Menu Plan Monday

Ok, so I'm going to cheat a bit with this week's menu. I'm using one already planned out. I found it last week, I don't remember how. It was originally printed in USA Today (which I don't get but I found while surfing the web) here's the link: Cooking Light Comfort Food Menu The recipes come from Cooking Light's new cookbook which is a binder-style cookbook. I'm pretty sure you can also find most of the recipes at myrecipes.com but I haven't checked- anyway, if you click within the article there's an actual menu for a week with recipes (breakfast/lunch/dinner and a snack or dessert) provided by two registered dietitians and from the Cooking Light Complete Cookbook. I'm not sure how closely I'll stick to this at the moment - a lot of the fruits aren't in season (figs) and I don't really need 8-10 servings of some of the dishes so towards the end of the week we'll be eating leftovers instead of eating the dishes as indicated (which is fine with me -and it's what I usually do). I'll only be buying about half the stuff indicated anyway.

Since it takes so long for me to pull up the USA Today pages I went ahead and formatted it for me and also made out a shopping list, I'll post it here, but it'll look funny (extra spaces) since it was actually formatted but doesn't copy as such.

Cooking Light Comfort Food Menu
SHOPPING LIST
PRODUCE:
1 cup cherries
1 cup cubed cantaloupe
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh strawberries
3 medium apples
2 medium bananas
1 medium orange
2 medium pears
1 1/2 cup seedless red grapes
16 fresh figs
2 medium plums
2 medium tangerines
2 tablespoons diced pineapple
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
4 pounds peaches
1 lemon
1 lime

5 pounds yellow onions
1 large red onion
2 sweet onions (about 1 pound)
4 shallots
1 bunch celery
4 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
3 pounds small red potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
3 pound carrots
1 cup chopped plum tomato
4 plum tomatoes
4 large tomatoes
1/2 cup yellow teardrop tomatoes,
1 pint mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
2 medium tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper
3 large poblano chiles
4 jalapeño peppers
1 pound asparagus
1 1/2 pounds green beans
1 avocado
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 bunch green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch fresh basil
1/4 cup Niçoise olives
2 heads of garlic
8 oz mushrooms
1 lb gourmet salad greens
2 lbs romaine lettuce
6 oz arugula
10 oz fresh spinach

BAKERY:
2 slices 100% whole-wheat toast
2 (2-ounce) slice sourdough bread
8 (1-ounce) slices whole-grain bread
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread
16 (1/2-ounce) slices French bread baguette
1 English muffin, toasted
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas
2 cups (3/4-inch) sourdough bread cubes

CONDIMENTS:
Cooking spray
extra-virgin olive oil
olive oil
canola oil
Dijon mustard
red wine vinegar
white wine vinegar
sherry vinegar
ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
white wine Worcestershire sauce
low-fat mayonnaise
balsamic vinegar
anchovy paste
honey

CANNED GOODS:
15 oz can cannellini beans
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives
3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16 oz) can less-sodium beef broth
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes
11 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes
9 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup apple juice
4 cups low-sodium tomato juice

DRY GOODS:
1/3 cup crushed onion Melba toasts
2 graham cracker sheets
1/2 cup cooked long-grain brown rice
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
2 tablespoons light pancake syrup
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow cornmeal
baking powder
baking soda
1 1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 granola-nut bar
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
2 cups puffed rice cereal
4 cups regular oats
1/2 up oat bran
1/2 cup quick oats prepared
1 cup wheat-bran flakes with raisins
1 tablespoon dried currants
1/4 cup dried blueberries
3 tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 tablespoon brown sugar
3 1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoon coarsely chopped pecans
2 tablespoon sliced almonds
1/2 cup sliced almonds

SPICES:
bay leaves
Cajun seasoning
chili powder
crushed red pepper
curry powder
dried basil
dried oregano
dried thyme
freshly ground black pepper
garlic-pepper blend (such as McCormick)
ground cinnamon
ground cumin
ground red pepper
salt
vanilla extract

MEAT:
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
4 pound boneless chuck roast
6 bacon slices
1 (8-ounce) tuna steak (3/4 inch thick)
1 pound ground round
8 ounces thinly sliced deli turkey
2 pounds ground sirloin
16 oz chicken breast
6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage


FREEZER CASE:
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 cup chopped cooked small shrimp (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup whole-fruit lemon sorbet
2 whole-grain frozen waffles

DAIRY CASE:
1 (5-ounce) container Greek-style yogurt
1 (6-ounce) container fat-free vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 3/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% milk
5 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1 cup 1% low-fat chocolate milk
6 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 stick butter
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 doz large eggs
1 1/3cup (5 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3 less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
3 ounces light processed cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

REFRIGERATOR CASE:
2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated chicken ravioli (such as Monterey Pasta Company)


MENU 1
Breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs
2 slices 100% whole-wheat toast
1 medium banana

Lunch:
1 1/3 cup of Edamame and Bean Salad with Shrimp and Fresh Salsa
1 medium orange

Dinner:
1 1/3 cup Beef Stew
3/4 cup Basic Mashed Potatoes
1 cup steamed asparagus

Snack/dessert:
3/4 cup Peach Cobbler
Nutrition facts:
Calories: 1,541; Fat: 48.5 grams (28% of calories from fat); Saturated fat: 12.5 grams (7% of calories);
Protein: 89 grams (23% of calories); Carbohydrates: 197 (51% of calories); Fiber: 35 grams; Sodium: 2,267 milligrams

To increase to 1,800 calories:
Add 1 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese to eggs and 1 tablespoon fruit jam to toast at breakfast.
Add 1/2 cup light vanilla ice cream to dessert.

RECIPES FROM MENU 1

Edamame And Bean Salad With Shrimp And Fresh Salsa

To save time, cook the edamame in the microwave and purchase everything else already cooked.

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 cup chopped cooked small shrimp (about 6 ounces)
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 teaspoon minced jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cook edamame according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine edamame, shrimp, cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes, onion and jalapeño pepper. Combine cilantro and remaining 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over edamame mixture, and toss gently to combine. Cover and chill.

Servings: 2 Serving size: 1 1/3 cups




Beef Stew

Serve this Mediterranean-inspired stew over mashed potatoes.

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 cups halved mushrooms (about 8 ounces)
2 cups diagonally cut carrot
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 bay leaves
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and next 4 ingredients to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return beef to pan. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.

Stir in olives and cook 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves. Stir in vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley.

Servings: 6 Serving size: 1 1/3 cups

Basic Mashed Potatoes

3 pounds cubed peeled baking potatoes
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter, softened

Place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potato to pan. Add milk and broth; mash to desired consistency. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in sour cream, salt and pepper. Top with butter.

Servings: 8 Serving size: About 3/4 cup
Peach Cobbler

Brown sugar and almonds are great flavor partners for fresh peaches. Rather than placing the dough on top, just fold it over the filling.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces
6 tablespoons ice water
Cooking spray
6 cups sliced, peeled peaches (about 3 3/4 pounds)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large egg
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor; pulse 2 or 3 times. Add butter pieces; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor on, slowly add ice water through food chute, processing just until combined (do not form a ball).

Gently press dough into a 4-inch circle. Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Place dough on plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 15-by-13-inch rectangle. Place in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed; remove top sheets. Fit dough, uncovered side down, into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, allowing dough to extend over edges; remove remaining plastic wrap.

Combine sliced peaches, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 1/2tablespoons flour, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl; toss gently. Spoon into prepared dish; fold edges of dough over peach mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar over mixture, and sprinkle with almonds.

Combine egg and water in a small bowl. Brush egg mixture over dough; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is lightly browned. Let stand 30 minutes before serving.

Servings: 10 Serving size: about 3/4 cup





MENU 2
Breakfast:
1 (6-ounce) container fat-free vanilla yogurt with
1 tablespoon toasted almonds
1 cup fresh strawberries

Lunch:
1 cup Chile-Cheese Chowder topped with
about 1 tablespoon green onions and
about 1 teaspoon crumbled bacon
1 (2-ounce) slice sourdough bread, toasted

Snack:
1 medium pear
1 granola-nut bar

Dinner:
Traditional Yankee Pot Roast, serving size: 3 ounces beef and about 1/2 cup vegetables
1 cup Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
1/2 cup wilted spinach

Snack/dessert:
3/4 cup whole-fruit lemon sorbet
Nutrition facts: Calories: 1,585; Fat: 33 grams (19% calories from fat); Saturated fat: 10.5g (6% of calories); Protein: 68 grams (17% of calories); Carbohydrates: 262 grams (66% of calories); Fiber: 29.5g; Sodium: 2,195 milligrams;

To increase to 1,800 calories:
Add 1 medium whole-wheat bagel topped with 1 tablespoon light cream cheese and 1 tablespoon fruit jam to breakfast.
RECIPES FROM MENU 2
Chile-Cheese Chowder
For a vegetarian soup, substitute 1 tablespoon canola oil for the bacon drippings and vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
2 bacon slices
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped seeded poblano chiles (about 3 large)
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
5 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sliced green onions
Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside.

Add carrot and next 5 ingredients to drippings in pan; sauté 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add potato and salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a bowl; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Stir into vegetable mixture. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 12 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, stirring until cheeses melt. Ladle soup into bowls; top with green onions and crumbled bacon.
Servings: 10 servings Serving size: 1 cup soup, about 1 tablespoon green onions, and about 1 teaspoon bacon
Traditional Yankee Pot Roast

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups less-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 1/4 pounds small red potatoes
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan, browning on all sides (about 8 minutes). Remove from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Return roast to pan. Combine broth, ketchup, and Worcestershire; pour over roast. Add tomato; bring to a simmer.

Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2hours or until tender. Add potatoes and carrots; cover and bake 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in lemon juice.

Serving: 10 Serving size: 3 ounces beef and about 1/2 cup vegetables.

Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Onions

4 medium peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 1/4 pounds)
2 sweet onions, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon garlic-pepper blend (such as McCormick)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine all ingredients in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Servings: 6 Serving size: 1 cup







MENU 3

Breakfast:
1/2 cup quick oats prepared with
1 cup skim milk topped with
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce,
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped toasted walnuts and
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Lunch:
1 Guacamole and Turkey Sandwich
2 medium tangerines

Snack:
1 medium apple
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Dinner:
Spaghetti and Meatballs, serving size: about 3/4 cups pasta mixture, 1/2 cup sauce and 3 meatballs
2 cups Mesclun and Romaine Salad with 2 Warm Parmesan Toasts
Nutrition facts: Calories: 1,499; Fat: 39 grams (23% of calories from fat); Saturated fat: 10 (6% of calories); Protein: 67 grams (18% of calories); Carbohydrates: 242 grams (65% of calories); Fiber: 32 grams; Sodium: 2,208 milligrams

To increase to 1,800 calories, add 2 slices of turkey bacon to breakfast, a 1-ounce mozzarella cheese stick at lunch and 1 (2-ounce) piece of French bread to dinner.

