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Buy in Bulk
Buy foods in bulk at your natural foods store in
the bulk bins section. Oatmeal, beans, seeds,
nuts, and grains such as rice and flour are much
cheaper that way and you help save the planet
by using less packaging.
Serenity
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Monday
- Sloppy Joe Pizza
- Salad
- Vanilla Yogurt with Apples and Grapes
Tuesday
- Waffles
- Scrambled or Fried Eggs
- Bacon
- Fresh Fruit
Wednesday
- Taco Crescent Bake
- leftover Salad
- Spanish Rice
Thursday
- Chicken and Mushrooms in Wine
- Angel Hair Pasta
- Sauteed Asparagus
Friday
- Grilled Burgers and Dogs
- Grilled Vegetables
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Festive Flag Cake
This week's Grocery List can be downloaded here:
Grocery List for June 30 - July 4 , 2008 - PDF
Grocery List for June 30 - July 4 , 2008 - TXT (for PDAs or text editing)
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Monday Recipes
Notes for Monday:
- If you did not double the Sloppy Joes Recipe last week for tonight's pizza, you can find a recipe here.
- Use your favorite bread machine pizza dough recipe and set your bread machine so that the dough will be ready when you want to start dinner. Bake the dough so that it is almost done but not all the way.
- Make a large salad tonight and save half for Wednesday night. Add croutons, bacon bits, sunflower seeds, and any other "crunchies" just before serving each night.
Sloppy Joe Pizza
- 2 cups Sloppy Joe sauce (from last Monday)
- 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions
- 1-1/2 cups colby-jack or Mexican blend* cheese
- 1 recipe bread machine pizza dough, prepared and baked until almost done
In a skillet, combine Sloppy Joe sauce, corn, and green onions. Heat through. Spread mixture on top of baked pizza crust and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Salad
Vanilla Yogurt with Apples and Grapes
Tuesday Recipes
Notes for Tuesday:
- Breakfast for dinner, yum! We are going to serve fresh fruit with tonight's dinner. You can either serve your waffles with fruit and whipped cream or serve them with syrup (using pure maple is much healthier than syrups based on corn syrup) and serve the fruit as a side dish.
- Any extra waffles you have can be frozen for easy breakfasts. If you are feeling industrious, make an extra batch just for the freezer.
Waffles
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup pecan meal (optional but delicious)
Mix dry ingredients well. In a separate container mix wet ingredients. Combine and mix until just smooth. Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray and cook according to the instructions for your waffle iron.
Scrambled or Fried Eggs
Bacon
Fresh Fruit
Wednesday Recipes
Notes for Wednesday:
- Tonight's taco dish will go together quickly using the taco seasoned ground beef from your freezer. Just thaw your taco meat in the microwave and follow the recipe below. If you did not cook extra taco seasoned ground beef several weeks ago, be sure to add ground beef and taco seasoning to your grocery list.
- You can either serve your leftover salad from Monday as is or feel free to "dress it up" to go along with the "Mexi Theme". Get some ideas for dressing up your leftover salad below in the Mexican Salad recipe.
Taco Crescent Bake
- 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
- 2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
- 1 lb. taco seasoned ground beef, browned (from freezer)
- 1 container sour cream (8oz.)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (4 oz.)
Unroll crescent dough into a rectangle; press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking dish. Seal seams and perforations. Sprinkle with 1 cup of crushed chips; set aside. In the microwave, heat up your taco seasoned ground beef. Spoon over chips. Top with sour cream, cheese and remaining chips. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.
Spanish Rice
- 1 chopped onion, sauteed (from freezer)
- 1/2 chopped green pepper
- black pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- Adobo seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
- Olive oil
- 1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth
- 1 cup water
Saute green pepper in olive oil in a Dutch oven until tender; remove from pan. Add 2 T. olive oil to pan and when hot add the uncooked rice. Stirring constantly, cook the rice until slightly browned but not burned. Add chicken broth and water (this will sizzle loudly when the liquid meets the hot oil), add seasonings to taste, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes; do not open. When cooked, add onions, green pepper, and any other warmed items you may have on hand that would be good in rice (corn, salsa, Rotel, etc.). Stir gently and serve.
