June Menu Plan

Things have been a crazy here in Bismarck, ND.  The beautiful and powerful Missouri river is swelling like never before and it is only going to get worse.  The residents are scrambling to protect their homes by sandbagging and building dikes with the help of the National Guard.  Please say a prayer for everyone here, we could certainly use it right now.

1st:  Slow Cooker Country Scalloped Potatoes & Ham & Salad
2nd:  Shrimp Enchiladas & Mexican Rice
3rd:  My Very Favorite Homemade Pizza Crust & Assorted Toppings
4th:  Brats, Buns, & Sauerkraut & Tortellini Salad

5th:  Ham Slices on the Grill & Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
6th:  Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta
7th:  Beef Noodle Salad Bowls
8th:  Baked Ham Penne Pasta
9th:  Baked Scallops (with some changes from last time) over Pasta
10th:  Creamy Chicken Taquitos & Refried Beans
11th:  BWW Night & Onion Strings

12th:  Homemade Shake and Bake Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie
13th:  Chicken Pillows & Sichuan Green Bean
14th:  Gorgonzola Steak Rolls & Spring Peas with Pancetta
15th:  California BLT's
16th:  Taco Soup
17th:  My Very Favorite Homemade Pizza Crust & Assorted Toppings
18th:  Grill Steaks & Potato Bundles

19th: Brats, Buns, Sauerkraut & Potato Salad
20th: Hawaiian Kabobs & Rice
21st:  MM Sandwich PW Style
22nd:  Zucchini & Maple Sausage Pie
23rd:  Crab Legs, Ultimate Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Rice Pilaf & Steamed Mixed Veggies
24th:  The Best Taco Meat & Homemade Shells
25th:  Mustard Roasted Potatoes & Whisky Grilled Baby Back Ribs

26th:  Egg Salad Meet's the BLT
27th:  Mini Mac Sliders & Fries & Homemade Hamburger Buns
28th: Mongolian Beef, Rice, & Egg Rolls
29th:  Summer Corn Fettuccine
30th:  Mouthwatering Beef Dip Sandwiches

Desserts/Snacks:
* Knock You Naked Brownies
*Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake
*Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting
*Spinach & Artichoke Dip
*Rhubarb Streusel Bars
*Rhubarb Strawberry Smoothie
Yellow Confetti Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Breakfast:

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

Crunchy Healthy Granola Bars 

Homemade Pop Tarts

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Menu Plan Monday

Here is my menu plan for the crazy, last week of school.  I apologize for the lack of recipes of late, I my oven broke *sob* and we haven't yet fixed it.  Between that and the hectic start-of-baseball and school-winding-down, it has just all added up.  So, without further ado, here is my I-Can't-Use-My-Stinking-Oven Weekly Menu Plan.

Monday:  Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs, hash browns, & veggie

Tuesday:  Maple-Balsamic Glazed Pork Medallions, Mashed Potatoes, & Veggie

Wednesday:   Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps & Rice

Thursday:  Steak Bites, Onion Strings, & Veggie

Friday:  The Best Taco Meat & Homemade Shells

Saturday:  Tequila Lime Chicken & Chips & Salsa

Sunday:   Oriental Fried Rice & Egg Drop Soup


Snacks/Desserts:

Red Pepper Hummus

Cyndee's Beef Jerky

Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Sriracha-Glazed Chicken & Onions Over Rices

Tuesday:  Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiche

Wednesday:  BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos

Thursday:  Marinated Grilled Shrimp

Friday:  My Very Favorite Homemade Pizza Crust & Assorted Toppings

Saturday:  Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

Sunday:  Homemade Shake and Bake Pork Chops

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

I just love tortellini.  Pasta + Cheese, can you go wrong?  I pretty much love every recipe that contains those little pieces of heaven.  That said, this one is very good.  It has similar ingredients to other recipes I have tried, with the exception of the lemon.  I just loved the way the lemon worked in this dish.  It brightened up the flavors and gave it a slight delicious tang.  My oldest (and pickiest) child could taste the lemon and wasn't convinced it belonged, but I think he was just mad because I didn't make Tortellini and Ham, a family favorite.  When he saw the the tortellini, I think he thought that was what I was making;)  I personally, think I liked this even better.  I just tasted a little less heavy.  

Here is what you will need!

 Food photography is so much more fun when the sun is shining.  No sun today though!  I am wishing it would rain right now, my freshly planted garden could use some more!  If it is going to be gray, I would prefer for it to just rain!  

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)

4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*

3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced

2 Tbs flour

2 C milk

¾ tsp kosher salt

⅛ tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp dry basil

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)

1 medium lemon

2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped

¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided

¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.

Serves 4-6

Source: Our Best Bites

Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread

Last night, I got the urge to bake.  I also had the urge for chocolate. As many of you know, the urge for chocolate should not be denied.  If you deny it, it only results in a horrible chocolate binge later.  At least it does for me;)  The problem was that I also had some bananas sitting on the counter that had been calling my name and begging to be turned into a baked good all day.  I was not it the mood for my regular chocolate chip banana bread recipe (plus my husband doesn't like chocolate chips in his banana bread) so I decided it was time to search for a new recipe to try.  This is so delicious!  I think I might need to make another loaf today with my remaining 3 pathetic bananas;)  Sorry about the pictures.  Horrible lighting since it was pretty much dark out when I made these.

 I spread mine with nutella, and it was divine.  Hey!  I told you I had a chocolate craving!  My boys topped theirs with butter this morning, my daughter with peanut butter, and my husband took his plain.  It is delicious no matter how you take it!

Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread

2 c. flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

1 ½ c. mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)

2 eggs

1/3 c. plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream

½ c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened. Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a little; I’d probably set your timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes to be safe) or until a knife comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: Our Best Bites

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

Look at me posting a healthy vegetable!  Are you proud?  This is the asparagus that I served alongside the Skillet Chicken Breast Aglio e Olio last week.  They were absolutely delicious together.  This asparagus is such a simple side dish.  I know I will be making it again.  I am sure that some of you (that don't live in ND) even have asparagus in your gardens right now to use!  Speaking of gardens, I have been busting my rear on mine! I will try to get some pics up here tomorrow to share!

Oh, and before you get too misty-eyed over my good girl side, please know that I am baking up a Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread as I type this;)  

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

40 asparagus spears, trimmed (about 2 pounds)

Cooking spray

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

 Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. 

Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Drizzle over the asparagus, tossing well to coat. Serve immediately.

Source:  Cooking Light

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Kicked Up Ramen Noodles

Tuesday:  Mixed Fajitas with Peppers & Onions & Cilantro Lime Rice

Wednesday: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Thursday:  Grilled Salmon

Friday:  The Best Taco Meat & Homemade Shells

Saturday:   Killer Club Sandwich & Salt & Vinegar Chips

Sunday:  Chicken Makhani, Naan, Basmati Rice