes by reading through reviews, so how am I going to choose from all of these recipes that don't have very many reviews?? It's not easy, but so far I have made 4 'faceless' recipes and 3 of them have been GREAT!!  That's not bad!      sadly, many of my choices are not exactly healthy....

Thursday - Carbonara Quesadillas with a garden salad

Pre-Season Football! Friday - American French Onion Soup with a salad (I'm thinking Caesar would be good)

Saturday - Spicy Ginger Chicken Wings with homemade pizza (requested by Mads)

Sunday - Grilled Chicken with Peach Sauce (I will halve this chicken recipe) with rice pilaf 

Monday - leftovers

Tuesday - Philly Style Pork Roast Sandwich with french fries

Wednesday - leftovers

Shopping List

Bakery

French Bread (enough for 6 slices and extra for dipping)

4 crusty rolls

Produce

6 large yellow onions

3 serrano chili peppers

fresh ginger (enough for 1 tablespoon)

2 (10) ounce bags of baby spinach

garlic

2 peaches (if using on Sunday be sure to choose a firmer peach so it doesn't get overripe)

slivered carrots

fresh parsley

fresh rosemary

fresh thyme

1 (8 ounce) package sliced, fresh mushrooms

1 lemon

2 bags of salad

Dairy

butter

1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar (I like to buy a good quality cheese and shred it myself, but to save time the bagged cheese works - just don't get the fat-free because it doesn't melt right)

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup Manchego cheese shredded (Publix does sell this in a block in the cheese case near the deli - if you prefer you can substitute provolone cheese)

4 cups shredded mozzarella

eggs

Spices

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Extras

Dry Sherry

Sherry Vinegar

beef broth (need 4 cups)

chicken broth (need a total of 7.5 cups)

Olive Oil (I like the Lucina brand)

Alfredo Sauce (enough for 1 cup)

Large Flour Tortillas (at least 5)

flour

apple cider vinegar

soy sauce

brown sugar

1 cups peach preserves

dijon mustard

white rice (enough for 1.5 cups uncooked)

salad dressing

Frozen

Bridgford Ready Dough

bag frozen peas

3 lbs frozen chicken wings

Meat

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast

1lb thin chicken breast meat

bacon (14 slices)

3lb pork shoulder roast

• • 
    

June 28th - July 4th

Thursday - Spaghetti and Meatballs with a garden salad.  Gia Russa Pasta Sauce is on the BOGO Free sale.  This is my favorite jarred sauce. I usually make my own, but when this is on sale I snatch it up because it is on the expensive side typically.  This sauce is lower in carbs than most and has a great flavor - try it and let me know what you think!  Muellers Pasta is also on the BOGO Free sale!  You can also pick up a fresh  baguette for just $1 at the bakery!  They are on sale 10 for $10, but you can buy just one!


Friday - Blackened Tuna Steaks with Mango Salsa and a salad.  I have not tested this recipe, but it has a lot of great reviews. I really want to incorporate more fish in our diet, so I'm going for it. Tuna Steaks are on sale this week at Publix. Hopefully this will be a fish recipe I can eat - I'm not a fan of the fishy stuff. I'll let you know how we like it.  Mangoes are on sale too! NOTE: I usually like to make a recipe exactly as stated the first time, but I fear the heat in this dish might be a little much for me, so I am going to reduce the cayenne by 1/2 and probably the paprika too - then I'll taste it and make any necessary adjustments according to my tastes. Avocados are on sale, so I will add one to the salsa (I LOVE Avocados). I am also going to halve this recipe to serve just 2 people (I don't want leftovers in case we don't like it)


Saturday - Date night! 

Sunday - London Broil with a garden salad.  
London Broil is not a tender cut of meat by any stretch of the imagination, however, if you marinate it overnight and cut it thin enough (I use an electric knife for this), you can have a nice low-carb meal at a great price. It is on sale this week for $3.99/lb, so I'm going to pick some up and marinate it in Italian Dressing (A vinaigrette type dressing - not the creamy kind. I usually buy whatever is on sale - Kraft is on the BOGO Free sale this week).  


