A Taste of Summer (Barbecue Chicken Salad)

Yesterday was a beautiful day! The sunshine, singing birds, blooming flowers and warm temperature allowed me to finally put away thoughts of winter and look ahead to the warm season approaching. In fact, I got so caught up in the feeling, I donned my summer skirt and tank top and set to work making the switch in my closet. I brought down all my summer clothes from the box upstairs and happily bagged up the sweaters and heavy coats I have grown tired of wearing. How delightful it is to put away heavy material and dark colors and exchange them for light cottons, bright colors and floral prints!

Waffles were on the menu for dinner, but with the sun streaming in the window and the hour or so spent sunbathing on my porch, I simply couldn't bring myself to fix something so heavy. So, switching with a different day, I prepared a fairly new recipe find, "Amy's Barbecue Chicken Salad" (another one from the allrecipes.com cookbook!). It is fresh and light and full of flavor!

Since we don't have a barbecue yet, the last time I made this salad, I grilled the chicken on my George Foreman grill.

This time, however, I pan fried it. I'm sure it would be very tasty right off the grill, and I hope to try it that way one of these days! The recipe doesn't call for any seasoning on the chicken, but I sprinkled mine with a Barbecue seasoning from my Grandpa's company's line of seasonings: Dean's Natural Grill. Yum!

While the chicken was cooking, I washed a head of green leaf lettuce and chopped it and also a bunch of cilantro.

The recipe calls for a head of green leaf lettuce and a head of red leaf lettuce, but I leave the red out since Travis and I are only 2 people! The original recipe serves 8 as a side (Probably about 6 as a main dish). I forgot the tomato this time, so I went without, but I wish I had had one on hand! I also opened a can of corn and a can of black beans. I mixed all this together in a big salad bowl then added the chopped chicken. You could also serve the chicken on top of the salad in slices, if you like. I like mine mixed in.

Now for what goes on top! Instead of putting French fried onions on the whole salad, I sprinkle them on our individual servings, because if there are any leftovers, the onions get soggy. Then I mix together the dressing, a half and half combination of ranch and barbecue sauce.

I always use Hidden Valley Ranch and "Sweet Baby Ray's" barbecue sauce because of course, "the sauce is the boss!" :) We also save the dressing for our individual servings, for the same reason I mentioned before. For just the two of us, I halve the dressing recipe as well (the original makes 1 cup of dressing which is just too much for only one head of lettuce!).

This is a meal in itself, so you can serve it alone, or with some warm rolls or fresh fruit. It is a fresh, crispy taste of summer!

Amy's Barbecue Chicken Salad
(printable version)

by "Amyeh" on allrecipes.com

serves 8 as a side, 4 to 6 as a main dish

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn

1 head green leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn

1 fresh tomato, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 2.8 oz. can French fried onions

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill and cook 6 min. per side, or until juices run clear. (You can also bake, fry or indoor grill the chicken- you decide!) Remove from heat, cool and slice (or chop!).

In a large bowl, mix the lettuces, tomato, cilantro, corn and black beans. Top with chicken and French fried onions.

In a small bowl, mix dressing and sauce. Serve on the side as a dipping sauce or toss with the salad to coat.

Pounded, Stuffed, Wrapped & Devoured (Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts)

Last week my longtime best friend, Kate, came up to visit me. It was so fun and special having her here and I am so glad she took the time to come all the way up to our out-of-the-way corner of Washington! Kate and I enjoy a lot of the same things, a few being quality coffee, Scrabble, chocolate, classic literature and, last but not nearly least: good food. So I thought it would be fun to try a new recipe together! Last year when she visited we tried making manicotti. Mmm! This time around I chose something different, a new recipe from the allrecipes.com cookbook: Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts (which we decided needs a much more imaginative and elegant name!). How could you go wrong with a recipe that consisted of chicken breast stuffed with spinach, sour cream, pepper jack cheese and garlic and...wait for it...wrapped in bacon?? I decided it was a must on our agenda of things to do.

It was a beautiful day. So after a walk in the sunshine and a very competitive game of Scrabble played outside on our picnic table (which I won, thank you!) we got to work on our masterpieces. I had never pounded chicken before, but Kate had, so she counseled me on which instrument to use (I have no meat pounder). We decided that the bottom of a small frying pan would work just as well and it did.