RECIPES FROM MENU 3

Guacamole And Turkey Sandwiches

To make hotter, add minced jalapeño peppers to the avocado mixture.

1/2 cup coarsely mashed avocado
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
8 (1-ounce) slices whole-grain bread
4 plum tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
8 ounces thinly sliced deli turkey

Combine avocado and lime juice. Spread 2 tablespoons avocado mixture on each of 4 bread slices. Arrange tomato slices over avocado mixture; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Divide sprouts, onion, cilantro, and turkey evenly over tomato slices. Top with remaining bread slices.

Servings: 4 Serving size: 1 sandwich






Spaghetti And Meatballs

Sauce:
5 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
Meatballs:
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
Remaining:
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

To prepare sauce, place half of tomatoes in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour pureed tomatoes into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Stir in pureed tomatoes, red pepper, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaves. Keep warm.

To prepare meatballs, preheat oven to 400°. Place bread in food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Combine breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup cheese, and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) meatballs, and place on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until done. Add meatballs to sauce, and cook over low heat 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta; return to pot. Spoon about 2 cups tomato sauce (leaving meatballs in pan) into pasta, and toss well to coat. Transfer pasta mixture to a platter; top with remaining sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese.

Servings: 8 Serving size: About 3/4 cup pasta mixture, 1/2 cup sauce, and 3 meatballs.





Mesclun And Romaine Salad With Warm Parmesan Toasts

Warm Parmesan Toasts:
8 (1/2-ounce) slices French bread baguette
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
3 cups gourmet salad greens
3 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
3 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 pint mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat broiler.

To prepare toasts, arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned. Turn bread over; sprinkle each slice with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese. Broil 1 minute or until cheese begins to melt.

To prepare vinaigrette, combine shallots and vinegar; let stand 5 minutes. Add oil, salt, mustard, and pepper; stir well with a whisk.

To prepare salad, place salad greens and remaining 5 ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to combine. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, and toss gently to coat. Serve with toasts. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups salad and 2 toasts).
















MENU 4
Breakfast:
1 English muffin, toasted
1 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup skim milk

Lunch:
1 1/4 cup Curried Chicken Salad
1 cup red grapes

Dinner:
1 1/2 cups Easy Ravioli Bake
1 1/2 cup Fig and Arugula Salad with Parmesan

Snack:
1 cup cubed cantaloupe
Nutrition facts: Calories: 1,494; Fat: 41 grams (25% of calories from fat); Saturated Fat: 12 grams (7% of calories); Protein: 82 grams (22% of calories); Carbohydrates: 212 grams (57% of calories); Fiber: 28.2 grams; Sodium: 2,041 milligrams;

To increase to 1,800 calories, add 1 (6-inch) wheat pita round cut into wedges to lunch and add 1/4 cup walnuts or almonds to snack.
RECIPES FROM MENU 4
Curried Chicken Salad

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup halved seedless red grapes
1/2 cup diced peeled apple
2 tablespoon diced pineapple
1 tablespoon dried currants
3 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour mayonnaise mixture over chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with almonds. Cover and chill.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups).












Easy Ravioli Bake
This recipe pairs the convenience of store-bought pasta with a quick, easy homemade sauce. Chop the tomatoes right in the can, snipping them with kitchen scissors. We enjoyed chicken ravioli in this dish, although any variety will work.

2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated chicken ravioli (such as Monterey Pasta Company)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine or water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
4 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, oregano, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add tomato paste and next 6 ingredients, stirring well to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add pasta to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Servings: 4 Serving size: About 1 1/2 cups

Fig And Arugula Salad With Parmesan

2 tablespoon minced shallots
1 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 fresh figs, each cut in half lengthwise
6 cups trimmed arugula (about 6 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add figs; cover and let stand 20 minutes. Add arugula and pepper; toss well. Top with cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups).
MENU 5
Breakfast:
1 cup wheat-bran flakes with raisins
1 cup skim milk
1 medium banana

Lunch:
2 pita halves, Smoky Bacon and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad Pitas
1 cup carrot sticks

Snack:
1 medium pear

Dinner:
1 1/4 cup All-American Chili with
1 tablespoon cheese
1 wedge Quick Buttermilk Corn Bread
Nutrition facts: Calories: 1,500; Fat: 32 grams (19% of calories from fat); Saturated Fat: 12 grams (7% of calories); Protein: 79 grams (21% of calories); Carbohydrates: 235 grams (63% of calories); Fiber: 35.5 grams; Sodium: 2,418 milligrams

To increase to 1,800 calories, add 1 cup 1% cottage cheese to snack and add 1 (3.5-ounce) sugar-free vanilla pudding cup as a snack after dinner.

Smoky Bacon and Blue Cheese Chicken Salad Pitas
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 6 ounces)
4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring well. Combine lettuce, chicken, bacon, and tomatoes in a medium bowl, stirring well. Drizzle yogurt mixture over chicken mixture; toss gently to coat. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad into each pita half. Serve immediately.
Serving size: 2 pita halves

All-American Chili
6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
3 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups Merlot or other fruity red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage, onion, and next 4 ingredients to pan; cook 8 minutes or until sausage and beef are browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato paste and next 6 ingredients, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Sprinkle with cheese.
Servings: 8 Serving size: 1 1/4 cups chili and 1 tablespoon cheese
Quick Buttermilk Cornbread

2 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 450°.

Pour oil into a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. Place skillet in a 450° oven for 10 minutes.

Combine cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk, pepper, and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until moist.

Remove pan from oven. Tip pan to coat bottom and sides with oil; carefully pour excess oil into batter, stirring to combine. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 8 Serving size: 1 wedge

MENU 6
Breakfast:
1/2 cup Wholesome Morning Granola
1 (5-ounce) container Greek-style yogurt
2 medium plums

Lunch:
1 cup Tomato-Basil Soup
2 cups Creamy Caesar Salad with Spicy Croutons
1 (2-ounce) slice sourdough bread

Dinner:
1 cup Creamy Four-Cheese Macaroni
Oven-Roasted Green Beans, serving size: about 3/4 cup (recipe)

Snack:
1 cup skim milk
1 cup cherries
Nutrition facts: Calories: 1,496; Fat: 33 grams (20% calories from fat); Saturated fat: 12 grams (7% calories from sat. fat); Protein: 69 grams (18% calories from protein); Carbohydrates: 223 grams (60% calories from carb.); Fiber: 25 grams; Sodium: 2,470 milligrams

To increase to 1,800 calories, add 1/2 cup cooked chopped chicken to salad at lunch and add 4 gingersnap cookies to snack.








Wholesome Morning Granola

4 cups regular oats
2 cups puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 up oat bran
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 tablespoon turbinado sugar
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine first 6 ingredients.

Combine juices in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey.

Slowly pour juice mixture over oat mixture, tossing to coat. Spread oat mixture evenly onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly; stir in blueberries, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Servings: 7 1/2 Serving size: 1/2 cup

Tomato-Basil Soup

4 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato (about 4 large)
4 cups low-sodium tomato juice
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, softened
Basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
8 (1/2 inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette

Bring tomato and juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Place tomato mixture and 1/3 cup basil in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in milk, salt and pepper. Add cream cheese, stirring well with a whisk, and cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes). Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with sliced basil, if desired. Serve with bread.
Servings: 8 Serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 bread slice
Creamy Caesar Salad With Spicy Croutons

1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon white wine Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups (3/4-inch) sourdough bread cubes
18 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Drop garlic halves through opening in blender lid with blender on; process until minced. Add mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients; process until well-blended. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine oil, Cajun seasoning and minced garlic in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 20 seconds. Add bread cubes; toss gently to coat. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese, and top with croutons.

Servings: 6 Serving size: 2 cups

Creamy Four-Cheese Macaroni

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
3 ounces light processed cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup crushed onion Melba toasts
1 tablespoon butter, softened

Cook macaroni according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Add cheeses; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove cheese mixture from heat; stir in cooked macaroni and salt.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine crushed toasts and butter; stir until well blended. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Servings: 8 Serving size: 1 cup


Oven-Roasted Green Beans

1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Cooking spray
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 475°.

Combine beans and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 10 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Remove pan from oven; add lemon juice to beans, and toss.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup).

MENU 7
Breakfast:
2 whole-grain frozen waffles
2 tablespoons light pancake syrup
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup skim milk

Lunch:
Grilled Tuna Niçoise, serving size: 2 ounces tuna, 2 cups greens, 1/4 cup tomato, 1 1/2 cups potato mixture, 1 tablespoon olives, and 1 tablespoon broth mixture

Dinner:
2 slices Italian Meat Loaf
1/3 cup Brussels Sprouts with Pecans
1/2 cup cooked long-grain brown rice

Snack:
1 cup 1% low-fat chocolate milk
1 medium apple
2 graham cracker sheets
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Nutrition facts: Calories: 1,545; Fat: 42 grams (24% of calories from fat); Saturated fat: 12 grams (7% of calories); Protein: 79 grams (21% of calories); Carbohydrates: 226 grams (58% of calories); Fiber: 25 grams; Sodium: 2,360 milligrams

To increase to 1,800 calories, add 1/4 cup sliced almonds to breakfast and 4 whole-wheat crackers to lunch.












Grilled Tuna Niçoise

4 cups cubed red potato
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
1 (8-ounce) tuna steak (3/4 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups gourmet salad greens
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Niçoise olives

Cook potato in boiling water 6 minutes or until tender; remove with a slotted spoon. Add green beans to boiling water, and cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Place fish on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut fish into 1-inch chunks.

Combine potato, fish, onion, parsley and tarragon in a large bowl. Combine broth and next 5 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Pour 1/2 cup broth mixture over potato mixture and toss well.

Place beans, greens, and tomatoes on plates. Top with potato mixture and olives. Drizzle remaining broth mixture over salads.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 ounces tuna, 2 cups greens, 1/4 cup tomato, 1 1/2 cups potato mixture, 1 tablespoon olives, and 1 tablespoon broth mixture).