Leftover Salad or
Mexican Salad
- variety of lettuces, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded & chopped
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 can black olives, drained
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 bottle ranch salad dressing (We like the Spicy Ranch Salad Dressing)
Combine all fresh ingredients and serve with ranch dressing.
Thursday Recipes
Notes for Thursday:
- Make the Festive Flag Cake tonight so it will be ready for tomorrow.
Chicken and Mushrooms in Wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 chicken tenderloins or 4 boneless skinless breast halves
- 8 oz mushrooms, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Place all ingredients except the cornstarch in a large heavy skillet with a lid and cover. Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done, about 10 - 15 minutes. Push everything over to one side and add corn starch to liquid on the empty side. Mix well with juices until there are no lumps. Return all ingredients to an even place in pan, simmer for 5 minutes.
Angel Hair Pasta
Sauteed Asparagus
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 pkg. frozen asparagus or 2 lbs of fresh*
- 1 Tsp basil
- 1 Tsp dried rosemary
Heat oil and balsamic vinegar in large skillet over medium heat. Add frozen asparagus and herbs; saute for about 15 minutes, turning asparagus over frequently.
Festive Flag Cake (for tomorrow)
- 1 prepared angel food cake, sliced
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 cup milk
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 pints raspberries* (or 1 pint strawberries)
- 1 pint blueberries
Combine whipping cream, vanilla, granulated sugar, and ¼ milk in a bowl. Beat until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Fold into whipping cream mixture. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture, a layer of cake slices, and repeat, ending with the remaining 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture on top. Top with raspberries and blueberries in the shape of a US flag. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
Friday Recipes
Notes for Friday:
- Happy 4th of July! If you did not make your flag cake last night, make it early in the day today.
- The Macaroni and Cheese can be prepared in advance to save on prep time. You may also want to double the recipe and freeze the extra for later use.
- I usually figure about 4 burgers per pound of ground beef so plan the number of pounds you need according to the number of people you are serving.
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
I usually use 1 lb. of ground beef, an egg, and Adobo seasoning (easily found in the spice section of most grocery stores; substitute garlic salt if you can't find it) to make 4 patties. You may add some bread crumbs if you wish. Shape patties for tonight's dinner. Feel free to make extra patties and freeze for future use.
Grill hamburgers and hot dogs and serve on buns with your favorite condiments.
Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns
Grilled Vegetables
- 1 red onion, cut into 4 pieces and separated
- 1 yellow squash, sliced 3/4" thick and cubed
- 1 zucchini, sliced 3/4" thick and cubed
- 1 cup green pepper, cut into 1" squares
- 1 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1" squares
- 2 cups mushrooms, fresh
Olive Oil mixture:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 Tsp black pepper
- 1/4 Tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp basil
Toss vegetables with Olive Oil mixture and place in oil sprayed grill basket or foil pan. Grill on medium with lid closed. Stir occasionally until vegetables are tender (approx. 10-12 minutes).
For additional tenderness, microwave onion pieces 1-2 minutes before grilling.
For crisp mushrooms, add about 5-6 minutes into cooking time.
Recipe adapted from That's My Home
Macaroni and Cheese
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard (optional)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2-1/2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded American or Cheddar cheese, divided
- 8 oz Mueller's Elbows (about 2 cups), cooked 5 minutes and drained
In medium saucepan combine corn starch, salt, dry mustard and pepper; stir in milk. Add margarine. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-3/4 cups (425 ml) cheese until melted. Add elbows. Pour into greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned. This can be prepared ahead of time and kept refrigerated until you are ready to bake. Add 5-7 minutes to the cooking time if cold.
Festive Flag Cake
- 1 prepared angel food cake, sliced
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 cup milk
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 pints raspberries* (or 1 pint strawberries)
- 1 pint blueberries
Combine whipping cream, vanilla, granulated sugar, and ¼ milk in a bowl. Beat until soft peaks form. In a separate bowl combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Fold into whipping cream mixture. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture, a layer of cake slices, and repeat, ending with the remaining 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture on top. Top with raspberries and blueberries in the shape of a US flag. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
* Indicates that of the options listed, this item is the one on the grocery list.
