Weekly Menu and a Grocery Store Recipe

Man... what a sad state this is. I almost missed posting in September over here! Part of my problem was pregnancy (I only just recently was able to start cooking and eating again after the nausea went away). The other problem is that school and extra curricular activities have taken over my life. Blogging has been pretty busy, too. We have done a redesign on the Homeschool Post and are gearing up for the Homeschool Blog Awards over there - which is very taxing on my free time!

So I thought I would stop in today with a token September post here at Gathering Manna. I remembered the blog yesterday when I posted my lunch meme over at Sprittibee. I'm calling all homeschool moms to share photos of their lunches on my linky there. Head over and play if you have a digital camera and a homeschool blog.

For today, I'm just sharing the menu for the rest of the week (and possibly beyond). Last night I flaked out and we ate at Chick-Fil-A. I had a colossal headache and needed a Dr. Pepper. We really can't afford to eat out. I got a tiny check in the mail and we had to go deposit it (Thank you Jesus!) - just in the nick of time. It is always like this before payday... white knuckles and edge of the seat wondering how God will pull us through until the direct deposit goes through. And He always does. Somehow.

So what is on the menu?

Tuesday lunch: McDonald's (right before we go to Choir, Keepers & Art today)
Tuesday dinner: Greek Lentil and Orzo Pasta, Hummus, Pita, Tea

Wednesday breakfast: Bacon, eggs, toast, juice
Wednesday lunch: Turkey sausage, sour kraut, peas, rice
Wednesday dinner: Tacos, Spanish rice, refried beans

Thursday breakfast: cereal, juice
Thursday lunch: tuna sandwiches (soup for kids - they won't eat tuna)
Thursday dinner: Bada-bing chicken, salad, pasta with white sauce

Friday breakfast: cream of wheat, toast, juice
Friday lunch: tomato soup and grilled cheese, water
Friday dinner: lasagna, Greek salad, tea

Saturday breakfast: pancakes, bacon, eggs, juice, Italian hazelnut latte
Saturday lunch: skip
Saturday dinner: Sesame chicken fingers, Thai fried rice

Sunday breakfast: breakfast bars, chocolate milk
Sunday lunch: OUT after church
Sunday dinner: Baked potatoes in small group (my job is to take the sour cream)


So that's the menu for the week. I'll probably need to pick up feta cheese, a head of lettuce, some buttermilk for the pancakes, Asian sesame seeds and pita bread. Thankfully, we have the rest of the groceries at home, I think. Things have gotten so expensive.

Next week I need to remember to include a roasted chicken (which I have frozen and got on sale), soup for lunch, and that Mexican casserole that I got a recipe for at the grocery store. OH! And the sweet potato leek soup recipe that I scratched on the back of my grocery list in the check-out-aisle. Man that sounded really good, and there was no way I was paying 5$ for the magazine!

Here's that fat-burning, healthy, fall recipe (which I borrowed and altered slightly):

Sweet Potato Leek Soup

1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2-1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
8 cups of chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 cups chopped sweet potatoes
3 cups thin chopped leeks (stalks - not leaves)
1 heaping cup brussel sprouts (frozen or fresh)
1-2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1) heat oil, stir fry onion, celery, garlic, half of the salt and half of the pepper for 6 minutes or until browned

2) in another pot, heat broth, water, oregano, sweet potatoes. cover and boil.

3) once boiling, add sauteed veggies, leeks, brussels, parsley, rest of the salt and pepper. cover and simmer 25-30 minutes. remove from heat & partially mash the potatoes.

I'm always on the look-out for a good soup for the cooler weather. Home made soup is food for the soul.



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Technorati Tags: menu, recipes, meal planning, dinner, cooking, food, life, groceries, family, parenting, motherhood

Freezing Meals, Enjoying Life, ... Loosing Weight

A friend of mine on an email list I was on told me about this neat software that helps you freeze meals ahead and only spend one day in the kitchen per month (or so) cooking. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks really promising. They also have books you can buy with recipes that freeze well.