Directions
On Saturday (or the day before you plan to make this) score the meat by making diagonal slits about 1/8-1/4 inch deep across the top of the steak (depending on how thick your steak is) - then make a 2nd set of diagonal slits to make crisscross diamond shapes. Turn over and repeat this scoring technique. Place in a large glass container; salt and pepper generously on both sides and pour about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of dressing on the meat. Turn to coat well.  Let marinate in the fridge overnight.


I always like to let meat come to room temp before cooking to ensure it cooks evenly throughout, so I take this out of the fridge  a couple hours before I plan to make it. There are several ways you can prepare this steak, but you should always cook it hot and fast to a maximum of mid-rare for optimum flavor.  First things first - throw out the marinade. I generally like to sear it in a very hot oven-safe pan (coated with a little olive oil). Sear for 1-2 minutes on both sides and then place in a pre-heated 425 degree (F) oven for about 5 minutes - longer for a thicker cut of meat. Remove from pan and let rest for 10 minutes (on a plate or cutting board) and then slice as thinly as possible on the bias (crosswise at a 45 degree angle).  If you don't feel you have a pan large enough  you can also broil it on high, but searing first is great for adding flavor. Broil usually 5-7 mins each side depending on the thickness of the cut.  Remember when broiling to always leave your oven door ajar and turn the exhaust fan on high. No matter how you cook it be sure you have your instant-read thermometer on hand to check the temp. I cook this between 120 and 125 degrees (F) and let rest for 10 mins. I prefer closer to the 120 degree temp. Grilling is an excellent way to cook this as well!  
NOTE: Make up a chimichurri sauce early in the day and it will pair nicely with this! (Be sure to add the ingredients to the shopping list if you plan for this)



Monday - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Coleslaw.  Love these Sandwiches! I don't like the coleslaw in the recipe. I stick with our fave Sweet Restaurant Slaw!  Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce is on the BOGO Free sale this week, so pick up 2 of them and keep one in the pantry. We LOVE the sweet and spicy sauce!


Tuesday - This is definitely going to be a leftover night for us so nothing goes to waste. We will have plenty of leftovers in the fridge this week I'm sure.


Fourth of July Wednesday - I haven't discussed holiday plans with Don yet, so I'm not sure what we are doing for the 4th, but with the sales this week I would suggest buying the pork spareribs for 1.99/lb and making slow cooker bbq ribs and coleslaw.  If the weather cooperates and you really want to get outside and bbq, ground chuck is on sale - so burgers are the obvious choice - I would go with the Guacamole Cilantro Lime Burger because they have SO much flavor, and I think I've decided they are my fave! Ball Park Beef Franks are on the BOGO Free sale this week too and hot dog buns are on sale in the bakery!  and Sweet Georgia Corn on the Cob is on sale 12 for $3 (remember you don't have to buy 12 pieces to get the sale price. If you buy just 4 pieces of corn it will be just $1, 8 pieces will be $2, see where I'm going here...)  


NOTE:  If you are using the grocery list on here, be sure to add what you need for your 4th of July celebration.  Don't forget dessert! These cupcakes are da bomb! 


Shopping List


Bakery
Baguette (on sale 10 for $10 - you can just buy 1 for $1)
Buns for the BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. I usually buy the regular hamburger buns (Bonus - they are on sale this week - 8 count package is $2.29)


Produce
Onion x4
Garlic x2
Green onion
Cilantro
Basil
Mango (BOGO Free sale)
Avocados (on sale 2 for $3)
Limes x2 (on sale 5 for $1, but you get the sale price when you buy just 2, so they should be just 20 cents each! yay!)
Small red bell pepper
Jalapeno
1 (160z) bag of coleslaw mix
Extra for me because we love pineapple - Pineapple, peeled and cored (on sale for $2.99)


Spices (most will have these on hand already - so check your spices!)

• Paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• Dried thyme
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Garlic powder

Sugar

Dairy

Milk 

Eggs

Extras

Canola Oil

Olive Oil (I like the Lucini Brand - it's expensive, but worth it!)

1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is on the BOGO Free sale this week. I always use the Sweet and Spicy - yummm)

Miracle Whip (you  need at least 2/3 cup)

White vinegar

Italian Dressing (Kraft is on the BOGO Free sale this week)

1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs

Spaghetti Noodles (Muellers is on the BOGO Free sale this week)
Gia Russo Spaghetti sauce (BOGO Free sale) I like the tomato basil the best

Extras I need: 

Bread - Nature's Own ButterBread is on the BOGO Free sale this week. Don prefers the honey wheat, but he's getting the butterbread this week!

Mayonnaise

Jif Peanut Butter (is there any other brand?)

Cokes (On sale buy 2 get 2 free)

Gain liquid laundry detergent is on sale

Crest toothpaste is on sale 10 for $10!

Little swimmies (the dog is getting old and needs diapers - someone suggested trying these on him...I'm game for anything to save my floors from his accidents.  Poor little guy)

Meats

1 Whole cut-up Fryer Chicken

2 lb London broil

2 lbs Ground round

2 Tuna Steaks (1 for each person you are serving)

June 21st - June 27th

It was a great week having Madison home!  We made a bunch of stuff while she was here and took lots of pictures to share on the blog. I can't wait to get all those posts done and published!

She's off to work in Canada until the end of July!

Publix has summer vegetables on a really great sale this week along with Tilapia, Ground Round and Shrimp!  Have a great week!

Thursday - Roasted Chicken Breasts with Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Friday - Tilapia with Rice Pilaf

Saturday - Guacamole Cilantro Lime Cheeseburger with chips and fresh salsa (add fresh garlic to this salsa recipe and I am only using 3 serranos - that is plenty hot. Don't forget to remove the seeds before chopping!) For the guacamole I use 2 avocados, garlic and salt to taste, and 1/2 a lime. I mash it all together and put in the fridge for several hours or overnight. 
Sunday - Garlicky Pork Stir-Fry (see recipe below - it's another one of our faves!)
Monday - California Grilled Vege Sandwich and fries
Tuesday - Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Wednesday - Leftover night

Garlicky Pork Stir-Fry

Ingredients
2 lb pork loin cut into bite sized cubes
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
crushed red pepper flakes to taste - (I use about 1/8-1/4 teaspoon)
1 large onion cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper cut into 2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup cornstarch


Directions
Place cubed pork into a ziploc bag with 1/2 cup cornstarch and shake to coat. Heat oil in a large skillet over mid-high heat. Add pork and stir-fry and brown on all sides (about 5 minutes) then add garlic and veges and stir fry until pork is cooked through - about 5 more minutes. Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, pepper flakes and sugar and add to skillet. Stir-fry until veges are tender to your liking. (Pork should be cooked through at this time, but always check to make sure it is just slightly pink in the center of thickest piece). Serve over rice or noodles.


Shopping List


Bakery
2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
Hambuger buns (as many as you need for the burgers)


Produce
fresh parsley
cilantro
basil
garlic
6 yukon gold potatoes
green bell pepper
red bell pepper x2
red onion x2
yellow onion x2
jalepeno
3 serrano chiles
3 tomatoes
avocados x2
mango
zucchini
yellow squash
1 lb asparagus
1 lb portobello mushrooms sliced
bag of slivered carrots
1 (12 ounce) package DOLE® All Natural Southwest Salad Kit

4 limes 
2 lemons


Dairy
grated parmesan cheese
butter
monterey jack cheese - sliced (at least however many slices you need for burgers)
1/2 cup crumbled feta


Spices
chicken bouillon (at least 4 cubes) or chicken base
3 cups chicken broth (or chicken base with 3 cups water)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
chili powder
cumin
crushed red pepper flakes
corn starch


