Weekly Menu 4

This menu was submitted by Lauren Smith. When she claimed her menu, she told me hers was the simple one. I love this kind of simple menu. This is definitely how we eat on a weekly basis and I could take this shopping list as is!! Love it.

Menu

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Taco Soup

Omas Delicious Beef Stroganoff

Crockpot Beef Stew
Chicken Quesadillas
Chili Con Carne and Cornbread
Quiche

Grocery List

Ham (sliced)
1 lb Ground Beef/Turkey/Chicken
2 lbs Ground Beef
½-1lb Stew Beef
1 lb Bacon

2 Onion
Celery
Carrots
Potatoes (6-8)

Loaf of Bread
Tortillas

Cheddar Cheese (to slice)
5-6 C Shredded Cheddar
3 Sour Cream
2 Pie Crusts
Eggs

Salsa
Taco Seasoning
2 cans Tomato Soup
Taco Seasoning packet
3 cans Kidney Beans
1 can beef boullion
1 can tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
6-7 beef bouillion cubes
4 can corn
3 can stewed tomatoes
1 Can Refried Beans
2 Cans of Chicken
3 cans chilli (no beans)
Fritos


Needed on Hand:
Butter
Milk
Dry Basil
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

We all know how to butter bread, slice cheese and cook it in a pan, as well as follow directions on a can. :) Here's how we spice it up:

1-Add Ham to the grilled cheese

2-Instead of adding 1 can water to the soup, add 1/2 water, 1/2 milk, and add some dried basil.

-Lauren Smith

[colby's note: Genius!!]

Taco Soup

[This recipe is similar to the Taco Topper recipe. I like this one because it has a few less ingredients, so you could see what fits your pantry or tastes better.]

1 lb Ground Beef or 2 Cans Canned chicken

Taco Seasoning packet

Can beans (kidney or white-whatever your preference)

Can Corn

Can Stewed Tomatoes

Brown beef, then combine above in a pan on the stove until heated thoroughly. Top with grated cheese, Sour cream, Fritos, and...voila!

-Lauren Smith

Oma's Delicious Beef Stroganoff

From Lauren's Swiss Grandmother

(Serves about 8-10)

2 lbs ground beef

2 tbsp flour

2 tblsp butter

1medium onion chopped

1 can beef boullion

4 Tbsp tomato sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 c. sour cream

Sprinkle flour over meat & saute meat & onion in butter until onion is tender & meat is brown & crumbly

Add bouillion and tomato sauce. Simmer slowly for 10-15 min. stirring occassionally.

Just before serving time, add cream of mushroom soup.

Heat until piping hot. Add sour cream & serve over rice or noodles (egg noddles are our fav) with fav veggie

-Lauren Smith

Crockpot Beef Stew

(6-8 servings)

1 packet of Stew Beef (or 1/2-1 lb. chopped any roast beef type)

Chopped celery (several small stalks)

Chopped carrots

Potatoes (6-8ish?)

3 cups water

6-7 beef bouillion cubes

1 can corn

1 can stewed tomatoes

Set crockpot either for High 6 hours or Low 8-10 hours (its hard to mess this one up)

Lauren Smith

Chicken Quesedillas

2 Cans chicken (add 1/2 packet Taco Seasoning)Tortillas

grated cheese

salsa

sour cream

Corn

Refried beans

Put chicken & cheese on tortilla & fold in half. Cook on stove (med heat). Serve with corn and refried beans, Dip in sour cream, salsa.

-Lauren Smith

Chili Con Carne

3 cans chilli (no bean)
1 can kidney beans
1 can stewed tomoatoes
1 can corn
grated cheese & sour cream

Combine on the stove

Serve with cornbread

-Lauren Smith

Quiche

Quiche (4-8 servings, depending on how much you eat)

2 prepared pie crusts (I have a dough recipe, but I've resorted to prepared crusts since I have to simplify!)

8 eggs

1 pound bacon cooked & crumbled

1/4-1/2 onion (cooked in butter or with bacon)

1 cup sour cream

1-2 cups grated cheese

salt, pepper, nutmeg

Combine ingredients & pour into pie crusts. Bake at 325 deg. for 45 minutes. Serve with broccoli & grape juice (our fav, but do whatever you like!)

-Lauren Smith

Weekly Menu 3

Thanks Kammy for sending in your Grocery and Recipe list!! Contrary to what you suggested, I think I would like all of these recipes;)

I still have 12 more to add from my ward exchange. And I would love more! So excited.