I placed the thawed chicken breast between some plastic wrap and gave it a few whacks with the pan. Surprisingly, it only took a few thumps to flatten the chicken to the specified 1/2 an inch.

We later reflected that it probably could have been a bit thinner, as it seemed to spring back somewhat after a little while.

While I pounded away, making a good racket, Kate wilted the fresh spinach in the microwave, stirring every minute or so until it was limp. Then she added sour cream, minced garlic and shredded Tillamook pepper jack cheese.

This part was when it was very nice to have 4 hands involved! While I held the chicken breast, Kate scooped the filling inside and tucked it in here and there. Then while I wrapped the whole thing in two slices of bacon, she secured it with toothpicks. The chicken didn't quite wrap completely around the filling (which is why we should probably have pounded a little more...), but with the bacon it was secure and close enough! With the toothpicks sticking out all over we joked that they look like little space creatures! We placed them into an 8x8 pan, and there was little room to spare.

While they were cooking we prepared brown rice and a green salad. When I checked on the chicken later, I noticed there was a lot of liquid in the pan (presumably from the sour cream, spinach and cheese), but Kate & I decided this probably helped to keep the chicken moist. The recipe said to turn the oven up to 500 for the last 10 minutes of cooking time to crisp the bacon, which I did, but it still didn't seem crisp enough, so I removed the chicken from the pan and put it on a cookie sheet and returned it to the oven for another 5 minutes or so at that high heat. It came out perfectly!

When we took our first bites there were sounds of enjoyment all around the table. It was sooo good! The combination of flavors was excellent and the textures were also wonderful! We even drizzled the flavorful liquid from the pan over our rice, and it was delicious. Kate and I looked at each other and grinned. "This one's a keeper, don't you think?" She nodded, "Definitely."

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
(printable version)

by "Jerseygirl_Chell" on allrecipes.com

serves 4

1 (10 oz) package of fresh spinach leaves

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2 in. thickness

1 pinch ground black pepper

8 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 375.

Place spinach in a large glass bowl, and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring every minute or so, or until wilted. Stir in sour cream, pepperjack cheese, and garlic.

Lay the chicken breasts out on a clean surface, and spoon some of the spinach mixture onto each one. Roll up the chicken to enclose the spinach, then wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon. Secure with toothpicks and arrange seam side down in a shallow baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, then increase heat to 500 or use the oven's broiler to cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to brown the bacon (I removed the chicken from the pan and put it on a cookie sheet after this and cooked it another 5 min. or so at the high temp.).

Enjoy!

Monthly Menu- April

Hello there! I know I'm late on getting this menu out- seems like everything's late this month! My meal planning is a little mixed up in April, since we'll be taking 2 trips to Oregon- one for a conference and one for my little sister's graduation from Bible college! Anyway, this split up my grocery shopping, which I normally do in one big trip for the whole month. I was thrown off because I just did shopping for one week (we're leaving for the conference this Sunday!) and I did it at Wal-Mart in Colville (I ALWAYS shop at WinCo in Spokane!)!! So, at any rate, here's what I've got, though be forewarned, as usual, it is "subject to change". :)

Week 1 (April 1-9, we'll just lump these 9 days together....)

Friday

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Corn Muffins

Courtesy of the freezer (I made some in March- I always make enough soup to freeze some for another meal- a great time saver!!!). This soup is so delicious, definitely one of our staple favorites- I should get a blog up about it!

Saturday

Amy's Barbecue Chicken Salad

I checked out a recipe book from the library that is a collection of recipes from my favorite website, allrecipes.com- this is the first one I've tried from there and it was fantastic! Hubby loved it. I took pictures, so I'll try to blog about it soon!! I think I served this with twice-baked potatoes.

Tuesday

Chicken Spaghetti with Garlic Bread

I was improvising because I thought I had a new jar of sauce...and I didn't. So I used some spaghetti sauce from the old jar, tomato sauce+canned tomatoes I had in the freezer, then I chopped up a fresh tomato and threw it in for good measure. Turned out great!