The soup book looks interesting since I have been on a soup kick recently. A friend of mine made a potato and bacon soup for us when we ate at her house the other night and it was so filling and delicious! I hope I can get her to remember the recipe so I can keep it in here.

I also have the Carrot Cake recipe finally. If only I could find time to sit down and post it, eh? Oh, well - you don't really need a carrot cake. At least if you are like me and have about 15 pounds to loose, right?

Speaking of loosing weight... I'm on a CHOICE diet. No, it isn't a low carb, high protien, raw foods diet. It didn't come from a book or website. It is just a personal quest to "make better choices while eating". Eating to live rather than living to eat. So here it is in a nut shell:

THE RULE: Make 3 good choices per meal.

"I'll have salad instead of fries"
"I'll drink tea instead of coke"
"I'll use agave nectar instead of sugar"
"I won't salt the beans"
"I'll only have one taco instead of three"
"I won't go back for seconds"
"I won't have dessert after dinner"
"I'll eat two cookies instead of four"
"I'll get that on whole wheat"
"I'll half the meat in the recipe"
"I won't add extra cheese to my potato"
"I'll drink a glass of water 30 minutes before I eat so I won't be so hungry"
"I'm not going to skip breakfast because it jump-starts my metabolism"
"I'll eat some protein to prevent a carb crash"
"I'm going to eat turkey bacon so I won't have as much fat intake"
"I'll have unsweetened tea"

Whatever your "choice" is that is positive, just try to make wiser choices at meal time... and you can make small "deposits" in your health bank while loosing tiny bits of weight each time you sit at the table to eat. I already lost 4 pounds since starting this a week ago.

If you are doing something similar, I'd love to hear about it!

Carrot Cake recipe to come sooner or later!


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Technorati Tags: Diet, Soup, Meals, Planning Ahead, Weight, Food, Life, Recipes, Choices

Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

Quick and delicious soup. Nothing better. Pardon the photo. That was my second bowl of soup. Maybe next time I cook it I'll remember to do the photo-op first! This soup also feeds an army, so it is a great meal for a potluck or guests. Make sure you have a bag of tortilla chips on hand. If you add a Mexican salad, iced tea and a bowl of cold black olives to the table, you'll have a meal fit for a king... or maybe el Presidente.

I have NO idea who gave me this recipe, so if it was you: THANKS! I believe it is supposed to be a weight-watcher recipe as well (5 points per serving without the Pepper Jack Cheese). I didn't let that stop me from adding ALL of the recommended ingredients, however. They are too good to leave out. If you like Tex-Mex, add a tad more Cumin. I even added a fourth cup of dry white wine to my soup right after cooking my onions... but that is entirely optional and I have made it both with and without (tastes great either way).

If you have trouble finding Masa Harina, ask your grocer where the Mexican specialty items are. Usually, they will have a bag of corn flour used for making tamales. It should say Masa on the bag. If they have it in Arkansas, they have it in your town - trust me!

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp. Vegetable or Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Chicken base (or several cups chicken broth)
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 seeded Serrano pepper or chili cut lengthwise in long, thin strips (optional)
4 oz. chopped green onions
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
1 tsp. - 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon if you don't use base
1 cup Masa Harina (also called Masa - for tamales - Mexican corn meal - DO NOT use regular corn meal)
8 cups water (6 if you use chicken broth - adjust less water for more chicken broth)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
4 oz. (half a tiny box) Velveeta Light - cut in tiny cubes for quick melting
1 to 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
22 oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts - cooked in butter and salt and cubed (you can use canned chicken breast in a pinch)
15 oz. can black beans (drained)
1/2 bag of frozen corn or 1 can of corn (drained)

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large pot on medium to medium high heat, place oil, onions, chili pepper (if used), and spices. Sauté until onions are soft and clear (about five minutes). Meanwhile, in another container, combine Masa with 2 cups of water. Stir until lumps dissolve. Add chicken base or bouillon and heat, stirring. Add Masa mixture to pot and bring to a boil. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes (stirring constantly) to eliminate any raw taste from the Masa. Add remaining 6 cups of water or broth to pot. Add tomatoes; let mixture return to boil, stirring occasionally. Add the cheeses to the soup. Cook stirring occasionally until cheese melts. Add chicken and heat through.