Sunday—Chicken Taquitos
Monday—Spaghetti Carbonara
Tuesday— Meatball subs
Wednesday—Teriyaki Chicken over rice, steamed veggies
Thursday—Mac and Cheese, steamed broccoli, fruit salad
Friday—Thai Curry with noodles
Saturday—Soup and sandwiches (you know, canned soup and grilled cheese, no recipes needed)

Grocery List

Produce

Broccoli
Carrots
Green onions
Green pepper
Mushrooms
Cilantro
Limes
Bananas
Garlic (or use minced)

Meat

½ lb bacon
Meatballs (I buy a huge bag from Costco and they last forever)
3 lbs chicken

Baking

Sugar
Brown sugar
Flour

Pasta/International

Green salsa
Corn tortillas
Linguine
Spaghetti noodles
Pasta (I bought whole wheat shells)
Spaghetti sauce
Curry paste
Coconut milk
Soy sauce
Rice

Dairy

½ lb provolone cheese
1 large bag of shredded cheddar/jack (4 cups)
Cheese for sandwiches
Shredded Parmesan (1/2-1 cup)
Milk
Butter/margarine
Eggs

Seasonings used:
Cumin
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Ginger
Minced garlic
Sesame oil
Olive oil
Sweet chili sauce (see curry recipe for details)

Bread
Outdoor rolls or hoagies
Sandwich bread

Misc
Canned fruit (peaches, mandarin oranges)
Frozen stir fry veggies

Canned soup

Spaghetti Carbonara

(Adapted from Ruth Reichl’s book Garlic and Sapphires)

1 lb spaghetti
½ lb bacon
1-2 TBS minced garlic
2 large eggs
Black pepper
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for table

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, which usually take 10 minutes to cook, just enough time to make the sauce.

Cut the bacon in to ½ inch pieces, put them in a skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes until the fat begins to render (soften?). Add the garlic and cook a few more minutes until the edges of bacon just begin to get crisp. Do not overcook; if they get too crisp they won’t meld with the pasta.

Break the eggs in to the bowl you will serve the past in, and beat them with a fork, at some pepper.

If it looks like too much fat to you, discard some, but you’re going to toss the bacon with most of its fat into the pasta. (I usually drain of at least half).

When it is cooked, drain the past and immediately throw it into the beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly. The heat from the spaghetti will cook the eggs and turn them into a sauce. Add the bacon with its fat, toss again, add cheese and serve.

Submitted by Kammy T

Meatball Subs

Submitted by Kammy T

Frozen meatballs

Can of Spaghetti sauce

Sliced cheese (we like Provolone)

Hoagie rolls (we like outdoor rolls)

Put meatballs and spaghetti sauce in your crockpot for 6-8 hours on low.

Serve 3-4 meatballs on each roll with a slice or two of provolone. You can use hotdog buns to make kid-sized subs.

Hawaiin Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe was submitted by Kammy T. She got the recipe as follows at freezerdinner.com, a site that I love for the recipes and freezer tips.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
2 cups soy sauce
2 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 green onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
3 pounds chicken tenders or breasts,
1 keilbasa sausage sliced into 1-inch strips (optional)

Place all ingredients except chicken and sausage into 2
large zip-top bags. Stir to create marinade. Add the raw chicken and sliced sausage
squeeze all the air out of the bags. Label and
freeze. (Marinate the meat for at least 15
minutes in the fridge, or up to 3 months in
the freezer.)
To Serve
Defrost frozen meat and marinade in the microwave and then cook together in a hot skillet until chicken is cooked through (5 minutes on each side.) Serve with rice.

To turn marinade into a sauce, bring it to a boil on the stove and add 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ½ cup cold water. (Mix the cornstarch with water before pouring it into the sauce or it will be lumpy.) Stir until sauce thickens, and then pour on rice. Garnish with sesame seeds.

*Another option to make this recipe is to place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours. Serve with rice and freeze leftovers.

fruit salad

This was submitted by Kammy T as found on the blog Friends and Food.