Wednesday

Beef Barley Soup

This soup is fantastic. It is so nutritious and filling and so tasty. I made it from the leftover roast from last month and even threw in some gravy I had saved- it added such a great flavor!!

Thursday

Baked Potatoes, Chili & Salad

Loaded potatoes make a hearty meal!

Friday

Whole Wheat Pepperoni and Beef Pizza

Saturday

Penne Pasta with Spinach and Bacon

The next recipe to try from my library book! Looks like a great light pasta dish- bacon and fresh spinach tossed with tomatoes...mmm

Week 2 (Apr. 10-16)

Tuesday- Friday

Out of town at Village Missions Conference

Saturday

Mom C.'s Chili with Twice Baked Potatoes

Hopefully, if we can go grocery shopping again!

Week 3 (Apr. 17-23)

Tuesday

Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells with Alfredo Sauce

A recipe courtesy of my sister-in-law's blog- For some reason I never got around to actually making these last month- I think I will finally do it! I have been craving them, but every time I moved them to a different spot on the calendar, something came up and I didn't have time!

Wednesday

Hamburger Soup

A great simple and hearty soup with veggies and hamburger! Freezes very well.

Thursday

Train Wreck

Taco Salad, Rief style! (Leftovers in my freezer from last month!)

Friday

Whole Wheat Pepperoni (or maybe something more creative?) Pizza

Saturday

Fish Tacos with Avocado

Made with tilapia, these are so good! I think I like them better than regular tacos now!

Week 4 (Apr. 24-30)

Tuesday

Garlic Lime Chicken

Another recipe to try from the library book. :)

Wednesday

Lentil Soup

I've tried it with sausage and cabbage before, but I'm hoping to try a different version.

Thursday- Saturday

Gone to Jessica's graduation

Of Coffee and Chocolate...and Cookies! (Chocolate Coffee Cookies)

I make a lot of cookies. I love to make cookies, which is a good thing, since I usually make a batch about once a week! For the past year and a half I have been making them for our church's monthly board meetings, and now I also make them on Thursday mornings as a treat for our Thursday evening home Bible study group. The folks are so appreciative so they are a delight to serve!

But over the months, I have gotten a bit bored with oatmeal and chocolate chip and have tried many different varieties. In fact, I borrowed a Better Homes and Gardens giant cookie recipe book from the library for about a month once! While I had that book checked out, I experimented a little with using instant coffee in cookies. As most of you know (if you know me well at all!), I LOVE coffee! My whole kitchen is practically a shrine to it, I have been accused of being a coffee "snob," (okay, maybe it's true...) and I am a coffee shop addict as well. I love the drink and the atmosphere that goes with it! But I have another love. You guessed it- chocolate! Along with many of my sex, I believe chocolate is a great fixer. Not the best, of course, but there are quite a few things chocolate is a perfect salve for. :) I used to be stuck on my milk chocolate, but my older brother finally convinced me that dark chocolate is superior to all other varieties! And the best thing about these two loves is they go so well together! And put that flavor into a cookie- wow!

For my open house Christmas party I made some cookies called Coffeehouse Flats that were coffee/chocolate cookies, and they were actually half dipped in melted chocolate as well- so delicious! But they were also a lot of work! The dough had to be rolled and chilled, sliced and dipped and was rather time consuming (worth every minute though!).

Earlier this week, before our board meeting Tuesday, I felt in the mood to try something different, but not too complicated, so I searched the internet for "chocolate coffee cookies" and when I found a recipe by a blogger who calls herself the "chocolate goddess" I knew they would be good! They were also simple drop cookies, which was perfect for my busy Tuesday! Her recipe is for "Double Chocolate Coffee Cookies" because she adds chunks of dark chocolate to the already chocolaty mix- however, I have one man at our study who doesn't like chocolate chips or chunks in cookies (I cannot grasp this, but I concede anyway...), so I left the chunks out, leaving myself trying to imagine what they would have tasted like with an extra dark chocolate kick! Instead of the chunks, I threw in some chopped walnuts that I'm trying to get rid of (our local food bank gave Travis two large bags full!)- at the chocolate goddess' suggestion. :) First I mixed the instant coffee granules with hot water to dissolve them (this keeps there from being any "crunch" in the finished product!), which made a thick, strong smelling liquid.

