What's For Dinner?

This week we're having: (main dishes...side dishes are up for discussion)

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese

Wednesday - Hamburgers

Thursday - Chicken with Garlic-Pepper Sauce

Friday - Chicken Pesto OR Spaghetti

I know, I usually plan it out more...and there are usually more intricate dishes listed. However, I've had a teething toddler so it's thrown things off.


Did you enter the giveaway?? You totally should!

Meals for the Week 4/12 - 4/16

According to my husband (who is an avid news reader) if the government doesn't raise the debt ceiling they can default on their debts and the military won't get paid. Now, we get paid once a month (which is our choice and awesome) so we're fine for the rest of the month. We have quite a bit in savings so we'd also be good through May....and possibly into June. Now, I doubt it will come to that. However, I'm trying to cut back NOW until we know what's up.

For our regular budget I have $75 a week left for groceries for the rest of the month. I spent $25 today and we shouldn't have to spend more than $10-$20 the rest of the week. (We shall see!)

One thing I did was go through my freezer last night and list all of the meat in the freezer. My goal is to go as long as possible without buying meat (because it's expensive). Currently, we can go 2 weeks! Well, I'd like to buy a pound of ground beef for next week just for variety (because it comes down to fish and chicken for next week)

This week's "try it" food is Quinoa. Expensive little thing...but good for you and filling.


Tuesday:
 Hamburgers with Quinoa and Black Beans.

Wednesday:
 Pasta with a Garlic Cream Sauce (with chicken added)

Thursday:
  simple salmon kedgeree
(It's at the bottom of the page)

Friday: 
Steak Stir Fry with Quinoa


Saturday: 
Fish Tacos (possibly with Quinoa)






Oh, and a bit of news, I'll be doing my first Giveaway in a couple of weeks! So keep watching the blog!

Spicy Sausage And Rice Casserole

Not my photo

I thought I'd do a step by step of one of the best, easy meals!

Full Recipe 

Ingredients

• 28 ounces fresh, ground spicy pork sausage
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 slice onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a skillet, brown sausage and drain grease. Stir in rice, onion, garlic and peppers. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour into 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Or, at this step, you can cover and freeze it.

2 Pound of Sausage, browning

Assorted Veggies. You can chop them up...but I used my food processor! (The hubby doesn't like veggies all that much so I have to get them nearly pureed!)

Sausage, veggies, and rice!

Added the chicken stock and put it in the pan.

I forgot to take a picture of it finished...we were too excited about eating it! 

Meals for the MONTH

In an effort to eat better we're buying a bulk of our food from a local farmer. So, I needed to plan out most of the month (so we only have to make one trip)

Pesto Tilapia
Mexican Shepherd's Pie
Pork Chops
Cajun Night
Mexican Lasagna
Pork Roast
Fried Chicken
Ravioli
Salmon and Rice
Roast Chicken
Spicy Sausage and Rice Casserole
Cabbage Hamburger Bake
Lacquered Chicken
Pork Chop Potato Bake
Chorizo Egg and Bean Tacos
Chicken Oreganato
Stuffed Zucchini
Chinese Night
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Fried Tilapia
Hamburgers
Chili
Hot Dogs


So, that's my list. It's pretty much in order. Some things will be done more than once...and this month I vow to include photos and instructions at least once a week!

Meals for the Week: Nov 1-7

Sunday: Chicken and Dumplings
My first attempt and it was a success!

Monday: Spicy Sausage and Rice Casserole

Tuesday: Chili

Wednesday: Pesto Tilapia

Thursday: Chicken Pesto

Friday: Pork Fried Rice

Saturday: Tangy Pan Fried Tilapia

Meals for the Week Oct 11-17

Last week's meals didn't work and got tossed around...and I know I was MIA all week. Franklin has been a Velcro Baby lately...


Sunday: Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes!
Quick, easy, but messy...I do need to clean the kitchen anyway...

Monday: Pulled Pork (BBQ) and Roasted Potatoes
First time trying this...maybe I'll be better about pictures this week.

Tuesday: Chicken Fried Rice
Another easy one dish meal!

Wednesday: Mexican Shepherd's Pie
Recipe Here So GOOD! It's one of our favorites!

Thursday: Chorizo, Egg, and Bean Tacos
This is one of my favorites. I'm the little white girl that loves chorizo!

Friday: Roast Chicken
I didn't do it last week so I'm doing it this week!

Saturday: Homemade Ravioli with meat sauce
That's right, homemade! I'm trying my hand at it because I can't have normal ravioli (it all has CHEESE) I'm making chicken and mushroom ravioli and a tomato/meat sauce...we shall see!

Meals for Sept 5th-10th

We still haven't made the Mushroom Cube Steaks! So that goes up today!

Tuesday: Pesto Tilapia

Wednesday: Pan Seared Pork Chops and Mushroom Sauce

Thursday: Spicy Sausage and Rice Casserole

Friday: Salmon and Rice  (I've been craving this lately)

Saturday I'll be roasting one of the chickens I got on SALE (88 cents per pound!!!)


With a few of the meals I'll take pictures and put them up on Saturday :)

Meals Sept 27th-Oct 3rd

This week is a fairly easy week because we were out of town the past weekend!

Sunday: Out of Town

Monday: Chili (my mom's recipe...sorry, can't reveal!)

Tuesday: Chicken Fried Steak (pretty basic)

Wednesday: (Stefan's Birthday) "Chinese Night" Oriental Pork, Rice, Patty's Green Beans (can't reveal that last one either...we're sworn to secrecy)

Thursday: Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Friday: Chicken Quesadillas

Saturday: Mushroom Cube Steaks (I'll give that recipe out if it's good...we've never tried it)