Menu Plan Monday-August 15

August 15- August 21

Happy mid-August!

I have been doing so great with sticking to our menu. I'm so proud of myself. It's not easy with a toddler at your feet but thankfully my husband is home to wrangle her so I can get it done. She still escapes into the kitchen but I hope that means she'll like to cook with me someday!

Here's what's happening in our house this week:

Monday, August 15:

Fettucini Alfredo meal

from our Angel Food box ordered last month

Tuesday, August 16:

Bean and Beef Enchilada Casserole {new recipe}

I've been hitting up our local library the past couple of months and have found a huge section of cookbooks, this is a recipe from one of the books. I think the book was 9x13 casserole type meals.

Wednesday, August 17:

Baked potatoes with leftover bbq

Who doesn't have tons of bbq leftover in their freezer from all the summer's activities? This is a great way to do something different with it. Try our homemade bbq sauce too!

Thursday, August 18:

Chicken Taco Pasta {new recipe}

This is another meal from the cookbook finds at the library. It's made with ground chicken which I've never used so it'll be an adventure in new recipes and new ingredients!

Friday, August 19:

Waffles of Insane Greatness and bacon

I've been looking at this recipe for awhile and I think I'll finally try it!

Saturday, August 20:

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches {family favorite}:

made with homemade french bread rolls and homemade bbq sauce

This is a quick meal to throw together because I already have cooked, shredded chicken in the freezer from making my chicken in the crock pot. I also make some homemade rolls to go with it. So yummy!

Sunday, August 21:

Stouffer's Meal

from our Angel Food box ordered last month

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?

For more menu planning ideas see Menu Plan Monday's.

This post is linked to I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. Check out the page for more great ideas.

Friday Favorite Finds

Happy Friday! I'm linking up with SnoWhite for her weekly "Friday Favorite Finds" where we share the recipes we've been spying this week. Hop on over to her blog and check out the great recipes!

Here are mine:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Monkey Bread

from: Picky Palate

Chicago Style Pot Pizza-Take 3

from: Eat at Home Cooks

Chicken Florentine Bow Tie Pasta Bake

from: Picky Palate

Just a few this week as it's been busy around here!

Enjoy!

Pizza Sauce-My Quest for the perfect one!

French bread pizza-another favorite in our house!

The past few years I've experimented with so many different dough recipes until I found my favorite one. You can find the recipe here. I love it and so does Hubby. It makes a great whole wheat thin crust just the way we like it. I've been dabbling in homemade pizza's for about 4 years now and love the taste so much better than frozen, though I don't turn my nose up at frozen. If we're in the mood for one we certainly go get one but we try and make our own as much as possible.

Lately, I've been looking for our perfect pizza sauce and have yet to come up with one. I have one (recipe here) but I haven't liked it very much lately. I found another one from What Meghan's Making and tried it this past Friday but it's just okay to me. I feel like it could be our recipe but it's missing something, I'm just not sure what it is. And don't get me started on store bought. Yuck! I just don't like it; it tastes really fake to me and weird too. I can't explain it, it just does.

So, I need your help! I need a great pizza sauce recipe and I want to know your recipes. Please help!!!

Menu Plan Monday-August 8

Week of: August 8-August 14

Monday:

Bbq chicken with sauteed peppers over brown rice

(My homemade bbq sauce recipe)

Tuesday:

Lasagna

(Unfortunately this is a store-bought version since I haven't found a great homemade version. Do you have one you'd like to share with me?)

Wednesday:

Lean Cuisine Meal

(We got it in our Angel Food box last month)

Thursday-Sunday:

Nyla, my mom and I are headed to Kansas City, Kansas to see my little sister. We were supposed to go in March but Ny got very sick and we had to call the ambulance; hoping that doesn't happen again and we're all healthy enough to go! So Hubby is on his own, but I have stocked the freezers with good meals so he won't starve!!! :)

Sunday:

Fettucini Alfredo

(We got this in our Angel Food box last month)

What are you cooking this week?

This post is linked to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Friday Favorite Finds

Welcome Friday! I'm ready for the weekend and I know y'all are too!!

I'm linking up with SnoWhite at Joy in my Kitchen for her weekly addition of Friday Favorite Finds where we share recipes we've been eyeing all week long and can't wait to try. Come link up and join the fun!

Here are the recipes I've been looking at:

Crock pot spaghetti sauce

from: A Season for All Things

Crock pot spaghetti sauce 2

from: Joy in my Kitchen

I'm going to combine these 2 recipes to come up with my own, at least that's the plan!

Sourdough Starter/Bread

from: Annie's Eats

I've been looking for a starter for awhile and might finally take the plunge into the process, we'll see!

That's all I've got this week since we've been busy around here. Have a great weekend!

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-Ups

Last week I used some fresh vegetables (bell pepper and jalapenos) from my garden to help with this delicious chicken dish. I had leftover homemade tortillas in the freezer that I defrosted and was able to make this chicken dish in about 15 minutes. I like that kind of dinner night!

Because of the jalapenos the dish was a little spicier than we like, but the flavor was spot on.

Happy Cooking!

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-Ups

Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients:

1 each-large green and red pepper, cut into strips

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into strips*

1/3 cup bbq sauce (my homemade version)

4 whole wheat tortillas, warmed (homemade tortilla's recipe)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cook veggies about 3 minutes, add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add in bbq sauce and heat through.

2. Spoon chicken mixture down center of tortillas, top with cheese. Roll up and cut in half.

3. Serve and enjoy!

*You could always use pre-cooked chicken if you're in a hurry. OR try my whole chicken in the crock pot, shred when done and somewhat cooled and freeze for later use. I do that all the time!

See wasn't that easy?? :)

Homemade Wheat Tortillas

Have I mentioned how much I love SnoWhite's recipes over at Joy in my Kitchen? Okay, I thought so, but I wanted to tell you again! :)

Quite a few months ago I ran across her wheat tortilla recipe. I saved it on my "recipes to try" list for awhile, then printed it out and it sat in my recipe binder for quite some time, months in fact. About 6 weeks ago I finally tried them. Yes, it seemed overwhelming looking at the recipe, I mean they're homemade tortillas for goodness sakes. I can easily buy them right? Well not anymore! This recipe is too good to go out and buy some now. And they're surprisingly easy to put together. Don't be daunted because they're homemade. They're actually quite fun to roll out! And they freeze great to be used later. I actually pulled some out of the freezer just last week to use and they tasted just as good as if they were hot off the griddle. So that's win-win.

Homemade Wheat Tortillas-from SnoWhite

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Yield: about 10-12 tortillas

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup warm water

1/4 oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

In a bowl, stir together oil, water, salt and baking powder. Slowly stir in 3 cups flour.

When mixed, knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes.

Form into a ball and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.

Cut dough in half and divide each half into 5-6 balls. Form them into balls and set aside for another 10 minutes (resting makes them easier to work with).

Using your rolling pin roll out on a floured surface, in an 8-10 inch circle. It won't be a perfect circle, don't fret!

Preheat griddle to 350 F and place tortillas in a single layer on hot griddle. Cook on there 3-5 minutes, per side, until a little brown and bubbly.

Then use in any recipe you like. They're worth it, try them!