Menu Plan

Decided to post a meal plan for the first time in years.  I never stopped meal planning and for the past few months have been doing it a month at a time instead of a week.  Every week I move things around to account for things we didn't make or things we are craving or need to use up etc.

So starting this Saturday, September 2nd...

Saturday: Roast masala chicken and naan

Sunday: Philly cheesesteaks and mac n cheese

Monday: Chicken pot pie to use up veggies and chicken from the freezer

Tuesday(when school should finally resume): Crockpot pork butt with salsa served on tortillas with a side of stuffing.  Is it weird to make stuffing?  I need to use it somewhere...I think it'll work.

Wednesday: Chicken vegetable soup & homemade bread  Again to use up chicken and vegetables from the freezer.  Hurricane Harvey reminded me why I don't keep a lot of food/meat in the freezer and has pushed me to use it all up just in case another storm comes through and we aren't fortunate enough to keep power.

Thursday: Leftovers or bbq pork sandwiches

Friday: Burrito bowls(taco meat, cilantro lime rice, lettuce, tomato, avocado, hot sauce or salsa)

Saturday: Roast pork loin, mac n cheese, veg and homemade bread

Sunday: Pizza rolls(new) and salad or veg

Monday: Crockpot orange chicken(new) and rice

Tuesday Greek gyros(new) and salad

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Lemon pasta with grilled chicken(new)

Friday: Pizza or rice and beans

Saturday: eat out

Sunday: Fried fish, fries, mac n cheese

Monday: Chili and homemade bread

Tuesday: Mexican pizzas(recipe on bettycrocker.com)

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Pork chops with mushroom gravy, mash, veg

Friday: Grilled chicken salads

Saturday: eat out for my birthday

Sunday: Fried fish or chicken wings & fries

Monday: Asian lettuce wraps

Tuesday: Tacos or nachos

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Pasta with meat sauce and bread

Friday: fill in with unused recipes for the month

Saturday: fill in with unused recipes for the month

Chili

This is my favorite chili.  I serve it with cheese on top.

Lonestar Chili

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon diced fresh jalapeno pepper
2 15-ounce can kidney beans with liquid
1 big can peeled diced tomatoes
16 ounces tomato sauce
2 cup water
2 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves


Cook and drain ground beef.  Add all other ingredients and simmer at least one hour.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This was an awesome broccoli cheese soup!  Adapted from allrecipes.


1/2 Cup butter
1 onion, chopped
32 ounces frozen broccoli
4 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
2 pound loaf Velveeta--cut in small cubes
2 Cups heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2/3 Cup cornstarch
1 Cup water

In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened. Stir in broccoli, and cover with chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Reduce heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.
In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into water until dissolved. Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until thick.

Dark Chocolate Almond Bark

This was soooo easy and so good!  If I remember where I got this recipe from I will definitely give credit!

300 grams dark chocolate(I used Ghiradelli's 60% cacao bittersweet chips)
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder
1/2 cup roughly chopped roasted almonds

Lay out a piece of foil over a cutting board.  Melt chocolate in a double boiler(I used a bowl over a pan of water).  Add coffee powder and stir.  Add 1/4 cups of the almonds and stir.  Pour onto the foil and spread to 1/5 of an inch thick.  Sprinkle the rest of the almonds over the top and let cool completely(many many hours...I put them in the fridge).

Brownie cookies

These cookies are SO good!  I didn't use a full 2 cups of chocolate chips but they would have been good with more...I just wanted more brownie:)  Next time I will put in chopped walnuts as half the chips!

Brownie Cookies

from allrecipes.com

2/3 cup vegetable shortening

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon water

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Beat vegetable shortening and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in one egg until completely incorporated. Beat in last egg along with vanilla extract and water. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir flour mixture into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended; fold in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake in preheated oven until cookies are set, 7 to 9 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

I bought lemon curd with no idea what I actually wanted to do with it.  When I saw this on pinterest I had to try it and they were really good!  The cookie itself is delicate and crumbly and not super sweet.  That pairs perfectly with the lemon curd!  The recipe comes from here and hers look lovely compared to my phone picture lol

This says it makes 48 cookies so I probably made mine too big as I only got about 24.

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Lemon Curd Filling     

  

Author: Christina Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 22 mins Total time: 42 mins Serves: 48 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp kosher salt

2½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup Lemon Curd, or store-bought

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two half-sheet-pan baking sheets with parchment or nonstick liners.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until well blended.

Beat in yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.

Beat in flour just until moist clumps form. Gather dough together in bowl to bind.

Shape scant tablespoons of dough into 1-inch balls.

Place balls on prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.

Using a floured finger or something that will give a good round shape (I used the back of a small pestle), make a deep indentation in center of each ball.

Bake cookies until firm and lightly golden on bottom, about 18 to 20 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven and immediately fill indentations with curd.

Return to oven and bake 2 minutes longer to set curd.

Bake remaining cookies. Lightly dust edges with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Pecan Pie Brownies

Oh my gosh, these are heavenly good!!!!  I ran across this recipe on pinterest- it's originally from Just A Taste.

For the brownie batter:

4 large eggs

1 1/4 cups baking cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons instant coffee mixed with 2 teaspoons water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the pecan pie topping:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 cups pecans (whole or chopped)

Special Equipment: two (9-inch) round cake pans

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, baking cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso mixed with water, and vanilla until well combined.

Stir in the sugar and melted butter until well combined, then stir in the flour. Divide the batter equally between the two greased pans, using a spatula to smooth it out.

Bake the brownies for 15 minutes then remove them from the oven and set aside. While the brownies are baking, prepare the pecan pie topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

Immediately pour the pecan pie topping over the brownies, dividing it equally between the two pans. Return the brownies to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the brownie is fully cooked.

Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to fully cool in the pans. Use a sharp knife to cut around the edges, remove the brownies from the pan, and then slice and serve.

Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Bars

These are super rich but so good!

Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Bars

1/2 C butter
1 pkg(2 layer size) yellow cake mix
2 eggs, divided
2 pkg. (8 oz each) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 C sugar
1 Tbsp zest and 3 Tbsp juice from 1 lemon
2 1/2 C fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 350.
Line 13x9 inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides.  Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted.  Add cake mix and  egg; beat with mixer until well blended.  Press 2/3 of the mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended.  Add remaining egg, zest and juice; mix well.  Pour over crust; top with berries.  Pinch small pieces of the remaining cake mix mixture between your fingers; press lightly into cream cheese layer.
Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in enter comes out clean.  Cool completely.  Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.  Keep refigerated.

Beer and Cheese Bread ABM

• 
  This bread was delicious!  It rose so much that I couldn't really put all the cheese on top or it would fall into the bottom of the bread machine.  It took about an hour for it to be devoured by the family(with me only getting one tiny slice!).
  Beer and Cheese Bread- Automatic Bread Machine
  1 1/3 cups warm flat beer
• 4 1/2 cups white flour
• 2 -3 tablespoons dried herbs, of your choice
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1 cup cheese, grated

Directions

1. Pour warm beer into bread maker pan.
2. In a large bowl, fluff up or wisk gently together, flour, cheese, sugar and salt.
3. Put this mixture on top of beer.
4. sprinkle yeast over flour layer.
5. near the end of baking, after bread has risen as high as it will get (last 1/2 hour left or so) quickly top loaf with remaining cup of cheese.
6. Select "basic bread" and regular crust
7. Baking time varies on your machine.