Italian Meat Loaf

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 large egg whites
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground round
Cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices.

Servings: 6 Serving size: 2 slices

Brussels Sprouts With Pecans

2 teaspoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 cups halved and thinly sliced Brussels sprouts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoon coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in Brussels sprouts, and sauté 2 minutes. Add broth and sugar; cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in salt. Sprinkle with pecans.

Servings: 8 Serving size: About 1/3 cup

If you want to see more Menus check out I'm an Organizing Junkie she's already up to over 150 and she usually have over 200 people who participate!

Menu Plan Monday

So, I'm trying to if not control my emotional eating over all this stuff, at least do damage control itself. On one of the WW boards I'm on, a bunch of the people are there are trying to basically "get back to basics" and get back what they should be doing to lose weight once more instead of just trying to do it. The other day I worked on just trying to drink my water. I had gotten off of just simply trying to do that. And I don't mean drinking loads of it, I mean simply drinking it. It is something that i need to make sure that I do since one of the side effects of the Topamax is kidney stones. So..umm...yeah....I need to make sure I'm drinking enough water. So far so good, I'm doing well with that. Now it's back to trying to make sure I get my 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (I'm going to shorten that to 5F&V). I'm really not so great about that all the time. The big thing? I hate eating salads - sometimes they're ok, but I really just hate them. And then I stop fixing side dishes or just fix a grain which isn't a vegetable or fix a potato, which is technically a vegetable, but not really, especially since I'm diabetic. *sigh* SO....vegetables....I'm working on it. I can't just increase my fruits - that diabetic thing. The nutritionist told me to limit myself to 2 not just because of my diabetes but also because of my triglycerides - so that's what I try to do. I've also let my "milk" slide to. Also not a good thing. That's the next thing I'll be working on - babysteps here. Anyway, here's my menu plan for the week, along with my choices for breakfast and lunch. For more Menu Ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie

So:
Breakfast Choices:
Scrambled Eggs
Oatmeal
Yogurt with fruit or Grape Nuts (actually it's Kashi's version)
Shredded Wheat

Lunch Choices:
Leftovers (usually my first choice)
Taco Salad
Soup
Shrimp (I found a few the other day in the freezer) with Frozen stir-fry veggies

Suppers:
Shepherd's Pie (last night with leftover roasted lamb)
Chicken Sausages with Couscous and steamed broccoli (tonight - recipe in post below)
BBQ Chicken Legs (From Everyday Food Show this weekend)
For other meals I'm thinking:
Pasta (from the pantry)
Meatloaf (From the freezer)

I just couldn't concentrate on the planning for a menu this week, so I settled on 3 days - It's better than nothing. And to get rid of that salad stuff that I hate? I made a taco salad for lunch yesterday. Something I haven't had in a while. I bought a can of Turkey chili at the grocery store yesterday and used that for it (and do you know how hard it was to find that turkey chili in the store, that section has gotten really tiny now!). I couldn't even finish it. I now have some apples, a few cherry tomatoes, some avocados, some oranges, 3 bananas, a grapefruit and some nonfat fruity yogurts. Yay! I also picked up something I don't normally buy: small containers of Jell-O and Tapicoa pudding. I know I can make my own, but I'm more inclined to eat it all if I make it, even if I portion it out. So I've got some mostly healthy snacks around too. The Pringles have left the building. (And there's no Fresh Mozzarella around!)

Recipe I need to remember.

Since I was able to buy some of this sausage marked down since it was short dated I needed to find something to use it. I only bought a package of it, even though it was marked down from it's usual $5.99 to $2.99 - since I didn't have a lot of room in the freezer and I wasn't sure what to do with it. This recipe should work out since Hubby loves couscous and I don't make it enough for him either. I buy pine nuts at Costco and keep them in the freezer and whole wheat couscous in bulk at the healthfood store. I think I used up all my pinenuts when I made pesto at the end of summer to save all my basil, so I might have to get some more pinenuts (actually I'm almost positive I have to because I've been through that drawer in there a few times and pinenuts aren't in there).


Chicken Sausage and Couscous
Serves 4
From Weight Watchers Annual Recipes for Success 2008

When kitchen time is limited, a one-skillet dinner is always a good idea. This one features savory chicken sausage links served over a bed of spicy couscous.

cooking spray
12 oz pkg chicken sausage with wild mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes (such as Gerhard's)
3/4 finely chopped onion
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from pan; set aside, and keep warm.

Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and pine nuts; cook 3 minutes or until pine nuts begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high; add 2 cups water to onion mixture. Bring to a boil, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits. Add couscous and next 4 ingredients, stirring well. Arrange sausage over couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Yield: 4 servings (1 sausage link and 1 cup couscous) Cal 372 (34%from fat), fat 14.1 g, (sat 2.8g), Pro 16.4g, carb 48.4 g) fib 5.5 g, chol 62 mg, iron 2.2 mg, sod 57.4mg, calc 27 mg POINTS: 8

Just a bit of an update

I am doing a lot better today. Yay! Yesterday I went ahead and went to WW. And of course, NEXT week is a meeting about emotional eating. *SIGH* This week was about red light foods. Lets see...mine would be.....fresh mozzarella and pringles. Didn't really take much thinking, that's for sure. I was smart enough on Wednesday after the doctors appointment to at least buy the Buffalo Wing ones so that I could only eat a few at a time (or I buy the vinegar ones, for the same reason) and I also bought some of the low fat ones so that they wouldn't cause quite as much damage. I also avoided buying fresh mozzarella...even the one that you can buy in FoodLion because even though it's not Tom Leonards I can still eat it, ya know, with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (Bellagioso or something I think it is.) Oh, and speaking of olive oil. I went back to the Manakin-Sabot FoodLion and picked up the other bottle (I think I talked about getting some for hubby's birthday) of Australian olive oil marked for Barbecues & Marinades. If I didn't talk about them, let me repeat myself if I did. They don't have them at the one in Goochland, but in the one in Manakin they had Red Island olive oil from Australia. It is cold Pressed olive oil and it was about 7.99 I think for 16.9 fl oz. There were I think 3 or 4 different blends. I bought one that was labeled for Bread and Salad and is described as "a fresh and fruity oil ideal for dipping and dressing" and when we opened it and tried it, it is really fruity. Hubby even noticed it. Now, I liked it, but I really like my olive oil peppery, and I remembered that the one I bought this last go round for the barbecues and marinades was described as "full flavored peppery oil ideal for meat, seafood, and vegetables" so I picked it up. It is just what I want. YUMMMM! I hope they keep it at FoodLion. I can't wait to grill a T-bone or a Porterhouse at some point with just a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and drizzle some of this oil and squeeze a lemon over it before serving. Maybe that'll be my birthday dinner.

Today is supposed to get up to 76 degrees, and then tomorrow it's down to 56 or so. I have the windows open, and this morning Buster the male cockatiel was talking with the birds outside so much that I had to turn off the tv news until he was done since I couldn't hear it anyway - it took about 15 minutes. He also screams back to the tv whenever they have either an eagle or hawk screaming on the tv which is more often than you would think. I guess it's better than when Percy would bark in response to the Domino's ad when they rang the door bell - he has since stopped that.

My crocus's are being eaten by a rabbit. I caught it eating them a few weeks ago. It doesn't really bother me since they deserve to eat too, although it does bother me just a bit since I've only got a few purple ones, most of them are yellow, and that's the one it decides to chow down on most often. It has moved on down the line a couple of times though. I would be more upset if it chowed down on my daffodils - but those are safe. They also liked to nibble along my garden when I had that going to. It didn't really bother me that much either, but the thought about sharing with wildlife about sent my husband's grandfather over the edge I think. He wages war on the deer with his garden. :) As it is I already share the wild blackberryies and the cherries on my trees with the birds and squirrels (first off I'm scared of heights, so I'll only pick what I can reach for the cherries, and there's poison ivy and snakes for the blackberries so once more- I pick what I can reach). When we first moved in the cherry harvest was great, and it looked like there had been a mob hit in our drive way since the birds had dropped the cherries and it looked like blood splatters all over it.

What I do with those 3M Command Hooks

Picture037.jpg,
originally uploaded by dibranchia.

I hold my recipes that I'm going to cook with.

I need to upgrade to those metal ones at some point so they look a bit better.

And that index card? That's the Chez JJ pizza and pizza sauce recipe, that way I don't have to always go hunt for it.

The yellow bit is a post-it for a recipe change to make bread from hand to in a bread machine I'm going to try. I also keep recipes posted on the insides of the cabinets- Quick-Mix (Homemade Bisquick) recipes and how to make Pierogies (store-bought Mrs. T's frozen) so I can throw the large bag back into the freezer after pulling out what we want since we eat them so often. I've also got measurement cheat-sheets (3 tsp=1Tbsp and stuff like that) and how to make evap. milk and sweet cond. milk using dry milk, how to cook spaghetti squash in the micro (a sticker from one actually) and then 10 quick veggie meals for when I can't think of anything to eat since they are all things I've always got on hand.

Change of plans

The Hamburger Vegetable Soup was great! Reminded me of exactly what I had growing up in elementary school. Course I was spoiled, we had the Mennonite ladies as our lunch ladies. :)

So far the Scalloped Au Gratin Potatoes have been pushed back for a bit, I was exhausted on Tues - I ended up napping twice for a total of 6 hours, this after sleeping for 7 hours that night in the first place! So I didn't have time to fix and cook the casserole so we had frozen fish pulled from the freezer with leftover veggies. And tonight instead of fixing the potatoes, I used up the leftover mashed potatoes from Easter and made Mashed potato soup by adding Buttermilk until soupy and then topping with some bacon bits and shredded cheese. Quick and easy especially since today was a pretty crappy day.