Setting that aside, I combined the dry ingredients including- I loved this measurement- two heaping tablespoons of Hershey's cocoa powder!

Then the butter and the wet ingredients in another bowl, adding the thick coffee mixture as well.

Once the wet ingredients were well mixed, I got out my trusty wooden spoon and added the dry to the wet. The dough looked marvelously fudgy and was very tasty (okay, I sampled...and forgot to take a picture!)! The walnuts went in last. I've never really been one for nuts in my brownies, but lately I have enjoyed nuts in cookies, so I gave it a try. I'm still debating whether I like them that way or not. I love walnuts in oatmeal cookies now, but I might leave the nuts out of these next time. Experiment with your own preference! Or try different chocolate, like semi-sweet or milk or even white! After I plopped them on the baking sheet, they were in about 9 minutes and came out....completely delicious! Coffee and chocolate, united in a soft, fudgy, chewy cookie! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Perfect along with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk!

Chocolate Coffee Cookies
(printable version)

adapted from The Chocolate Goddess

makes about 3 dozen

1/3 c. instant coffee granules
2 tbsp hot water
2 2/3 c. flour
2 heaping tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

1/2 c. walnuts (or whatever else you want to put in)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dissolve coffee in 2 tbsp hot water. In a separate small mixing bowl mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Beat butter and sugar at a medium speed until fluffy. Pour coffee, vanilla and eggs into the butter mixture; mix well. Reduce mixer’s speed to low and slowly pour flour mixture into the butter mixture. Fold walnuts (or chocolate) into the dough. Drop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake about 9 min.

Monthly Menu- March

March is here! It is only 18 days till spring is official, and even if there is snow on the ground up here in the Inland Northwest, I will rejoice! Isn't it wonderful that spring comes every year? Thank you, Lord!

Week 1 (March 1-5)

Tuesday

Honey Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with White Rice

Courtesy of my sister-in-law, this turned out to be a very light and yummy alternative to our usual stir-fry, with sauce from a packet and vegetables from the freezer. I loved using fresh veggies, and the sauce was perfectly light!

Wednesday

Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Soup with Rolls

A new recipe from Allrecipes.com, I have officially turned my Soup Saturdays into Soup Wednesdays. While it doesn't have the same ring to it, it is more convenient for me. Soups do so well in the crock-pot, I don't have to worry about them during Awana at all. It usually doesn't matter how long the simmer if I get back later than planned. :)

Thursday

Honey-Mustard Baked Chicken with Brown Rice and Asparagus

My sisters are visiting from Oregon, and this is a favorite that my sister Jewelissa created. So we'll make it together!

Friday

Whole Wheat Pizza with Fruit & Veggies

Saturday

Spaghetti with Rolls

A neighbor gave us a delicious looking batch of his own homemade sauce, and I froze it, so I look forward to trying it later this week!

Week 2 (March 8-12)

Tuesday

Game Hen with Potatoes

Okay. Travis came home one day with this itty bitty chicken from our Food Bank. I think it's a Cornish game hen but I'm not positive. So...I'll try treating it like one and see what happens!

Wednesday

Leftover Cabbage Beef Soup with Corn Muffins

From the freezer!

Thursday

BBQ Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

A great easy crock-pot dish.

Friday

Pizza

I think I've decided to make Fridays pizza days. We never get tired of the homemade crust and it's soooo easy!

Saturday

Pot Roast with potatoes or Butternut Squash

Week 3 (March 15-19)

Tuesday

Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells with Alfredo Sauce

A recipe courtesy of my sister-in-law's blog

Wednesday

Beef Barley Soup with Crescent Rolls

Made from the roast from Saturday!

Thursday

Train Wreck

Taco Salad, Rief style!

Friday

Pizza

Saturday

Hot Dogs and...?

Turkey Dogs!

Week 4 (March 22-26)

Tuesday

Lasagna Casserole with Green Salad

Like lasagna, only easier. :)

Wednesday

Chelsia's Chicken Stew with Biscuits

A great standby soup we haven't had in awhile!

