Meals at a glance...

Could the deep freeze possibly be over?  Amazing to wake up and see double digits on the thermometer.  It was actually pleasant to take the dogs out and walk across the yard in the new snow. A perfect day to be outside!

Last week the dinner bowls were a huge success .  They are so easy to prepare and fun to create. There are so many options, even for the pickiest of eaters.  My family tried new grains like farro and polenta.   We will continue to experiment with different combinations.

This week we will try some new dishes as well as make some of our favorites from before.  
We have been using different flavored oils and vinegars for our salads, so each night there will be a side salad dish and fresh fruit.


Our meals for the week...

Monday: Baked White Fish (depends on what wild fish is on sale), Brown Basmati Rice, and Broccoli

Tuesday:  Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup

Wednesday:  Homemade Chicken Nuggets (made with whole wheat Panko Bread crumbs), Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Parsnips, and Butternut Squash, and Carrots

Thursday:  Bake Sweet and White Potato Bar with many toppings like eggs, beans, chives, scallions, bacon,  broccoli, cheeses

Friday:  Odds & Ends Night- leftovers from the week as well as heavy appetizer foods-favorites so far are pesto,cheese and bread, hummus and veggies, hard boiled eggs, and nachos

Saturday:  Steak, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas with Red Cabbage Slaw

Sunday:  Salmon Fried Rice


Thank you to those who continue to share with me their ideas!  I love feedback  hearing what's on your families' tables.  Please keep the comments coming.  Here's to a happy and possibly warmer week ahead!

Best,

Donna

Meals at a glance....

My oldest son just had his braces removed.  A big milestone in our household this week!  It can be a challenge to find the time to squeeze in one-on-one time time with four kids, but with the help from some friends I was able to take my son out for a celebratory lunch.  He chose Panera Bread.  Great, because I was in the mood for a big salad.  However, I was happily surprised by the new broth bowls on the menu.  I had a quinoa and lentil broth bowl with hard boiled egg on top.  It was delicious and inspired me to recreate a similar meal at home.  With some recipe ideas from the March issue of Fitness magazine, I planned one bowl meals to have for the following week's dinners.   Easy, affordable, healthy and great tasting food.

How to build your own bowl meals:

First, choose a grain base like quinoa, rice, farro, whole wheat pasta, etc.  Next choose a protein, either lean beef, beans, eggs, fish or poultry.  Select veggies.  Be creative and throw in a variety!  Last add some toppings like cheese, nuts, seeds, yogurt, pesto, spices, and avocado.  Have fun and be adventurous.  If you have children at home, let them help with the menu and choose their favorites.

Our picks for the week:

Monday:  keeping it meatless--Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Fried Egg Bowl (Kind of like our potato bar night with a new twist!)

Tuesday: Brown Rice Pasta, Great White Northern Beans with Arugula Pesto

Wednesday:  Steak, Roasted Veggies and Polenta Bowl (Saving time and buying pre-made polenta)

Thursday:  Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Friday:  Odds & Ends Night--Picnic Style Dinner--Baked Tortilla Chips Nacho Platter with Ground Turkey, Beans, Cheese, Peppers, Tomatoes,  & Avocados,  and an assortment of fruit, veggies, dips, bread & cheeses.

Saturday: Spicy Shrimp & Soba Noodle with Edamame

Sunday: Salmon, Rice & Kale Bowl

Please share your favorite combinations!  Also. if you choose to make a dinner bowl this week, please share my post on your facebook page.  Many thanks all.

Best,

Donna

Meals at a glance...

February always flies by so quickly and then we have the long month of March!  I have been embracing winter, well trying to, and making hearty soups and chili's to keep us warm and satisfied so we can head back out and play in the snow.

Last week we had many hits as far as meals go.  Everyone loved the chicken parm, the lasagna, tomato soup, and especially our new picnic or "Odds & Ends" night.  With more cold weather predicted in our forecast, I have some more soups to make for dinners this week. I found a great printable grocery list that made planning very easy. The younger kids loved checking items off and felt like they had an important job!   Check out www.FreePrintableGroceryList.com and look at the Master Grocery List.

I stocked up on lots of vegetables and plan on roasting them today, Sunday, so I can add them to salads for lunches and dinners, and also add as a side dish to our meal.  This time of year I love roasting beets, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, rutabaga, and parsnips.  I season them with some infused flavored olive oil, lemon pepper and some kosher salt.  Delicious!

Moxham picks for the week:

Monday:  Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry over Brown Basmati Rice

Tuesday:  Miso & Potsticker Soup with Crispy Snap Peas

Wednesday:  Brown Rice Pasta with Pesto Chicken and Veggies

Thursday:  Grass Fed Burgers, Sauteed Mushrooms, Onions and Baked Sweet Potatoes with Salad

Friday:  Odds & Ends Night--Picnic style spread--favorites so far are baguette with pesto, mozzarella cheese, & tomato, chips and guacamole, cheese and crackers and salami, hummus and veggies, red pear, clementines, honey roasted peanuts, shrimp cocktail,  the list can go on and on!  What would you choose???  Please share!

Saturday: Happy Valentine's Day!   Surf and Turf dinner--Salmon and Steak ,Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese

Sunday: Cannelloni, Chorizo & Kale Soup

Enjoy the week ahead and have a special Happy Valentine's Day. I plan on ordering my family's favorite dessert, cannoili's!  Also I will make some dark chocolate dipped treats.  My oldest gets his braces removed the day before Valentine's so I'll have to think of some sticky treat to make for him to celebrate!  Suggestions?

Best,

Donna

Meals at a glance...

I've become a strategic shopper at the grocery store.  What does that mean exactly...I head to the store with my list of ingredients for our week's worth of meals plus the extras for breakfast and lunches.  I think to myself the kids can bring that to lunch and I can also use it one night for a meal.  Feeding a family of six is no easy feat, especially since they are so active and always hungry!  But using ingredients for more then one meal helps, and so does buying in bulk!

I have been doing some fast dinners lately and what has helped has been stocking up on things like fresh rolls and whole grain loaves of bread from the bakery.  They make a soup dinner more of a hearty meal!  Salads with leftover meats and roasted veggies turns into a bigger meal as well with a big chunk of bread.  Last week's favorites were the panini's and tomato soup and the easy pasta and veggie dish.

My youngest asked me when I get a break from cooking.  So, we decided to have one night a week be a leftover-picnic night so I get a night off..."Friday night dinner"...a spread of raw fruits and veggies, dips, crackers & cheese, fresh bread, and whatever is leftover in the fridge! (Saw something like this in a Real Simple issue) My daughter wants shrimp cocktail too.  Just a fun night of finger foods around the coffee table either playing some board games or watching a movie.

This week I was inspired by recipes from Real Simple magazine and Clean Slate cookbook.  

Meatless Monday:  7 layer Vegetarian Tostadas

Tuesday:  Baked Chicken Parmesan and Mixed Green Salad

Wednesday: Broccoli Perogies with Scallions and Broccoli Slaw Salad

Thursday:  Pork & Rice Meatball Soup

Friday:  Picnic spread

Saturday:  Brown Rice Noodle Lasagna with Salad

Sunday:  Lo Mein Noodles with Flaked Salmon and Crispy Bok Choy Slaw

Happy Super Bowl Sunday all!  If you're heading to a party bring one thing that's somewhat healthy so you can eat that too, like a bean dip made with mashed beans, tuna fish, olive oil a little salt and pepper & fresh squeezed lemon...you'll feel better tomorrow!!


Best,

Donna