Hello Everyone! Sorry for the lapse in time with my blog. One of my dear friends (who I haven't seen in ages - shame on me) asked me why I wasn't blogging anymore. My answer to her was that I had to re-prioritize some things in my full life, and this kind of fell off the list. Unfortunate, because I really do enjoy it. Just now I am multi-tasking between cleaning the lunch dishes, helping the kids carve a pumpkin for a contest this afternoon, and blogging. And the youngest needs a nap...oh, my bed remains unmade. (ick - I do hate an unmade bed... the children have at least made their beds.) And don't even get me stared on the laundry.

So, here's what I'll try to do... I'll just share my menu each week with you. People always ask me how I do it - mother five children, work full time, give time to church, etc. One of the keys to keeping it all together is menu planning each week. That leaves the guess work out of the evening, and even if it's false - a sense of control. Maybe, if you haven't been planning your menu, it will help you too.

Week of 10/25: (AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!)
Sun: Chicken Tortilla Soup (One box of chicken broth, one large (32 oz) can of diced tomatoes, one packet of mild taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 can corn (drained). Throw that all in the crock pot with a few torn up corn tortillas. Then, saute in a pan with a little olive oil - a few carrots, chopped, one chopped onion, one diced fresh jalapeno pepper, and if you have it - a couple of stalks of celery, chopped, and one or two cloves of minced garlic. You can put it on low all day or high for a couple of hours... or make it on the stove if you are out of time. You do want the tortillas to dissolve - which is your indicator that it's done. Before you serve it, put in a can of all white chicken meat, that has been drained. If you like a lot of chicken, throw in two cans. Or if you really feel like going for it, shred a rotisserie chicken bought warm at the store. I topped it with cheese, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips.)
Mon: Flat Iron Steak, brown rice, steamed broccoli, mandarin oranges. (Flat Iron Steak either the morning that you'll cook it or the night before, marinade it in equal parts ketchup and soy sauce (like half a cup each), one clove smashed garlic, minced ginger if you have it (1 tsp), and some sesame oil. If you have green onions, chop those up and put them in the marinade. The sesame oil - not much - maybe 2 tsps, gives it great flavor. Grill it either in your grill pan on the stove or outside, and slice thin against the grain.)
Tues: Crockpot Chicken Thighs with Carrots and New Potatoes, and peas on the side. (New recipe for me, got it out of Oct Southern Living. Looks easy - an onion, chopped, new potatoes halved, then 2 cups baby carrots (layered in that order on the bottom of the crock pot). Then mix together 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup white wine, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, and pour it over the veggies. Salt and pepper the veggies, then lay on top of that 6 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs that have been sprinkled with paprika salt and pepper. Cook on Low 6 hours. I'm just serving it with peas cause I feel like we need something green on our plates.)
Wed: Spaghetti, sauteed yellow squash, salad, hot bread. (I use ground turkey that is already "Italian seasoned" for my spaghetti sauce, and then I get a McCormick spaghetti sauce packet and add that to whatever jarred spaghetti sauce is on sale, some red wine, and a can of tomatoes. Just like home-made but not. Slice the squash, saute it with a bit of olive oil and salt. And I use the barilla gold box pasta because that adds nutrition and tastes great.)
Thurs: Baked tilapia, couscous, roasted brussel sprouts and acorn squash. (Tilapia is the loins from Sams Club, frozen, that we brush with melted butter when frozen, sprinkle with lemon pepper, dill, and thyme and then bake for about 20 minutes or till the fish flakes. Couscous is just from the box. The roasted veggies are simply cut to be the same size pieces - you do have to peel the acorn squash and pick the top leaves off the brussel sprouts - then shake in a big ziplock bag with some olive oil, put on a foil lined cookie sheet, salt/pepper, and then bake at 450 till you can easily pierce with a fork. Don't turn your nose at these - they're actually delicious and everyone likes them.)
Fri: Sausage, potatoes, and green beans. (One of the easiest meals you will ever make, and loved by all. Cut a horse-shoe looking sausage... I use the skinless turkey kind but any kind will do - some call it sausage and some call it kielbasa... cut it in to 2 inch pieces, brown in a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of sage. Take a few potatoes - russets - and dice them - leave the skin on - and throw them in the pan while the sausage is browning. Get them brown on at least one side too. Then throw a bag of trimmed/washed fresh green beans on top, turn your heat down, add 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and put the lid on the pan. This will steam your green beans and cook your potatoes - and the chicken broth is salty enough that you don't need to add salt or pepper for that matter. It's done when the potatoes are tender and so are the green beans. My family devours this and it is SO easy.)
Sat - This is Halloween and I make chili every year for Halloween... just my tradition. I like to take steak and slice it thin, with ground meat and also pork tenderloin diced up... add it in with lots of spices but if you're new to the chili making business, then just buy a 2-alarm and doctor it up with all kinds of meat, red wine, a can of bushes chili beans. Cornbread made with creamed corn and cheddar cheese. A salad on the side if you must, but it is Halloween and everyone eats terribly anyway. I am going to try to make a couple of new adult cocktails to celebrate Halloween - we always have guests over for dinner... I will let you know how they turn out.

Have a spook-tacular week. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)
Mecca