Thursday

Waffles (or Pancakes) with Turkey Bacon and Canned Peaches

Breakfast for dinner!

Friday

Pizza

Saturday

Hamburgers

Week 5 (Whew! This is a long month! March 29-31)

Tuesday

Shepherd's Pie

Classic comfort food: meat and veggies with mashed potatoes and cheese on top. :)

Wednesday

Chicken Tortilla Soup with Trimmings

Thursday

Chicken Enchiladas

When I made these last month, I made enough to freeze a batch, so this will be easy!

My Deep Dark Secret (Bran Muffins)

I have a secret. I eat it every day. It's good with a little butter (or a healthier choice of spread) on top and a cup of coffee to wash it down. It's dark and moist....and a good source of fiber. If you can't guess, it is, in all of it's deep, dark, flavorful, healthy goodness...a bran muffin.

Oh, but not any bran muffin. According to it's name, it is a Deep, Dark, Old Recipe Bran Muffin. So, I'm letting you in on my little secret. Which is now no longer a secret, seeing as I'm sharing it with the whole world of potential blog readers (and, since it was posted on Allrecipes.com was never really a secret to begin with...but that's beside the point, right?)...

Anyway, the reason that I eat a bran muffin everyday has a lot to do with my mother. She inspires me in many ways, not the least of which (though most are of far greater importance!) is my choice of breakfast. For almost as long as I can remember, my mom has eaten a bran muffin and yogurt for breakfast. Sometimes it accompanied coffee, sometimes it didn't. Sometimes the muffins were homemade, sometimes they were not. Sometimes the yogurt was a certain variety of Dannon, sometimes it was not, but whatever brand it was, it was always peach in flavor. When I was young, probably 12 or 14, I remember having a "from scratch" recipe for bran muffins and I made them for my mom often. I'd usually make a good sized batch and then freeze them so my

dad could simply defrost one each day for Mommy's breakfast. I think now my dad makes them from a Sun-Maid mix, but they are bran muffins just the same! I for one, have never been a very consistent breakfast eater. At least since I started working when I was about 16. Sometimes I'd have cereal, sometimes fruit and toast, sometimes just a cup of coffee and sometimes I remember folding a piece of bread over some peanut butter as I ran out the door! I drank smoothies at college, and last year I ate cereal or had a bagel most days. But last fall, after talking to my mom (a very wise lady, by the way) about healthy habits to get into I did two things. I joined our local gym and started eating a bran muffin and yogurt for breakfast. And to my surprise, I loved it! I found a great and simple recipe (the Deep Dark Secret) that was much like the one I used to make from scratch and am delighted to find that, 4 months later, I'm still not bored. Now, unlike my mom, I like to mix up the flavors of my yogurt, but that's all in your preference. It is a great healthy and fortifying, yet light way to start the day. Often in the mornings, when I eat my muffin (and especially when my yogurt happens to be peach!) I think about my mom, and I am grateful to her for always being such a good example!

Now for the muffins! The first thing I usually do when I make them is to make some "buttermilk," or in my case, "sour milk." I usually don't keep buttermilk on hand, so when I make something that calls for it, I make my own using a trick I got out of a cookbook awhile back. To make sour milk, all you need to do is put a tablespoon of vinegar per cup of milk in the bottom of your measuring cup, then pour in the milk to make the amount of "buttermilk" you need. I do it first off because it has to sit for 5 minutes to sour. While the milk is souring, go ahead and preheat the oven to 350!

Next, whisk the bran, flour, salt and baking soda together. The recipe said whisk, which is funny with dry ingredients, but it works really well to mix the bran and the flour together. Set the dry ingredients aside. Now here's your chance to really use that whisk!

In another bowl, beat eggs then add the other ingredients one at a time, beating after each, except the raisins.

I kind of tweaked the recipe from it's original state to include vanilla and cinnamon because I think it adds a lovely bit of flavor! If you don't like it, however, leave it out!

