Menu Planning

Cooking can be a huge drag for me when I don't have a plan.  There are few things worse in a day than knowing that dinner time is approaching and I have no idea what we are going to eat.  I am a much happier person when I know ahead of time what I'll be fixing.

I've tried monthly menu plans but have never been able to stick with them.  And to try to plan an entire month's worth of meals always seemed so overwhelming.  Recently though, I came across a great idea for menu planning and so far it has been a life saver for me!  I now plan my meals a week at a time according to daily themes:

Sunday:  Traditional Meat/Potatoes type meal
Monday:  Italian
Tuesday:  Comfort Food (Soup in winter / Salad in summer)
Wednesday:  Mexican or Asian
Thursday:  American (the sky's the limit with this one!)
Friday:  Pizza
Saturday:  Breakfast for dinner

So far this has made meal time much less stressful for me and the kids actually enjoy it because they can look at the meal schedule and know what's coming.  They are actually eating better.

I also decided that since breakfast is the most important meal of the day I wanted to have a plan for it as well.  I didn't want to be eating cereal every morning so here is what we've been doing for the past few weeks and it has been great for our family.

Sunday:  Baked Oatmeal and Smoothies
Monday:  Eggs & Toast
Tuesday:  Muffins or Sweet Bread and Smoothies
Wednesday:  Cooked Cereal (cream of wheat, risotto, quinoa, etc.)
Thursday:  Eggs and Toast
Friday:  Waffles or Pancakes & Smoothies
Saturday:  Cereal

We actually have spinach and fruit smoothies almost every day for breakfast because my boys love to drink them (especially with straws!) and I love that they're such a healthy start to the day!

This plan is adjustable and may be tweaked here and there as time goes by but I'm really happy with how it's been working for our family so far. 

George Foreman Grill Paninis

I tried something new tonight.  I don't have a panini press but I do have a George Foreman Grill that we received as a wedding gift almost twelve years ago (and which has been collecting dust lately).  It worked perfectly!  Maybe I'll be able to satisfy my frequent hankering for Zupas at home now.

These could be made any number of ways but here is what I used:

Boudin's Sourdough bread (Costco)

Avocado Aioli:
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
*Put ingredients in blender in order listed.  Blend until smooth.
 
Turkey
Mozarella Cheese
Tomatoes

Spread the aioli on one side of the bread.  Then layer the turkey, cheese and tomatoes.  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top and then put the assembled sandwich on the grill and press the top down.  (You could also butter the outsides of the bread and sprinkle them with a little bit of garlic seasoning.)  Cook for about four minutes.  Cucumbers would have been delicious on this sandwich but we ate our last one yesterday!  Spouts or any other number of vegetables would have also been great additions.

Amazing Shrapnel Dip

I hosted a bridal shower this weekend and served this dip (recipe found here.)  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture until the dip was almost gone...this was all I could scrape out of the bowl.  I will definitely be making this one again...in fact, I think I'll make it again tomorrow.

Amazing Shrapnel Dip

• 1 can white beans, such as navy or Great Northern
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn - good quality is key (I used white shoepeg corn.)
• 1-2 avocados, diced
• 1/4-1/2 cup red pepper, diced
• 1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup Italian dressing, plus more if needed (I used a packet of Kraft Zesty Italian, made according to packet directions.)
• Squeeze of fresh lime (about 1/2 tablespoon or so from half of a large lime)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• White, blue or yellow corn/tortilla chips for serving

1. Drain the beans and corn together in a colander. Give them a quick rinse and let them drain really well so no extra liquid makes its way into the dip. Add them to a large bowl.
2. Toss in the avocados, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Mix. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and using a large spoon or spatula, fold the ingredients and dressing together until everything is evenly coated.
3. Squeeze the lime juice over the top. Gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. If making in advance, wait to chop and stir in the avocados until right before serving.

Whole Wheat Muffins

I found this recipe here and was intrigued because these muffins call for no sugar!  I didn't think it would be possible to make a tasty muffin with no sugar but my kids gobbled these up.  They were definitely not sweet as far as breakfast muffins usually go, but they were good!  And I think if I use more berries next time they will be just right.

Whole Wheat Muffins

• 1½ cups whole-wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup oil (I used coconut oil.)
• ¾ cup orange juice or apple juice
• About 1 cup of total filling (berries, fruit, nuts, etc. – whatever your family likes!)
• Muffin/Cupcake liners

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl with a fork or whisk mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and orange juice. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together – do not over-mix.
4. Add 1 cup of blueberries, mashed up banana & nuts, or other filling of your choice and pour into muffin liners.  If you have an extra minute, pour the batter into muffin liners first (about 2/3 - 3/4 full) and add your filling individually to each cup - you can vary them or make them all the same.  Then gently mix filling into each cup with a fork or spoon.  Here are some options to consider for the filling:
   - blueberries
   - diced strawberries
   - peeled and diced pears
   - applesauce
   - either diced or mashed up bananas and chopped walnuts
   - raisins and chopped pecans
   - grated carrot and chopped walnuts
   - orange or lemon zest (only add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of zest per individual muffin)
   - a mix of dried fruit bits
   - jelly
5. After the filling has been mixed into each muffin slide the tray into the warm oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date if you want.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

My friend Lauren made these for a baby shower recently and they were delicious.  (Hers were much more petite and cuter than mine.)  I asked her for the recipe and made them this past week.  The biggest compliment for any sweet treat around here is Ben's consumption of it.  He's eaten his fair share of these! 

In other news, I finally invested in a Silpat.  They are pricey (this one was $20 on Amazon) but considering the cost of parchment paper, it won't be long before this thing actually saves me money.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

• 1 stick softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 TBSP lemon zest (about one lemon's worth)
• 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

With a whisk, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a separate larger bowl, cream softened butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and combine.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use a Silpat).  Pour powdered sugar into a small bowl.  Roll cookie dough into small 1 inch balls and roll in sugar, coating evenly.  Place cookie balls 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Looking at this picture makes me want to make these again right now!  These were so good...especially cold right out of the fridge.  My friend Carrie just gave up sugar for an entire month.  I really don't know if I could ever do it...  I like things like this too much.

Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer:
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips 

Cheesecake Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

For the cookie layer whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, salt and baking soda, folding into the dough with a rubber spatula; do not over-mix. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined. Press half of the dough onto the bottom of the prepared pan. It will be a thin layer, so use lightly moistened hands to press the dough into a thin even layer.

For the cheesecake filling, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. Spread the cheesecake filling over the layer of cookie dough in the pan.

Using the remaining cookie dough, flatten tablespoon sized amounts of cookie dough in your hands into flat disc shapes, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Place these discs over the top of the cheesecake layer, pressing very lightly to adhere them to the cheesecake layer. It’s ok if there are small spaces; the entire top doesn’t need to be completely covered just make sure it is mostly covered with cookie dough.

Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate until chilled, 1-2 hours. Cut into squares and serve. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.