I went to the new GYN today. He was very nice - reminded me of the first vet I worked for actually. Anyway, my period has been doing what it's done before, coming every 2 weeks, lasting for longer
than it should, and being WAY heaver than it should be. Before my liver problems it could be stopped by either taking birth control pills (the reason why I was on them in the first place) or by taking another
form or hormone pills. I was lucky in that I never had to actually do the last resort of a D&C (Dilation and curettage) because the pills (either type) always worked. Well now I can't take the pills. And I can't just do a D&C and then have to go back every few months to have to do it again either, well I could but it would really be worth it. [For those that don't know a D&C is where they remove the tissue that lines the uterus.] So he is recommending an endometrial ablation. This is where the endometrium is actually killed - he uses a short burst of electricity. Since the endometrium is dead, it's not recommend to become pregnant - and since I can't be since the pregnancy hormones would cause my liver tumors to grow and possibly burst, he recommended basically tying my tubes. That's what I was talking about
signing. In Va, since I haven't had kids, I have to sign a statement stating that I plan to have tubal sterilization, and then wait 30 days and then sign it again before having it done. I know that I can't have kids, I've known for a while, but signing that piece of paper, having a copy of that piece of paper in my hands just seems so..final. I can imagine that when I go to have the actual surgery towards the end of April (the actual date is up to me) it will feel even worse. We are hoping that this will control my periods - it can take up to 6 months, maybe up to a year before I notice a difference – I could still have PMS but no periods. If I still have heavy bleeding and such then the next stop is hysterectomy without any hormone replacement therapy. I need to schedule an pelvic Ultrasound beforehand. The Pap was done today. Joy.

Oh, and on the upside. I also get to plan to have my headlights squished at my convience too. I know y'all are jealous.

I am hoping to at least get the Leg of Lamb roasted tomorrow (If it's thawed enough) and the White Bean soup made (if the lamb's not thawed enough then it'll get made first).

Menu Plan Monday

I've REALLY got to empty the freezer. They had organic chickens short-dated at the grocery store the other day- meaning they were half-priced. I wanted so bad to get them, but I had no room for anything else in the freezer. It's good in one way, but not in another. So I need to start eating what I've got in there. Hubby and I still discuss what we eat and how it impact not just our health and us, but our world. I also checked out "The Omnivore's Dilemma" from the library, but I've just started the first chapter. We want to choose "happy meat" as it's sometimes called, but realize also that it's sometimes not possible for us to our finances. We've decided to just do the best that we can, when we can and go from there - just like our "diet". No use beating ourselves up because that gets us nowhere either. Guilt and stress at this point doesn't help anyone - and the small changes I've been making have been helping (see my previous post titled Catching up with my doctors report for one example). Baby steps are the way to go for us.

I am planning meal for the weekdays but I have found that we've really only been eating about 3-4 of the meals, eating leftovers for the rest of the days lately. I did not make Thurs and Friday's planned meals for example. BUT that is also because hubby wanted Fish and Chips so that's what we had on Thurs (continuation of his Birthday meal). And we also went out to eat on Friday since he had off, and Saturday was just hot dogs pulled from the freezer. Anyway, both of those meals were freezer meals (I have a ball of pizza dough, some cheese, sauce and pepperoni all in there to use still) so it's not that big of a deal in the long run.

For more menu ideas (usually over 200!!!) visit I'm an Organizing Junkie

Monday: Hamburger Vegetable Soup (recipe below I haven't tried it yet)
Tuesday: Au Gratin Scalloped Potatoes (just what we call them - scalloped potatoes with cheese of course) (recipe below)
Wednesday: White Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary (my rosemary is STILL blooming - it hasn't been cold enough here this year for it to stop and I might add some ham) (recipe below)
Thursday: Roast Leg of Lamb (This will free up a lot of room - it's one that I got when short dated)
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Leftovers

Hamburger Vegetable Soup
From Sharing Our Best: Recipes from Amish Mennonites, Stuarts Draft, VA
Mrs. Paul D. Yoder

1 1/2 lbs hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cup water
1/2 c chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups diced potatoes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp basil or parsley
1 beef bouillon cube
3 tomatoes or a little juice
salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, brown meat with onions. Add water and remaining ingredients except tomatoes. Cook until vegetables are tender, then add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. May add more of other vegetables and juices or water. Should make about a gallon of soup.


Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin (7 pts)
Serves 10
1 can evaporated skim milk
8 slices American cheese slices
1 large onion, sliced
1 c lean ham, chopped
10 med Potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 head broccoli, optional
2 cups Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Layer: potato slices,4 slices American cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, ham, broccoli, potatoes, American cheese, Parmesan Cheese. Pour evaporated milk over (can use 2 cans if there's room and you like a lot of "sauce". Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook covered at 350 F for 1 hour until potatoes are tender. Uncover and cook until cheese is browned.

Per Serving: 313 Calories; 13g Fat (36.5% calories from fat); 21g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 41mg Cholesterol; 869mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.

White Bean Soup with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary
From: http://www.rustickitchen.com/html/recipes/whitebeansoup.html
Makes 6 1/2 cups.

This robust main-course soup is flavored with slow-roasted garlic and fragrant rosemary, topped with grated Parmesan. Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread and your meal is complete.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
paste from 1 bulb roasted garlic, about 2 tablespoons (see note)
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cans Bush’s great northern beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 3 teaspoons dry, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery, and sauté until onions are translucent, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in roasted garlic. Add bread crumbs, beans and vegetable broth and simmer for about 15 minutes to let flavors combine. Stir in rosemary and Parmesan. Taste, season with more salt and pepper if desired, and serve. Garnish with more Parmesan.

Note: to roast garlic
To roast garlic, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove as much of the papery skins from the garlic bulb and slice the top off the cloves. Place in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 1 – 1½ hours until the garlic cloves have mellowed into a paste and can be easily squeezed from their skins.

Hot Cross Bun Review and 2 Movie Reviews

Yesterday was nice. I was up at my normal 6 am, thanks to the canine alarm clock (at any movement she launches herself off the bed if not already on the ground, and barks while running down the hallways even if I'm heading the other way towards the bathroom) and hubby woke up just before I put the Hot Cross Buns in the oven. We both agreed that while VERY tasty (there's only 2 of the 12 left) we would like them just a tad smaller, so next time I'm going to make them as 24 instead of 12. I can't wait to make Cinnamon Buns with this recipe - it uses the same basic dough. (recipe posted at the end for the Hot Cross Buns).

I am not, nor do I play one on TV, a professional movie reviewer, so I don't really tell you anything in the following reviews....including spoilers. :P

I forgot to mention that we watched "O Lucky Man!" the other night. Even though hubby and I were tired, and it's a long movie, we watched it. As a matter of fact, we were so tired but liked the movie so much we actually made coffee to stay awake to watch it (we started it during dinner) and I don't like to drink coffee after noon so as not to keep me awake. I thought it was a very good movie. A little bit "Clockwork Orange"-ish without being so surreal. Helen Mirren kinda looks like Felicty Huffman in this movie and there were a few other people from some of the BBC Saturday comedies that we watch that were on there. A lot of the actors play other roles sometimes more than once, and it is a bit hard determining if there is any meaning in the end in their characters and that or not. The music is quite catchy too. :D

We watched "No Reservations" last night. I liked it too. I must admit, I wasn't really expecting it to be as good as it was - and the romance stuff didn't bore me. Yeah, I'm not one of those woman that really like that stuff, I get bored during those scenes. Can't say that it was any real major thinking piece, but it was something nice to sit down and watch. (We watch a lot of our movies and such while eating dinner.) It did cause a bit of kitchen envy though. ;)

Basic Sweet Dough
Makes enough for 12 buns or rolls
From The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Use this dough to make: Hot Cross Buns, Cinnamon Rolls or Sticky Buns

3/4 cup buttermilk, warm (110 degrees)
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast (1 envelope)
1 1/4 tsp salt

Whisk the buttermilk, butter and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup. Mix 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt in a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.

Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (If, after five minutes, more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.)

Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand. To form a smooth, round ball, about 1 minute. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Food Processor Method:
Whisk the buttermilk, butter and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup. Pulse 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast, and salt in a food processor (fitted with a dough blade if possible) to combine. With the processor running, pour the buttermilk mixture through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise as directed in step 3.

Hand Mixing Method:
Whisk the buttermilk, butter and eggs together in a large liquid measuring cup. In a separate large bowl, whisk 4 cups of the flour, the sugar, yeast and salt together. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula until the dough comes together and looks shaggy. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball, 10 to 15 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise as directed in step 3.


*NOTE: if using active dry yeast instead of instant – mix with buttermilk and let sit for 5 minutes until yeast is bubbly before mixing into flour. You can add a pinch of sugar if you want to, but there is sugar (lactose) in the buttermilk for the yeast to feed off of. I also found I didn't need any extra time when I used the Bread Machine when using regular active dry yeast.

Hot Cross Buns
Makes 12 buns
From The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

These buns are traditional for Easter; however, they taste good all year round (and there is nothing like a homemade hot cross bun). To prevent the icing from being too thick, be sure to drizzle it over the buns while they are still warm.

1 recipe Basic Sweet Dough
flour for the counter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp water
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and divide into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth, tight ball with a cupped palm. Arrange the balls in a greased 9 by 13-inch metal baking pan and wrap tightly in greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the rolls have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife, cut an X through the top 1/4 inch of each bun. Whisk the egg and water together and brush over the buns. Bake until golden and puffed, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cook in the pan for 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar, milk, and vanilla together and drizzle in an X into the cut grooves of the buns. Serve warm or let cool completely.

To Make Ahead:
After arranging the shaped buns in the baking dish in step 1, cover the dish tightly with greased plastic wrap and refrigerate the rolls for up to 16 hours. Before baking in step 2, let the rolls sit at room temperature until they have nearly doubled in size and are pressed against one another, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

*We like them a bit smaller – so make 24 in the 9 x 13” instead of 12.

Catching Up.

I got good news at the doctor on Thurs! My liver values are high normal still, BUT they are the lowest high normal he's seen from me in quite a while! Yay! Also my A1c (The average blood glucose over the past 2-3 months. It can take 120 days for the blood cell to die so that's why it's a range) was 6.2%. For normal people it's normally 5%. For diabetics they (the experts) disagree but they want it between 6.5-7% My doctor and I would like to see around 6%. (The lower it is the less chance of eye, kidney and nerve problems.) My Cholesterol levels were also checked: Total chol is still slightly high (213) with the lab high being 199, my Trig still high (429) but considering it's been at the point where they couldn't measure it I'm still happy about that, and my HDL is still low (32). It is looking better than the last time though. Because of my liver problems I can't go on any of the statins though. We've increased my Fish oil to three times a day. They can't do the LDL/HDL test off-hand at this lab so he made a note when my Triglycerides are over 400, so he made a note that the next time it's over to run a special test to do so that will be able to break them down. He said there is a special type of fish oil that Is made for people who have Triglycerides that are over 500. Mine aren't and he's not sure that it'll help me, but depending on how my LDL/HDLs break down it may help me. So we'll see. My Blood Pressure was great though. :) I will also get my iron levels checked next go round too. Their new office is great, and I got to meet the new Nurse Practitioner and she got to learn all about my interesting medical history. ;) As Dr. Galeski said, "JJ's been a learning experience." They were also able to give me the name of a gynecologist. I like the one I had, but I just can't handle the OB part of her practice. I asked them if there was possibly a place that I could go where there was just the GYN part. They gave me the name, and I called - unfortunately I got home too late Thurs, and they were closed on Friday. I need to call on Monday.