2 cans of peaches

1 large can drained mandarin oranges

1 banana

1/4 small package of vanilla pudding

Prepare the fruit salad by draining off two cans of peaches (and chop into bite sizes if needed) and save about 1/2 cup of the juice. Add peaches to a bowl along with one large can drained mandarin oranges. Use 1/4 package of a small package of vanilla pudding and whisk in the peach juice. Stir into the fruit and let sit in the fridge until serving time, then add one banana sliced and toss in.

mac and cheese

1 lb favorite pasta (author uses bow tie)

4 Tbl butter

4 tbl flour

2 C milk

2 C cheese (mild cheddar and mozzarella)

Submitted by Kammy T as found from the site Friends and Food

Cook 1 lb. of your favorite pasta in a large pot(we like bow tie) don't forget to salt the water when you add the pasta. While it cooks make the white sauce (or roux)

In a small sauce pan (with tall sides) melt 4 TB butter over medium heat, or just a tad warmer. Then whisk in 4 TB flour until it's smooth. Slowly, while whisking add 2 cups milk (we use 1%). Continue to check on it and give it a stir while you prepare the rest of the meal, it will start to thicken up, when it's just barely thickened, turn heat to low. Grate about 2 cups, give or take, of your favorite cheese (we use mild cheddar and sometimes a combo of that with mozzarella too), set aside.

When the pasta is done drain it off and put it back into the pot. Stir in the white sauce,toss in the cheese and stir until all the pasta has cheese on it, then cover with the lid. The cheese will melt up and be ready to serve. I usually bake mine in a casserole dish, but discovered if you let it sit in the pot for a few minutes it's just the same as if you bake it essentially except for a golden crust on the top, but time is too precious!

Thai Curry with Noodles

This recipe was submitted by Kammy T. She got the recipe from Our Best Bites. And they report that "[this] recipe heavily adapted from The Colorado Connection. So see, when it comes to recipes it ok to beg, borrow, and steal. As long as you give credit;)

1 lb. linguine or rice noodles (if using rice noodles, soak in hot water for about 1/2 hour and then drain and rinse)

1 12-oz. package of frozen stir fry vegetables or 6 oz. frozen broccoli and 6 oz. frozen julienned carrots

1/2 c. green onions

1 medium red, orange, or yellow pepper, thinly sliced

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp. fresh, minced ginger

1 Tbsp. fresh, minced garlic

1 Tbsp. curry paste

Juice of 1 lime, plus more limes for garnish

2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can of lite coconut milk

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2-3 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce (available at Asian markets)

Black sesame seeds for garnish

Cook pasta according to the package directions. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, curry paste, and lime juice. While the pasta is cooking, microwave the frozen vegetables according to the package directions, but only cook them for 1/2 the time–you still want them to be quite crunchy. If you’re using fresh veggies, blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes or until they’re tender-crisp.

In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, mushrooms, ginger, and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is fragrant. Be sure to continue stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.

Add the sliced red peppers and the half-cooked (formerly frozen) vegetables. Stir fry for about 1 minute and then add the coconut milk mixture and cook until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and add the cooked noodles. Toss to combine and then allow the mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Toss again and serve with a sprinkling of black sesame seeds and 2 lime wedges per person (squeeze the lime juice over the noodles before eating). Serves 8 very generously, so if you can find an extra use for the other half of that can of coconut milk, I say go for it…:)

Weekly Menu 2

My fabulous friend Charisse Thomas had this fantastic idea to gather some ladies together, have us make a 1 week dinner menu and grocery list, and then she combined and passed them out to each of this. I thought I would repost them here for anyone who looks.

I would love to have your menu too (hint hint!!)

The Menu:
(Click on Dish to get the recipe)

Sunday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .French Dip Sandwiches
Monday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crockpot White Bean Chili
Tuesday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ravioli Casserole
Wednesday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Noodle/Chicken in Peanut Sauce
Thursday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lasagne Soup
Friday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hawaiian Chicken
Saturday. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roast and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

The Grocery List:

4-5 lbs. Chuck Roast
4lb. boneless roast
1lb. Italian sausage
3-4 boneless chkn breasts

4 cloves garlic
3 onions
2pdg. of carrots
1 pkg. mushrooms
2 cups fresh spinach
Stuff for salad
Fresh rosemary
Fresh or dry thyme
5lbs. of Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes
Bundle of green onion
Ginger

Bread for French Dip sandwiches
Homemade or store bought French bread

Rice Vinegar
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
2 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing
4 cans beef broth
2 pkg. au jus
6 cans chkn broth
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce box of small pasta for soup
Crushed pineapple
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can white corn
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can cream of chkn soup
1 pkg. taco seasoning
Chili or Thai Sauce

2 cups (16 oz) small-curd cottage cheese
6 cups (16 oz) shredded mozz cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1pkg. provolone cheese
Parmesan cheese
Container of sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
½ -3/4 C Half and Half