Extras
Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil first cold press

vegetable oil

dry white wine (at least 1/4 cup)
16 oz package orzo pasta
white rice (at least 1.5 cups)
mayo (at least 1/4 cup)
8 inch flour tortillas (at least 6)
white wine vinegar
soy sauce
sugar


Frozen
bag of frozen peas


Meats
Tilapia Fillets x4 (or more as needed)
1 lb large shrimp - peeled and deveined
Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Breasts x4 (or more as needed)
1 lb ground round (for 4 hamburgers - purchase more as needed)
2 lbs pork loin

• • • • • • • 
              

June 7th - June 13th

Another busy week! We enjoyed having Madison home for a couple of days. She even went furniture shopping with me! She is going to take our current sofa set in our family room to college with her in the fall, so I need to redecorate that room and soon! I did find a set I liked well enough, but we tried to pick fabric colors and struck out! I guess we'll have to keep looking - just couldn't decide. It is a big purchase, and I want to be sure. 

Madison went back to Savannah on Tuesday and stayed the night with a friend before getting back on the road Wednesday morning. She started out early to make her way to TN for her apprenticeship, but she only got a little over 1/2 way when the charge light came on! So much for having it checked out here at home by a shop before she left for the trip! Being the smart girl she is, she pulled off the highway and parked to call her dad. Don determined it was most likely the alternator, so we had to find a repair shop who had the part and could do the work that same day. 

Fortunately, we were able to find something very close and she was back on the road several hours and several hundred $$$ later (ugh!).  She did finally make it to her destination around 9:30pm (about 6 hours later than what she had planned!).  It was quite stressful being so far away, but I'm so happy we were able to get it repaired and she made it safely. Now I can relax for a few days until she's back on the road for home. Looking forward to her being home another couple days before she heads to Canada for 6 weeks! Don't worry - the car is staying home! She will be flying!

Thursday - Eye of Round Roast with a salad.  This will be the first time for me making this recipe, so I'm a little skeptical, but will report back with how it turns out. I won't leave it in the oven as long as the recipe states as I think a roast should be taken out about 120-125 degrees for mid rare and that's how we like 'em, so I will check the temp at about 1 hour 30 mins to 2 hours - somewhere in there.  I will most likely season this with a paste of olive oil, minced garlic, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper as well. Eye of Round is on sale, so this is a great time to try this recipe! If you end up making this, please report back and let me know how it turned out for you!

Friday - Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken with a salad. I did make some changes to the recipe as follows: I used fresh garlic, thyme and parsley - if you don't have the fresh stuff, go ahead and used dried. I also add a tbsp of tequila with the lime juice, and if your chicken breasts are thick you will have to cook it a little longer after adding the lime & tequila (about 10 mins instead of 5 as the recipe suggests). No worries though as that helps the sauce to reduce down to a very nice flavorful glaze.

Saturday - Slow Cooked Chili I know it is really hot out, but we do love chili and the sausage I like to use in this chili is on sale.  Here are the changes I make to the recipe:  I use 2lbs Publix mild Italian sausage. I use 2 cans of tomato sauce and 3 cans of diced tomatoes because I like it more saucy. I always buy the tomatoes and sauce with the basil, garlic, and oregano flavor as well. And because I LOVE garlic, I usually throw in some extra cloves.  When using a slow cooker I like to buy those slow cooker liners you can get in the grocery store where you find the foil and saran wrap. I use those to make clean up a SNAP!

Sunday - Chicken Milano - this is a new recipe for me, but it sounds really good. I will report back on how it turns out.

Monday - Wednesday - I will have lots of leftovers at this point, so in an effort not to waste anything we will be enjoying leftovers on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Sometimes I fit in the leftovers on other nights if I have a day where I'm not able to make my planned meal for whatever reason, so working in leftover nights is always a good idea when menu planning.