Poor Miss Miko though. She had 4 teeth pulled (a slab fracture molar, 2 canines and another one I can't remember). She was not happy with me, barely wagged her tail when I picked her up, just wanted to leave. Can't say that I blamed her. She didn't make a peep in the car and wanted to sit on my lap. I didn't let her of course - there's no room. She still wanted to eat when we got home. That's my pug! Luckily I still had a can of dog food. I gave her a small amount and she ate it and went and laid in her dog bed. I also gave her a pain pill and a bit more food before heading to bed later that night. She woke me up at 3:40 am to get fed again. I gave in and fed her - I'm such a soft touch - but once more, only a little bit. The last time though that I fed her on demand though was at her normal feeding time of 6 am though. She got the rest of the can - at that point it was only a 1/4 of the can left and 1/2 cup of moistened food (dry food soaked in warm water until soft). I felt so bad since she drops food now - at least she's not like those Yorkies who can't keep their tongues in their mouths after their teeth are removed. She is finally back to normal though although I am still moistening her food - I'll continue with that for a few more days at least.

To those that are celebrating it, Happy Easter. We've got a bit before Passover happens - usually it seems that Easter and Passover are a bit closer - so I'll wait for my wishes until it's closer. :)

Today is going to be quiet here at Chez JJ. It will just be hubby and I here, since we've been with his family for his birthday last weekend we decided to just spend this weekend together.

I am making something that I have never eaten before, at least if I have - I don't remember them. Hot Cross Buns. I'm making what looks to be a plain Jane version - no fruit or spices - which is fine for my first go round since I'm not really sure what exactly they are supposed to have in them and if they turn out ok, I can add them in later. The recipe I'm using is from a book I checked out of the library: America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. It's from the same people that do Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country. They of the test and re-test how to do a recipe (I posted the link earlier this week of a send off of boiling water). They gave how to do it by hand/food processor and stand mixer and what did I do? Made it in the bread machine. :) At least on the dough setting though. Anyway, they are on their second rise now, and will be split and baked off soon enough and I'll wake up John when they are done. I must admit I might have to buy this cookbook. And like I need ANOTHER cookbook. *SIGH* I really like it though, and it looks like one that is good to give to new cooks too. I was thinking I'd just copy a few recipes that interest me, but it would be a lot easier to buy the whole darn thing.

Later today I'll fix the ham, with a brown sugar and sherry sauce, our normal sauce (just a box of brown sugar, a bottle of sherry and some cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg added to the ham before it goes in, and basted occasionally as it bakes). [Is it bad that I am more looking forward to what we call Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin and Split Pea Soup using the leftover ham (and some of the sauce in the case of the soup)than the actual first meal of the ham???] I'm also going to fix some roasted Brussels sprouts, either mashed potatoes or boiled red potatoes, whichever hubby and I feel like (I imagine hubby is going to want mashed) and I might make broccoli but we'll have to see how tired I am - since there's just the two of us there's no real need to make a whole lot of food either.

I've got a craving for Vegetable Beef Soup. I don't mean Beef Stew either, I mean the ground beef added to Vegetable Soup. Not sure why, and I haven't had it in a while. I was teasing hubby yesterday that might be what we have for Easter since my allergies were bothering me and my throat was hurting me. He told me it didn't bother him. What a good husband I have.

Menu Plan Monday

Relatively easy plan for this week:

Monday: Corned Beef (of Course) with cabbage, carrots and red potatoes
Tuesday: Mustard Thyme Tilapia (from the freezer) with salad
Wednesday: Reubens using Monday's leftovers (Hubby's b-day he requested them)
Thurs: Country Fried Chicken and Peppers (from the freezer) with coleslaw
Friday:Pizza
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: (Easter) Ham with Brown Sugar & Sherry, Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus (or Broccoli depends on what looks good at the store), Orange carrots, homemade rolls

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for even more Menu plans (over 200 usually!) http://orgjunkie.com/2008/03/menu-plan-monday-march-17th.html

Penne alla Vodka

Penne alla Vodka
Serves 4
From: Weight Watchers Greatest Hits

I like to use Fat-Free Half and half - but I like it, and then I use more Parmesan cheese to make up the difference. [1/4 cup of heavy cream has 6 points, while the same amount of ff has 1. It is thinner, but if you increase the Parmesan it will thicken the sauce. I can add up to 7 Tbsp of Parmesan to make it 5 points]. Try it either way and decide what you want. I also kinda decide what I want to have around the house too - sometimes I can only find the FF in large containers and I don't really want that in the house, and other times I really don't want a container of heavy whipping cream around either.

2 c uncooked penne [I like using mini penne if I can find it - whole wheat is good too]
2 Tbsp reduced calorie tub margarine
1 shallot, finely chopped [or a mixture of garlic and onion]
1 plum tomato, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup reduced fat chicken broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp vodka
1/4 c diced tomato
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley

Cook the penne according to package directions; drain and keep warm
Meanwhile, melt the margarine in a medium nonstick skillet, then add the shallot and tomato. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomato paste, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, then add the cream and vodka. Cook, stirring constantly, until just heated through (do not boil). Pour the sauce over the penne and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the diced tomato, cheese and parsley and serve at once.

Per serving (3/4 cup): 278 cal, 9 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 19 mg chol, 201 mg sod, 36 g carb, 28 g fib, 73 mg calc. POINTS: 6

Menu Plan Monday

I posted my review of last week here along with the recipe for todays planned recipe.: http://view-from-the-stove.blogspot.com/2008/03/review-of-this-weeks-menu.html

Last week, I used up some meats that I had in my freezer, and chicken legs and thighs that were on sale and made up some freezer meals. I’m pulling some of those out for this week. I’m replacing those meals with ones using the lean ground beef that’s on sale this week. I hope this helps! I can’t believe how much the prices have increased, not to mention the gas prices too! I must admit this is the only time that I don’t enjoy living in the country!

Monday: Mary's Hoisin Chicken buns with frozen oriental vegetables (Using the Basic Chinese Bun Dough and leftover Mary's Hoisin Chicken)
Tuesday: Salmon Burgers on buns with Oven Roasted Red Potatoes
Wednesday: Ginger Chicken Breasts with Chinese Coleslaw
Thurs: Hamburgers with Pirogies (doctors appointment late in the day so quick and easy when I get home)
Friday: Crock BBQ chicken Supper with coleslaw (leftover), corn & Baked beans
Weekend: Leftovers

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans http://orgjunkie.com/2008/03/menu-plan-monday-march-10th.html

No Sleep DST

Saturday night wasn't much fun at Chez JJ. And we lost more than an hours worth of sleep. Not just thanks to the DST, where we lost an hour. Hubby had trouble breathing. He had caught a cold a while back, and had been to the doctor, gotten antibiotics and an inhaler. He was starting to get better but last night things were starting to get worse again. He had finished his Advair inhaler and had switched to the Proventil (albuterol) inhaler that the doctor had prescribed when the Advair had run out (the Advair was a sample) if he still needed one. Hubby kept saying that he was worried that if he fell asleep he would stop breathing. Yeah, not so much sleeping from either of us that night. It also didn't help that at 2 am, my Palm that I had in the bedroom (I usually charge it in there) where I had been playing Bejeweled before trying to sleep decided to tell us that DST was in effect. And not only that, when I decided to go try to sleep, instead of turning it off, I had paused the game and turned it off instead of switching to the main menu. After the DST alarm went off it went into the Bejeweled screen saver mode which is the sound of clinking jewels - at 2 am. And then around 3 or 4 I told hubby that he might have better luck if he tried to sleep in the LaZPug recliner instead since he had more trouble breathing trying to lay down. So he moved there. Percy then decided that he missed Daddy and started whining. So I took him out to Daddy. And then he decided that he didn't know where he wanted to be and spent most of the rest of the time walking between the bedroom and the living room checking both of us out. Percy is blind - has been for years. You'd think by now that he knows our house since we don't move things around because he's blind. Nope. He still goes pretty much as fast as he can and runs into things all the time. Not conducive to sleep as your blind dogs runs into things at full speed. And then at 5 am the phone rings. It's a wrong number. ARGH! We both figure we did get some fitful sleep throughout the night, but it wasn't really what one would call sleep.

I did convince him to got to the ER though. We spent a couple of hours there. Of course he wasn't wheezing when we finally went. *sigh* But the ER nurses and doc were very nice. They did check him out for heart problems - but everything there checked out normal. His breathing and chest x-ray also checked out fine. They did 2 nebulizer treatments. Sent him home with a short course steroid treatment and a new inhaler. And a stern lecture about smoking that I'm afraid didn't do any good. He needs to check in with his GP after the 12th. We both slept better last night.

Review of this weeks Menu

Everything went well. Yay! Nothing was ugh! The Broiled fish with Ginger butter was dead easy (and recipe is exactly as the title says) - the grated ginger in the melted butter giving a nice bit of zing to the mild tilapia. Sprinkling a bit of cilantro on top giving it a nice touch of color. I did add a can of black beans to the Chili-sauced Crock Chicken legs since it didn't quite fill up my crock-pot, and it worked out well, making it more of a chili and going well with the rice that I served it over. It definitely filled us up! And the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender. The Manhattan Clam Chowder was tasty as always - It was hard saving a serving for my MiL - but I did. :) And the Beef stew was also tasty as always - it's hard to screw that up. Tonight is Ground Beef Gyro's - a new recipe for us. And then I shouldn't have to cook for a few days since we'll be eating leftovers for a bit. I will be doing a bit of "re-cooking" of the Mary's Hoisin Chicken, though.