Tostitos
Rice
8 oz. rice noodles
1-2 pkg frozen cheese ravioli

Needed on Hand:
Ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Mustard
Brown sugar
Peanut Butter
Soy sauce

-submitted by Rachel Freeman

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

5 pounds of Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

¾ cups butter

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened

½ cups half and half

½ tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to

a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30-35 minutes. When they’re cooked

through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into

the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to

escape before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, cream cheese, and half and half. Mash and then add ½

tsp of Lawry’s Seasoning salt and ½ tsp of black pepper. Stir well and place in a medium sized baking

dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 35o degree oven and

heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

-Rachel Freeman

Pot Roast

1 whole 4-5 lb Chuck Roast

2Tbs. Olive Oil

2 whole onions

6 whole carrots

3 cups beef broth

3 sprigs of fresh Thyme or Tbs. of dried Thyme

4 sprigs fresh Rosemary

First generously salt and pepper your roast. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Then add 2-3 Tbs. of olive oil. Cut two onions in half and cut 6-8 carrots into 2 inch slices. When the oil

in the pot is very hot, add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove

the onions to a plate. Throw the carrots in to the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until

slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a

minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get

all of the flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef broth

to cover the meat halfway. Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and

about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275 degree oven for 3 hours. For a 4-5 pound roast plan on 4 hours.

Rachel Freeman

Hawaiian Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup ketchup

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1tsp. mustard

½ crushed pineapple with juice

½ cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or stew in slow cooker for 4-6 hours. Serve

over rice.

-Rachel Freeman

Lasagna Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup carrots, diced

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

2 T. garlic minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, chopped

1 can tomato sauce

1 box small pasta

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 cup provolone cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Brown sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté 3 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms and garlic, and sauté another 3 minutes. Drain grease.

Add broth, stewed tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Drop in pasta and simmer until

cooked, about 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted.

Place ¼ cup cheese into serving bowls and pour soup on top. Garnish with Parmesan and basil. Serve

with French bread.

-Rachel Freeman

Noodle/Chicken in Peanut Sauce

Noodle/Chicken in Peanut Sauce

½ cup Chicken broth

¼ cup chunky peanut butter

¼ soy sauce

3 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger

2 tsp. chile sauce or Tai sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz uncooked rice noodles

1 lb. cooked chopped chicken

1 cup chopped green onion

1 cup shredded carrot

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until smooth,

stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Cook pasta in boiling water until soft. Add chicken, onions, and

carrot in noodles and then drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Add peanut sauce and toss gently.

I (Rachel) double for my family.

-Rachel Freeman

Ravioli Casserole

1 jar (28oz) spaghetti sauce

1-2 pkg. (25oz.) frozen cheese ravioli

2 cups (16 oz) small curd cottage cheese

4 cups (16oz) shredded mozz .cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spread ½ cup of spaghetti sauce in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Layer with half of the ravioli, 1 ¼

cups of sauce, 1 cup of cottage cheese and 2 cups of mozz. cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with the

Parm. cheese. Bake uncovered at 35 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 min

before serving. Serve with salad.

-from Rachel Freeman

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

My friend Kammy tried these and here's what she said:

"I made these for dinner tonight. They were super tasty. I 1 1/2 the recipe which made 21, enough for the 6 of us for dinner, with 6 left over for snacking tonight. YUM! I'm going to try flour tortillas next time."

The recipe as follows comes from Our Best Bites. Can't wait to try this one. Especially because my husband makes fun of me for never trying taquitos (the gross frozen ones that he likes). But these don't look gross at all;)

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Dip them in salsa, sour cream, guacamole or dressing.

Crockpot White Bean Chili

1 lb. chicken breast

2 cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can white corn, drained

1 can chopped green chilies

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 14oz can chicken broth

1 pkg. taco seasoning

½ c sour cream

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Put the northern beans, white corn, and green chilies on

top. Mix together cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and taco seasoning and pour on top. Cook on

low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. When done, take out the chicken and cut into small pieces.

(This is just slighltly different from the delicious one Amy put on, but I thought I'd still add it.)

-Rachel Freeman

French Dip Sandwhiches

2 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing

2 cans beef broth

2 pkg. Au jus

1 can water

4-5 lb. boneless roast

Put all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on LOW all night and throughout the entire day 18-20 hrs. Trim

fat while cooking. Put meat on bread then top with cheese. Place in oven on broil and watch closely.

When brown, take out and serve with the au jus sauce (sauce in crock pot) for dipping.