Now get out that wooden spoon! Add the bran mixture to the wet stuff, adding the raisins as you go. If you're a big raisin fan, you're welcome to use more than a half cup. Mix it all until there are no more dry lumps, then fill greased or papered muffin tins about 2/3 full. I can usually get about 20 muffins out of 1 recipe, but if you make them bigger, you'll probably get 16-18.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until they are not wet inside, then cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack. If you like, they freeze very well in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Whether you eat them every day or whip them up for a special breakfast or a change in your routine, I'm sure you will enjoy these dense, moist muffins, savoring the knowledge that you're doing something healthy too!

Deep Dark Old Recipe Bran Muffins
(printable version)

tweaked from Allrecipes.com

makes about 20 muffins

2 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or sour milk)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/2 tbsp shortening, melted

1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more as desired)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup raisins


Preheat the oven to 350.
Next, whisk the bran, flour, salt and baking soda together.
In another bowl, beat eggs then add the other ingredients one at a time, beating after each, except the raisins.
Add the bran mixture to the wet stuff, adding the raisins as you go. 
Mix it all until there are no more dry lumps, then fill greased or papered muffin tins about 2/3 full. I can usually get about 20 muffins out of 1 recipe, but if you make them bigger, you'll probably get 16-18.
Bake about 18 minutes. Cool a few minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Monthly Menu- February

Well, January has seemed to kind of drag by, as it usually does, since after Christmas winter seems to have lost its charm! I am not too sad to change my calendar to February, as it means I am that much closer to spring, to seeing my sisters and the rest of my family (coming up in March and April!), and of course, Valentine's Day! :) Those red and pink shades and hearts in all varieties have been popping up everywhere since New Year's and my calendar is no exception. February 14 is decked out with little hearts there too! I have been feeling under the weather the last week and a half, so I don't feel like I have much inspiration to cook right now, but hopefully my appetite will pick up soon!

Week 1 (Feb. 1-5)

Tuesday

Baked Barbecue Chicken and Rice

My mom used to make this a lot when I was a kid. It's so easy- the chicken, rice, barbecue sauce and water all go together in a dish and bake! A great one-dish meal.

Wednesday

German Lentil Sausage Soup

I had a great soup at the cafeteria when we were at the hospital visiting someone a couple of weeks ago, so I think I've found a recipe to duplicate it! It contained lentils, sausage, & cabbage and it was soooo good!

Thursday

Chicken Caesar Salad

Friday

Whole Wheat Pepperoni Pizza with a Green Salad

Saturday

Valentine Dinner at POB Camp

Travis was asked to speak at a neighboring church's Valentine Dinner, so we'll be eating Prime Rib there!

Week 2 (Feb. 8-12)

Tuesday

Balsamic Chicken with Brown Rice and Asparagus

Wednesday

Cabbage Beef Soup

Another new soup recipe from Allrecipes.com. This one should use up the rest of my head of cabbage from the week before! :)

Thursday

Spaghetti with Salad and Rolls

Simply spaghetti. :)

Friday

Valentine Dinner at POB Church

This is our own church's Valentine Dinner, and we'll have prime rib here as well. I will likely be making a dessert for it.

Saturday

Hot Dogs with Chips and Fruit

We like to use turkey dogs!

Week 3 (Feb. 15-19)

Tuesday

Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce, Pasta and Asparagus

These chops are so tender and creamy!

Wednesday

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thursday

Fish Tacos with Roasted Potatoes

We make these delicious tacos with tilapia fillets, seasoned Mexi-style!

Friday

Mac 'n' Cheese with Pigs in Blankets

Our niece, Jenifer will be staying the night with us, so it will be fun to have her help me make this fun, kid-friendly dinner!

Saturday

Meatballs with Rice, Salad, and Rolls

Trav's parents will be visiting, so I'll serve my "famous" meatballs! :)

Week 4 (Feb. 22-26)

Tuesday

Chicken Tarragon with Potatoes and a Veggie

A new recipe from my Campbell's cookbook.

Wednesday

Minestrone Soup

Leftover from last month, in the freezer!

Thursday

Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes(?)

A very light and flavorful way to prepare pork chops.

Friday

Whole Wheat Pizza

Saturday

Chicken Enchiladas with Rice

My tweaked recipe for "white" enchiladas. We haven't had them for awhile, and I'm slimming them down by using light cream cheese and fat free sour cream!