We had the Mary's Hoisin Chicken last night. I threw it in the freezer after making it, taking it out to thaw before hand. (BTW the recipe can be found all over the net if you Google it.) We have plenty leftover since there's just the two of us. I did make one small change after tasting it after it cooked. Ok, well technically two- one before cooking also. I used bone-in thighs, since the original called for boneless since I didn't feel like de-boning the thighs - not a big deal and I also feel like it:
#1: gives more taste to the sauce
#2: keeps the meat from over cooking a bit better since it takes a bit longer to cook
#3: Gives the sauce a bit more body also
I also added a tablespoon of Asian chili-garlic sauce after it cooked because I wanted a bit of spiciness too it. But then again, we don't have kids to worry about. I also think a bit of peanut butter would be good in it too. Either way it was very good, and man noises were heard as it was eaten. :)

As I said there was plenty leftover and I plan to use those leftovers to make one of our favorites: Steamed Chinese Buns. These are the perfect way to use any leftover Chinese food - even better if you have just a little bit left - which we actually have more than a little bit, but that's ok. Anything, and I really do mean anything works well in these. I made these a lot of times when we were eating vegan since it was hard finding vegan pre-made dumplings and we had leftover homemade vegan Chinese food. It was great using fake TVP and BBQ sauce too. The original recipe comes from "The All-New Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook: 101 Brand-New, Irresistible, Foolproof Recipes for Family and Friends" by Tom Lacalamita

Basic Chinese Bun Dough

Believe it or not, bread does have a place in Chinese cooking, especially steamed breads, like savory filled buns. Besides being delicious and highly addictive, Chinese steamed buns are quick and easy to prepare when using the bread machine to make the dough. To save even more time, the fills are made from take-out dishes from your local Chinese take-out restaurant. And left-over steamed buns can be froze and then reheated in the microwave oven.

1 cup water
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp finely chopped chives or scallion greens
3 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp dry yeast
For Filled Bun: 1 pound of meat or vegetables in 1/4 cup of sauce

All ingredients must be at room temperature. Liquid ingredients should be approximately 80 degrees F. Add ingredients in the order specified in your bread machine owner's manual.

Select manual/dough.

At the end of the cycle let the dough rest 5 minutes, then proceed with any recipes for the Chinese steamed buns.

Basic Buns: Remove meat or vegetables from sauce, reserving sauce and chop meat or vegetables into very small pieces in a food processor. Combine with 1/4 cup of the reserved sauce.

Roll bun dough on a lightly floured surface into a long cylinder, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Cut into 16 pieces. With your fingers, flatten one piece of the dough at a time into a 3-inch round. The edges should be thinner with a puffy 1-inch center.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in center of dough, and gather edges together, pressing to seal. Twist gathered edges together, pressing to seal. Twist gathered edges to prevent them from opening. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Place buns gathered side down, 1 inch apart, on bamboo or metal steamer trays lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place, 15 minutes.

To steam buns, place bamboo steamer trays over a pan or wok of boiling water, or place metal steamers into a large, covered pot of boiling water. Steam buns over high heat 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and springy to the touch. If you are steaming a few tiers at a time, rotate steamer trays midway through. Transfer steamed buns to a platter and serve right away.

Menu Plan Monday

Menu for this week in no particular order (beef for beef stew is already thawing) but it will probably be close to this order:

Broiled fish with ginger butter with multi-grain rolls, steamed cauliflower with cheese and garlic sauteed spinach

Crock Chicken Drumsticks with baked sweet potatoes and cooked collards

Beef Stew with biscuits

Manhattan Clam chowder with garlic bread and spinach salad

Mary's Hoisin Chicken with brown rice and a green salad (recipe for this is all over the net)

Ground Beef Gyros with a Greek salad

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plans! http://orgjunkie.com/2008/03/menu-plan-monday-march-3rd.html

The week in review. ;)

It has been a pretty nice week. I like it when I get to spend a week with hubby.

I'm going to say (type) something that will probably cause you all to gasp. I hardly did any cooking at all this week. We were so well stocked with leftovers that it was pretty much just heat and eat this week. Monday we headed to Costco to pick up my contacts there (while waiting for the ones that our Insurance paid for to come in - it's cheaper if we're paying cash to get them from Costco - $16 and change per box from Costco vs $30 per box if insurance is paying for them) and while there we picked up one of their Take-and-Bake 5 Cheese Pizzas. So, that was what we ate, I added our own Turkey Pepperoni and sliced red onions to it. It was yummy, and it's huge! It's larger than my pizza stone actually for less than $10.

We still haven't technically had our Anniversary Dinner. But that's ok. We ate at Bob Evan's with MiL. I was bad, and got the Fish Dinner - even going so far as refusing the grilled fish and getting it fried AND getting a baked potato AND fries instead of veggies. Granted I did share a bit of it with hubby, but still. It was yummy either way - and totally worth it since it's not something I do every day. Heck I probably do that about once a year if that. Hubby got his favorite, breakfast - and sausage to boot. It's rare that he gets sausage, eggs AND biscuts at the same time, so he was in heaven. ;) [I have been informed that it is very important that I make the distinction that it I point out it was sausage LINKS - I hardly ever buy those.]

We've been rocking out with Guitar Hero III. I'm getting better, but I've found out that I'm more of a bass girl. It's a shame that you can't play that on the actual game part, only on the practice parts. I love doing that part! I still can't play it very often, like most things, if I do too much of it, it irritates my wrists. We took a break from it this weekend. So far hubby has finished it on Easy. I keep telling him he needs to go up to Medium - but he tells me he's not ready for that yet.

Hubby did bring me home some beautiful pink roses. They smell wonderful! I so love roses. He was hoping to get some roses like I had in my wedding boquet (white/cream with dark pink edges) but no luck this year. That's ok. I'm not that picky about it, although he is. I swear, if I had the money I would buy a bunch of flowers every week. That is one thing I would do if I ever won the lottery (course I'd have to actually PLAY the lottery to win it huh?). I would set it up to have a bouquet of flowers delivered every week. I do have rose bushes out back, but since my liver problems, they really need to be cleaned up and such. Actually all of my flower beds need to be cleaned up. I'm hoping to be able to do more this year - but we'll have to see. Sometimes the bending down causes problems. I do a bit of container gardening - but that's not quite the same.

I bought some of the freezer menus from Saving Dinner this week too. I went through them and I have some meats that my sister gave me that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with them (the red meats) and I used some of the recipes from there for them. And FoodLion is having a sale on chicken thighs and legs this week so I picked up some extra (I was already planning on getting some for my menu this week) and I made a few meals to restock the freezer with some actual freezer meals once more.

So far I've made:

Herbed Grilled Sirloin Steak
Polynesian Sirloin Steak
Caribbean London Broil
Mexican Crock Chicken with Black Beans
Apricot Barbecued Chicken Legs
Crock Barbecue Chicken Supper

I've got some boneless/skinless breasts that I'll use to make up:
Far East Grillers
Carolina Style Grilled Chicken
Ginger Chicken Breasts with Chinese Coleslaw (I've made this before and it's one of our faves!)
Chicken Satay
Country Fried Chicken and Peppers

I'm also going to make up:
Salmon burgers
Mustard Thyme Tilapia
Dad's Favorite Sloppy Joes

I also went ahead and made up Mary's Hoisin Chicken and Crock Chicken Drumsticks for this week so all I have to do is dump into the crockpot. I went ahead and made them up so I could get all the skinning of the chicken out of the way at one time. I'll post my menu in a separate post.

Puffed Wheat Balls

I haven't tried this one yet but it came from one of the pamphlets from the Baltimore Gas & Electric company from my Grandmother. There's no date on it, but the others date from 1937 - 1949. This came from a pamphlet on "Menus & Recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas: A Wide Selection for ALL Tastes and Budgets".

Puffed Wheat Balls

1 package puffed wheat
1 cup light molasses
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/3 c granulated sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan, all the molasses and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then continue cooking until brittle when tested in cold water. Stir lightly toward the last of cooking to prevent burning; add the vinegar and mix lightly. Heat puffed wheat until very crisp, then pour the mixture over the wheat, stir until well blended and form into balls.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, once more not much of a plan. Our 10 year anniversary is on Thurs, and I still have no idea of what I'm going to cook. Hubby and I don't really feel like a hunk of red meat on our plate - we had prime rib as part of our dinner (It was just our immediate family at a local B&B in Stauton) and a Chocolate Orange Cheesecake as our wedding cake. I don't want a whole cheesecake around what with WW and all, even if it is in the freezer since there's just the 2 of us. I was asking hubby what he felt like, and he also doesn't really have any dish that he feels like he wants, I guess knowing that he could pretty much have anything he wanted, and knowing that it would be tasty gets kinda old? ;) Anyway after looking at each other and shrugging for a few minutes, he asked if there was any type of food that either of us could think of that summed up our ten years together? He came up with liver (my recent medical problems) and I came up with Ham (well...you know me...). So we're still kinda stuck at what to make. He's off this week, so we'll come up with something, probably on the day of. It also doesn't help that he's already got Keema Matar in the fridge that he likes, and I've got Sauerbraten in the fridge that I like, so really, we're happy. hahahaha! And: last week I lost 1.6 lbs, giving me a 15.6 lb loss so far for WW! Course this week I'm sure I won't be seeing much of one, and I'm ok with that. If I do, that's fine and if I don't, that's also ok. Between the Indian foods (which I did do well on just no idea how to even try to count it) and what we may have for our Anniversary Dinner (which deserves to be a true celebration) if I gain it won't be the end of the world.

Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup - Using some leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken I picked up and since hubby gets his cap put on his tooth this morning
Tues: Leftover Roast Pork with wild rice pilaf
Wed: Leftover Pea Soup
Thurs: Our Anniversary
Fri: Possibly Homemade Pizza
Sat & Sunday: Wait and See what the week brings I have meals in the freezer I can use

To see more menu ideas visit I'm an Organizing Junkie http://orgjunkie.com/2008/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-25th.html

Caramelized Cardamom Apples with Pistachio Cream (Sev Ka Murabba)

Caramelized Cardamom Apples with Pistachio Cream (Sev Ka Murabba)

An easy dessert that can be made with any sour, firm apples such as Granny Smiths. It may be served hot or warm.

Cream:
1 cup heavy, whipping cream
2 Tbsp unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
Apples:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 medium-sized sour, firm apples
1/4 tsp finely ground cardamom seeds
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp blanched, slivered almonds
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Whip cream lightly in a bowl until it just holds its shape but is not stiff. Fold half the pistachios into the cream, cover and refrigerate.

Melt butter over low heat in a large, nonstick frying pan. Take pan off heat. Peel, core and slice apples thinly, dropping slices into the butter as you cut them. Fold them into the butter as you go so that they do not discolor. (You could, if you like, keep the frying pan over very low heat as you do this.) Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, almonds and walnuts. Cook on medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring gently. Then turn heat to high. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring very gently now and then, until apples have caramelized lightly.