-Rachel Freeman

Week of Recipes 1

This really cool girl I know had an idea to ask people for a weekly menu complete with recipes and a shopping list. She's is going to combine all the lists and hand them back to everyone. I'm so excited and can't wait to see the other lists.

I just go done with my list and thought I would post it here. I used recipes from this website so I will just link back to them. If anyone else wanted to do the same, I would love to add their shopping list and recipes here. Even if one night is left overs, and another pb & j. Just having it all written out, what is needed for the week, would be fabulous. I hate compiling shopping lists. With all that I am, I hate it!!!!!!

So here's my list. I tried to keep it cheap, easy, and realistic to what we would eat. Most of these recipes work for my family of 6. I made a note when I needed to double or triple the recipe as it is listed.

Sunday. . . . . . . .Chicken Tacos (double this to use chicken for Monday's soup)

Monday. . . . . . . Crockpot Tortilla Soup

Tuesday. . . . . . .Easy Breakfast Bake w/ fruit salad

Wednesday. . . .Zucchini Pasta w/ french bread

Thursday. . . . . . Red Beans and Rice w/ cornbread

Friday. . . . . . . . . Pizza Bites w/ salad (I double this)

Saturday. . . . . . .Grilled Soy Pork w/rice & grilled vegetables (I triple this)

Grocery List

Produce
1 small red onion
2 white onion
9 garlic cloves
1 lrg zucchini
2 tbl cilantro
Lettuce (for tacos, & fri salad)
Tomatoes (tacos, soup, salad)
Green onions (taco/soup)
Avocados (if wanted for tacos/soup)
fruit for fruit salad
any other items for fri salad
vegetables to grill w/pork

Meat
6 chicken breasts
6 boneless center-cut pork loin chops

Baking
Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Salt
1 pckg Taco Seasoning
1 tsp Creole/Cajun seasoning or cayenne pepper
1 pckg Italian seasoning
paprika
Olive Oil
Cornmeal or corn bread mix
Salad Dressing(I like ranch with my chicken taco salad, and then dressing for fri. salad)

Canned foods/soup/beans
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can pinto beans
3 15 oz can kidney beans
2 15 oz can chicken broth
1 15 oz can corn

Pasta/International
1 14oz can green chile enchilada sauce
4 4oz cans diced chiles
Salsa (enough for tacos)
Taco shells or tortillas (enough for tacos)
1 pckg whole wheat spaghetti
marinara or pizza sauce
soy sauce
white or brown rice (whatever your family prefers)

Snack foods
Tortilla chips (enough for soup and chicken tacos if eating salad)

Dairy
2 8 oz pckg Shredded cheddar cheese
1 8 oz pckg shredded mozzerella
1 1/2 C parmesan cheese
Sour cream (enough for tacos and soup)
1 pckg crescent roll dough
2 pckg pizza dough
Dozen Eggs
milk

Deli
1 pckg pre-cooked bacon
1 lb fully cooked smoked sausage (such as hot links or Kielbasa)
1 pckg little pepperonis

Bread
1 loaf of French bread

ok, so if you are up for it, I really want your weekly menu and grocery list. please;)

oreo cupcakes

Did I not put these on before?? I made these the first time for Mrs. Hart's baby shower (hence the pink tint, not sure how appetizing that is). It's one cupcake I can make that comes out consistently yummy everytime. It's a can't miss cupcake. I got the recipes from cupcake project. which is seriously one project I would love to be a part of.

The Cupcakes

(I can get 24 out of this recipe)

3/4 C butter, room temperature

2 1/4 C brown sugar

8 oz dark chocolate, melted

3 large eggs, separated

2 t vanilla extract

2 C all-purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 3/4 C milk

8 Oreo cookies, smashed to bits

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in egg yolks.

Mix in vanilla and chocolate.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter/sugar mixture.

Stir in Oreos.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until peaks form.

Fold the batter into the egg whites.

Fill cupcake liners almost to the top - remember that you want these to be tall.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting

(I double this if I want this piled high on the cupcakes)

8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 C butter, room temperature

3-4 C powdered sugar (use more or less depending on how stiff you want the frosting to be)

1/2 t vanilla extract

3/4 C crushed Oreos (I crushed them in the food processor to be sure the pieces would be really tiny and wouldn't get stuck in my piping tips. If you are going to spread the frosting, it might be fun to use bigger chunks of Oreo.)

Whip cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.

Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.

Add vanilla extract.