Produce

Lime Juice

(2) Onions - medium

(1) Green Pepper

Garlic

Fresh Basil

2 bags of Salad

Dairy

Butter

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream (If you like for the chili)

Heavy Cream (at least 1 cup)

Canned Food

(2) 16oz canned Kidney Beans (I prefer the light colored beans)

(3) 14.5oz cans Diced Tomatoes (I always use the garlic, basil and oregano flavored tomatoes) Hunt's tomatoes are BOGO sale at Publix this week

(2) 8oz cans Tomato Sauce (garlic, basil and oregano flavor is what I use)

Chicken Broth (at least 1 cup or if you have chicken base you can sub that with 1 cup water)

Extras

Extra Virgin, First Cold Pressed Olive Oil

Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup Sundried Tomatoes

8oz Fettuccine Pasta

Salad Dressing if needed

Slow Cooker Liners

Spices

Salt

Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Paprika

Onion Powder

Thyme (dried or fresh - whichever you prefer)

Parsley (dried or fresh - whichever you prefer)

Chili Powder

Meat

3 lb Beef Eye of Round Roast (On sale for $3.99/lb at Publix)

6-8 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (on sale for $2.99/lb at Publix)

1.5 to 2 lbs Publix Mild Italian Sausage (on sale for $3.99/lb at Publix)

Extra Stuff I need on my list

Pineapples (on sale already peeled and cored for $2.99 each)

Mountain Dew (Pepsi products are buy 2 get 1 free)

Ice

Bread

Eggs

• •  
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • • 
      
    • 
      
    • 
      

June 2nd - June 6th

My menu is a little late this week.  I drove up to Savannah on Thursday to help my daughter move out of her dorm room and get it all cleaned, so I was out of town on Thursday and Friday. I am still amazed her freshman year of college is already over!  My drive to Savannah was an easy one - the interstate cooperated and the weather did too - mostly. There were 2 quick storms I had to drive through in Georgia - at one point it was even hailing, but fortunately both were over quickly.

Once in Savannah I headed straight for the dorm. Madison was waiting for me - she let me in the gate; I parked the truck, and we headed to dinner.  It was her last day of freshman year and she ended it with straight A's!  She had a very successful first year of college, and we are so proud of her!

After enjoying a nice meal, we walked back to the dorm and assessed the situation.  Clearly it was going to be a big job!  There was still lots of stuff to organize into boxes, and lots of trash to remove.  Both of her roommates left the day before, and Madison agreed to take care of all of the cleaning so they could get home.

Before...

In addition to the cleaning (which was a big job all on its own), we had to move Madison's furniture into storage for next year. She is sharing a storage unit with a friend, and we picked up his stuff for storage too. We worked until midnight Thursday, and woke up at 6am on Friday to start moving the furniture out. We got to the storage place around 7:30 and no one was there! We had to wait until 9am for the attendant to get us into the unit, so we went to breakfast.  After picking up and transporting Johan's stuff to storage, we got to work in the room. We just about used an entire bottle of bleach on that room, and we finished around 2pm - had the walk-thru with the RA  - then went to the barn to say so long to the horses.  After having a late lunch, we drove home and made it by 9pm. 

After

So happy to be home with my girl. She'll only be here for a few days, but I plan on making her favorite things while she is home, so my menu this week will be built around Madison's preferences.

Saturday - Pulled Pork and the Best Coleslaw Ever (For the pulled pork I used the Boston Butt Roast I picked up on sale last week.  I follow the recipe exactly, except have to slow cook it longer for about 8-10 hours until the roast shreds easily)

Sunday - Spaghetti and Meatballs - use this red sauce and your favorite noodles. Serve this with a garden salad

Monday - Meatball subs and french fries (use leftover meatballs and sauce). I use mozzarella cheese on the subs. For the sub rolls I use this bread, but you can purchase sub rolls at the bakery.

Tuesday - Madison is heading back to Savannah on this day, so Don and I will have leftovers Tuesday and Wednesay

Back to normal next week with a full menu and shopping list.  Have a great weekend!!