Serve on individual plates with a dollop of the cream partially on and partially off the apples. Sprinkle remaining chopped pistachios over the cream.

From "Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking" by Madhur Jaffrey

My Trip to India (kinda)

Well, not really. It was through my Herbal Society's Gourmet Group meeting yesterday. Our Herbal Society has officially reached it's limit for membership (50 - I was one of the last if not the last one) so for the time being it is closed. The Gourmet group meets mostly every other month (the opposite months of the official meetings of the Herbal Society with breaks during the summer months for vacations). This was the first one that my mom was able to attend, and of course the first one that I was able to attend. And there was at least 22 people there! Needless to say I don't remember everything that was there, and I'm afraid that I forgot to take a pen and paper. But they should be sending out the recipes with the newsletter and I can forward them on if y'all would like. I found out that the host(ess ) gets to choose the menu for the meeting. I'm afraid that with a chance of such a large turnout that I won't be able to host a meeting at my house. :( I would love to, but we just don't have the houses that most of these people do. Hosting my Easter dinners with 11 people makes it quite tight here as it is. I can say that most of the time I'm not jealous of what people have and we don't - but in this case, I guess I am. Between seeing some of these people's gardens and their houses I do feel a bit of the green monster. Anyway.... after we ate we gathered around and discussed our recipe and gave out copies if we had them, and gave at least one copy to the newsletter Editor so that it can be put into the newsletter. Oh, and I got some good news. Not only is there a Whole Foods AND a Trader Joes coming to Richmond - BUT there's a Penzey's is coming too! It's going to be opening up on Cary St! (Down near Ukrop's they said, near Grace maybe? I don't know that area as well as I used to) YAY!!!!! And some bad news. Buffalo Springs Herb Farm is closing. :(

I took Keema Matar (ground beef and peas) one of John's favorites- and actually what I consider a quick and easy recipe for us. I doubled the recipe and used half ground beef and half fake meat actually to lower the points and cholesterol. No one noticed and everyone liked it - but it's something that I've made like that before because the curry flavor hides any "fake" taste really well. I gave my mom a recipe for rice pudding from "Extending The Table" (another book from the same people that do the More with Less cookbook) since I knew she liked rice pudding. Someone else did a rice pudding too. It was a different one, and both were good I hear (I didn't try either since I'm not a good judge of rice puddings. There were quite a few chicken dishes that were yogurt based with the only differences being either the type of nuts used or a different spice. It was quite interesting how different yet the same things were. Everything was different enough that nothing was exactly the same, and no-one really knew what anyone else was bringing. I was glad that my mom was excited to try the foods, I've been wanting her to try Indian food for a while, and this was her first try at it. It wasn't really spicy, I know that I toned mine down, and I'm sure a lot of other people did, with some even putting the peppers as add-ons for their dishes.

While we waited to start we dined on pecans brought in by the hostesses daughters (her birthday is today so they were up from Ft. Worth, TX not only to help out with the meeting but to celebrate her birthday). The pecans were wonderful! There were 3 different kinds, one was a rosemary kinda that had just a hint of sweet but was more savory, one was a praline and the other was a cinnamon sugar. I tried to sit as far away from them as possible. Someone also brought Chai tea. One of her friends' father was stationed in India and her friend was sent to boarding school there, and sent her a book on Chai tea when she talked to her. She and I were talking during dinner and she was asking me about the Hindu people (my mother had told everyone how much I like to cook and such) and how do they make chai without milk? I told her all about soymilk and almond milk and cashew milk. Everyone thought that I knew all about Indian food, since I had told the hostess what I was thinking about making (either Aloo Gobi, Keema Matar or a Tomato Soup) and I knew the actual Indian names, and I had to tell them that I know some about Indian food, but not that much. I was a bit uncomfortable about it, but I guess since I knew more about it than them, I guess it did seem like I was an "expert" . I'm not so sure I enjoyed that experience part of it. I got to explain about tamarind too.

I do not have a recipe yet for a dish that consisted of black-eyed peas and potatoes, with tomatoes that was quite good, and I can't wait to make that one- but then again, I like bean dishes. There were quite a few from Madhur Jaffrey, including one (I think that is where it came from) that I do have a recipe for that I will post next message. It was for Caramelized Cardamom Apples with Pistachio Cream. I was going to make the samosas from The Moosewood cookbook (the original one) but I'm glad I didn't since someone else brought that. There was a very good recipe that was chunks of pineapple with some red onions, cilantro and garam masala. I think that would be great over some grilled chicken, pork or fish during the summer! There was a Lentil soup (I didn't try it since my plate and hands were already full and my stomach was full by the time I finished my plate). Someone laughed that her recipe prep consisted of getting in her car and driving to the Indian grocery store - hitting aisle 4 with the freezer section and picking out a package of bread (paranthas) since that's what her Indian friend said she does for breads. :) There was a Mushroom Curry out of a book that I already own that I will have to make. I've looked at it a few times, so it's definitely going on the rotation at some point. (I'd post the recipe but I can't get to the book so it'll have to wait for the newsletter.) There was a lot of chicken dishes that I can't remember what they were - I remember one was "Green sauce" one was "korma" and I know there were 2 or 3 others but I don't remember the names. There was a Spicy Chicken also from Madhur Jaffrey where the person used wing drumettes that was very good. There were also a few bowls of rice with either cilantro or spices mixed in to serve with the chickens too.

I was pretty full, even though I had taken pretty tiny little bits by that time, and I mean basically tablespoonfuls of stuff. I went back for a few more things. I got a bit of the above mentioned Caramelized Apples, and boy was I glad I did! I tried a bit of a Carrot Slaw with cashews that was good. She placed the chili on the side so those who wanted it could add it if they wanted it. There was a purple banana "Cheese" dessert. There was a funny story with that one. It came from an old cookbook they had forgotten they had. She said it was written funny, and must have been translated and by someone not well versed in English to translate. Anyway, the dessert recipes were all pretty involved so she chose this one because it was easy. It called for bananas, cream of wheat (and I can't remember what else, but not much else). It calls to mash 11 bananas so she decides to do it in her food processor. "I didn't think how much room 11 mashed bananas would take up in my Cuisinart!" and then, "It called for me to place the bananas and the cream of wheat in a double boiler so I did. I had to cook it for 3 hours. Well after about an hour I had to change double boilers because it got REALLY big and it turned purple!" (I do remember there was no acid in the recipe to keep the bananas from turning). It was very tasty, almost like a banana bread. She said it was listed as something good to feed to the sick or babies. All this was offered with coffee flavored with cardamom.

Next one (In June - there is a break because we have participate in a plant sale during April) I will definitely take a notebook with me so I can take notes! And mom has said that she is interested in trying more Indian foods. The only problem is that my stepdad isn't much into spicy foods- sometimes even black pepper is too much for him. So we'll have to kinda work around that.

Recipe Reviews

Dinner last night was wonderful, unfortunately, I can't post the recipe because we were taste testing the recipe. Once it's posted (or printed) I will post a link for it here though. It was the Pork Loin recipe, and it will defiantly be going into our rotation, hubby ate 3 servings. I forgot to ask him what his numerical rating of it was though. You rub the loin with some spices and roast it. And it has a Romesco sauce made from roasted red peppers and almonds (like normal Romesco sauce) but without the olive oil so it's not as bad for you Weight Watchers-wise.

Dinner tonight is the chicken breast recipe that I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with it. I figured out WHAT. :) I went to Tom Leonard's yesterday. I don't know if anyone that reads this is near Stew Leonard's, but this is his son (I think it is). Tom got married and they moved down here to be with her parents. I love this place and it's been a while since I've been there, mainly because it's kinda like a Target for me, except with food. It's not like it's got all gourmet stuff, it's just that it's got such nice vegetables and their brand stuff! I have to keep telling myself there's only two of us, and only one of us eats leftovers for lunch (Hubby only eats leftovers on the weekends). They also make fresh mozzarella (from cows milk, but it's still yummy!) that is my downfall! Hubby actually asked when he came home and found out where I've been if there was any mozzarella left. I have been known to eat a whole mozzarella ball by myself. :( I actually saved the mozzarella and that's what gave me the idea for tonight's dinner: Chicken Parmigiana. I flattened chicken breasted, dipped in a mix of breadcrumbs mixed with a bit of Parmesan cheese. Pan sauteed for a bit and put into a pan with a can of blended Italian-style diced tomatoes and topped with a slice of that fresh mozzarella cheese. I'm just waiting for hubby to get home now so I can pop it in the oven and warm it up for about 25 minutes to to melt the cheese and make everything even nummier!

I'm still going through my grandmother's cookbooks. Its slow going, only because I'm also reading some books from the library (Yarn Harlot's books and a book on the Yellow Fever [aka Dengue Fever] in Philadelphia in 1793.) I also picked up Michael Chiarello's "At Home with Michale Chiarello" while I was at the Library too. I opened it up and had to giggle a bit when he said, "In the past, I could never understand why the home cook was nervous about throwing a dinner party. It was always easy for me. Whenever I entertained, I would write a menu and hand it off to a sous-chef, who would pull together the ingredients and prep them. The the restaurant staff would help me load up my car, and I'd take along a cook or two for the evening who wanted to cook with me. Throw the party, sit down with my guests, and enjoy the last glass of red wine - it was as simple as that. Meanwhile, my apprentices cleaned the kitchen and loaded the car with all the dirty plates, glasses, pots, pans, and linens. It worked out beautifully for me. I was always in bed by eleven." ... I think this is the big problem with a lot of professional chef cookbooks. They really don't do a lot of home cooking - or what they do actually do isn't the same home cooking that most people do. Heck, I don't even think that what I do is what most people do. I know that a lot of people my age don't cook most of their meals anymore, most people my age go out to eat most nights. Anyway, I have gotten home and breezed through the cookbook quickly, and while it's not too bad, I still think a lot of it is still a bit more than most people are going to want to do, but that being said, I do know people that will want entertain as he does. I will be the first to admit I am more of a laid-back type of entertaining person. I don't really do a lot of decorating and such when I entertain. I probably should actually pay more attention to plating, or heck, even do more plating instead of serving from the cooking pots. ;) Anyway, all that to say, there's a few recipes in there that interest me, and I'll have to make note of them (Onions roasted on a bed of salt).