Serve with tortilla chips and some reserved pepper jack cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy!

Serves 8 (or so).


Buzz Words: enchilada, recipe, soup, food, meal, dinner, quick meal, Mexican, TexMex, lunch, cooking, delicious, chicken, vegetarian

Chili's Enchilada Soup

I have never eaten Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup before. Some kind soul in my family passed along the recipe for it to me via mail, and it sounded wonderful... so I wanted to try it out. I made this last night after I FINALLY bought some masa corn flour on the Mexican isle at the grocery store.

The entire family raved about this soup at the dinner table. My husband hugged and kissed me and thanked me for cooking (even though he had wanted to eat out originally). My daughter told me later in the evening, "Mommy, I have to say that your dinner tonight was WONDERFUL." Even my picky, spice-wimp, nine-year old son ate a whole bowlful and said it was good. After I finished eating my serving, I said, "Man! This recipe is a keeper!" Kev said, "YOU got that right!"

I hope you enjoy it for your family as well.

Chili's Enchilada Soup

INGREDIENTS...

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chicken base (or use several cups of chicken broth - I used a LARGE can of 6+ cups)

1 1/2 cups diced onion

4 oz. chopped green onion (I used 2 green onions)

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. minced garlic (2-3 cloves)

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 chopped and seeded seranno pepper or green chili (I used 3 dried pequin peppers, crumbled)

1 cup masa corn flour (NOT corn meal! Also used to make tamales.)

2 cups water for masa mixture

2 cups water for soup if you use 6 cups chicken broth (adjust water/chicken broth to equal about 8 cups for soup broth)

1 cup crushed tomatoes

4 oz. Velveeta Light (cut in small cubes for quicker melting)

1-2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese (optional ~ hold some back for final soup topping)

22 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast - fried in butter/garlic salt and cubed

15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1/2 bag frozen corn or 1 can corn (drained)

cilantro to taste (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS...

In large pot, place oil, chicken base (if used), onion, chilies, and spices. Sautée until onions soften and are clear (about five minutes). In another large bowl, combine masa and 2 cups of water. Stir until lumps are dissolved. Add to sautéed onions and spices; bring to boil. Once mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking it for 2-3 minutes - stirring constantly. This will eliminate any raw taste from the masa. Add broth and water, corn, and beans. Add tomatoes. Let mixture come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add cheese to soup. Add green onions, cilantro and chicken*. Let simmer on medium low until the rest of your meal is completed and table is set (about 25-30 minutes). Serve hot with grated Pepper Jack sprinkled on top. Serve with thin tortilla chips or strips. Goes well with iced tea, and guacamole or hot sauce.

* Variation: Leave out chicken to make a vegetarian meal.


Technorati Tags: delicious, vegetarian, soup, chicken, lunch, food, dinner, enchilada, Chilis, copy, recipes, Mexican, corn, yummy, cooking, chips

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

I made this tonight, and it was good. We put a dollop of sour cream on top and it really hit the spot. I probably would have liked it even better, had I been able to blend it until it was creamy... alas, my blender is in a box in Texas, getting dusty in storage. My little food processor got it's guts whirred out tonight. Still, the soup was great, even grainy. I surprised my husband, also, who likes soups and thinks I spent a lot of time on it (shhhh! What he doesn't know won't kill him.).
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INGREDIENTS:
3 red bell peppers
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

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DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to broil.

Place the bell peppers on a baking sheet and broil on the top rack of the oven, using tongs to turn them as each side blackens. Place the blackened peppers in a paper bag, close tightly and allow them to cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Then peel the skin off the peppers and discard the stem and all the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Now add the chopped, roasted red bell peppers and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Next, add the chicken broth and the beans, stirring well. Using a blender, puree the soup in small batches and return to the pot over low heat for 5 minutes.

Recipe courtesy Scott Will at Allrecipes.com

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