Menu Plan for this week

Ok, this is a loose plan since I'm not sure exactly WHEN we'll be eating the dishes, just WHAT we'll be eating this week. Recipes for Salmon and Sauerbraten posted below. Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie (http://orgjunkie.com/2008/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-18th.html ) for more Menu Ideas!

Tonight (Monday) was Miso-Glazed Salmon - Hubby and I love this!

For the rest of the week:
Polenta with Shrimp (Not sure how I'll fix the shrimp yet, we'll play it by ear)
Sauerbraten (using an already cooked piece of beef in the freezer)
Roasted Herb Pork Lion (This will be soon since it's thawing in the fridge as I type)
Chicken Breasts (I'll decide how on the day of)
Split Pea Soup (This will be later on in the week so I can give some to my mom when she comes this weekend so we can go to a Herb Society Meeting on Saturday together- and some will go to FIL and MIL too. Yes, I'll be making a lot.)

Miso-Glazed Salmon

A sweet-salty miso, brown sugar, and soy sauce glaze caramelizes in about 10 minutes as it cooks atop this rich, meaty salmon.

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons miso (soybean paste)
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Arrange fish in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon miso mixture evenly over fish.

Broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting twice with miso mixture. Sprinkle with chives.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 297 (33% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 2.5g,mono 4.7g,poly 2.8g); PROTEIN 32.4g; CHOLESTEROL 80mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 742mg; FIBER 0.3g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.7g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2002


* Exported from MasterCook *

Round Steak Sauerbraten (9 pts)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beef Crockpot
Ethnic

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 lbs round steak -- cubed
vegetable cooking spray
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 c water
1 onion -- minced
1/4 c vinegar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ginger
pepper -- as desired
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
6 to 8 ginger snaps

Brown meat in fat. Add bouillon and water. Bring to boil. Stir in
remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Thicken with ginger
snap cookies.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 412 Calories; 22g Fat (48.8%
calories from fat); 34g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 101mg
Cholesterol; 922mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat;
1/2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.

NOTES : Can do in pressure cooker or in crockpot. If do in there,
leave roast whole.
Serve with dumplings, noodles, rice, potatoes, etc.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Some recipes from last week.

I wasn't totally up to snuff for this week, so I didn't blog much, sorry.

I ended up not making garlic shrimp, instead I made Salt-And-Pepper Shrimp for Valentines Day. But first I'm going to post the Crepes recipe I used for Breakfast. I actually woke up in time to make breakfast for hubby. Normally it's not a problem for me to wake up in time, but this week it was. When my liver acts up, one of the problems it causes is that it makes me really tired. Anyway - This recipes is from a cookbook I grew up with in my mom's house, the "McCalls Cookbook" a big yellow cookbook I think from the magazine. Mom wouldn't give me hers but I was lucky enough to find one of my own in a used bookstore. I tried this recipe years ago on a whim and it's actually the only recipe I've ever used to make crepes. And I've never used a crepe pan to make it, just a small 8" nonstick skillet. We ate them with some lemon juice and Confectioners' Sugar that day and I had the leftovers filled with some Splenda sweetened ricotta and sliced fruit later (hubby did the lemon juice and sugar)

Sunday-Morning Crepes (2 pts per crepe)
Makes 12 crepes

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs,beaten
2 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

Sift flour with sugar, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.

Combine eggs and milk; beat with rotary beater, until well mixed. [I use my hand mixer.] Pour into dry ingredients; beat until smooth.

Preheat oven to 300 F.

For each pancake, melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in 8-inch skillet.

Pour in 1/4 cup batter, rotating pan quickly to spread batter completely over bottom of pan.

Cook over high heat 1 minute; turn; cook 1 minute longer. Fold into quarters. Keep hot in oven while cooking remaining pancakes.


For dinner I decided to do Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp. I had already decided to do shrimp, just not what kind. I decided to wait on doing the garlic, and I might do a tapas type garlic shrimp for our anniversary (on Feb 28th - our 10th!) and do a Tapas style meal. This recipe isn't a Chinese style S&P shrimp. It was very good. I served it with a roasted garlic bread that I get at the POG (Plain Ole Grocery - one of my other lists calls it that) that has whole cloves of garlic in it that we love). It was very easy to make - which was good since I fell asleep before hubby came home and he had to wake me up so I could make dinner. :( Instead of preheating the oven - I just broiled the shrimp. Just make sure to watch it closely- don't overcook it!

Salt-and-Pepper Shrimp
Makes 4 Serving
From: Weight Watchers Take 5: 150 Five-ingredient Recipes
This simple technique of cooking the shrimp in their shells adds flavor and helps keep the shrimp moist. It also makes this an interesting and ideal party food to offer at your next buffet. Serve with prepared cocktail sauce, if desired.

1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Adjust the racks to divide the oven into thirds; preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

With a sharp pairing knife or small scissors, cut through the back of each shrimp just deeply enough to expose the vein; remove the vein, leaving the shell intact.

Combine the shrimp, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast on the top oven rack until just opaque in the center 5-7 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before serving.

Per serving (about 7 shrimp): 133 cal, 5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 202 mg chol, 1,072 mg sod, 0 g carb, 0 g fib, 22 g prot, 42 mg calc, POINTS: 3

TIP: Kosher salt is preferred by many gourmet cooks because it has a softer flavor than table salt and its coarse grains better adhere to meat, poultry, and fish. Leftovers? Peel and halve the cooked shrimp, then toss with some reduced-fat mayonnaise mixed with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and some chopped red onion, celery, and fennel. Serve on multigrain bread or over Boston lettuce leaves.


I tried a new recipe for pizza dough. It's the same points as my other one - the bialy one that is posted here (http://view-from-the-stove.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-have-found-dough-for-our-pizzas.html ) and we like both. This one makes enough for 2 12" pizzas, and is a bit easier for my breadmachine/mixer/food processor to handle. I made the whole wheat version. If you want extra-chewy dough, use bread flour which is higher in gluten and if you want extra crispy use the semolina one.

Basic Pizza Dough
Makes 2 (12 inch) pizza crusts (6 servings each)
From Weight Watchers Pizza,Pizza: 150 deliciously dazzling ways to make everyone's favorite pie

This dough makes enough for two pizzas, so you can freeze half the dough for another day. If you freeze it, thaw it in the refrigerator over night or on the counter for 1 1/2 hours. Unlike other bread dough, pizza dough only needs to rise only once. After rising, simply punch it down, then let it rest for 15 minutes before rolling or stretching to the desired shape. If you like you can let the dough rest in a floured zip-close freezer bag in the refrigerator overnight. You'll find it easiest to roll out or stretch bread dough when it's at room temperature.

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 F)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Combine the water and sugar in a 2-cup measuring just. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil.

Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. With the machine running, scrape the yeast mixture through the feed tube; pulse until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. If necessary, turn the dough onto a lightly flour surface and knead briefly until smooth and elastic.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray; put the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough, then cut in half. Refrigerate or freeze in floured zip-close [I have better luck with a bit of oil in the bag instead of flour- about a tsp and spread around the bag] freezer bags at this point or use as directed in the recipe.

Per serving (1/12 of dough): 174 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 1 g fib, 5 g prot, 7 mg calc, POINTS: 3

TIP: if mixing by hand: To make bread by hand, combine the water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl; set aside until foamy. Stir in the oil, flour and salt until the dough starts to gather around the spoon. Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface; knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Variations:
Cornmeal Pizza Dough: Pizzas with a Mexican influence are terrific made on a cornmeal crust. Substitute 1 cup cornmeal for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour.

Per serving: (1/12 of the dough): 178 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol. 292 mg sod, 35 g carb, 2 g fib, 5 g prot, 5 mg calc, POINTS: 3

Semolina Pizza Dough: Using part semolina flour makes a crispier-crusted pizza. If you can't find semolina flour, use farina cereal. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semolina flour for 1 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour.

Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 192 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 38 g carb, 2 g fib, 6 g prot, 8 mg calc, POINTS 4

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Whole-wheat flour makes a higher-fiber, more nutritious crust. Substitute 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour for 1 1/4 cups of the all-purpose flour.

Per serving (1/12 of the dough): 177 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 292 mg sod, 34 g carb, 3 g fib, 6 g pro, 5 mg calc, POINTS 3


And because I don't think I've posted my sauce before. This is a mixture of some sauces I've made before. It's mostly a mixture of a Cooking Light Marinara sauce for the freezer and one on the web that is supposed to be like Papa John's Sauce. I call it Chez JJ's Sauce now. :) This makes a little more than enough sauce for 2 pizzas depending on how much sauce you like on your pizzas. We like about 1/2 cup of sauce per 12" pizza.

Chez JJ Sauce

15 oz crushed tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed fennel [gives a bit of a sausage-like flavor]
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until thickened. Let cool. You can freeze. You can also double/triple as needed.


To make a pizza:

Preheat oven to 450. Roll dough into a 12" circle. Prick with a fork and place onto oven stone. Par-bake for 4 minutes. If you don't have a stone, place on pan and par-bake on bottom rack of oven instead. Remove from oven - and if it has bubbled up a bit, I usually press down with a towel or my pizza peel and let cool a bit before topping on a wire rack. For each pizza top with 1/2 cup of sauce (if not using homemade I will just use jarred spaghetti sauce), 3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (or 3 oz Italian cheese blend) and then with 17 turkey pepperoni slices and any other toppings (thin sliced onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc). Don't put a whole lot of toppings on because too many will make the pizza soggy. The sprinkle about 2 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan on top. Bake for about 9 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown and the edges are browning (it's going to be 12-15 minutes total including the par-baking). Take out and let cool for about 3-5 minutes so the cheese won't slide off when you go to cut it. Eat and enjoy. It's going to be about 5 points per slice depending on if you add any more pointy things to the pizza when you top it. Now, if you eat two pieces, it's not 10 points for both, it's going to be 11, just to warn you, and it's going to be 16.5 points for 3. So watch what how many you eat. :)

My Menu Plans for this Week

I must admit there's not much planned. I'm not sure what's going on with hubby being sick so most of it is flying by the seat of my pants. I'm also not sure what he's going to feel like eating. I'm doing Weight Watchers too, so most of these stuff are now being made healthy (whole wheat pasta and smaller amounts of butter/oil and fats) And the pizza...smaller serving sizes. *sigh*

He says he does feel like eating enchiladas tonight though.

Tonight (Monday): Chicken enchiladas (from the freezer)
Tuesday: Chili Mac (using leftover chili)
Wednesday: Potato Leek Soup (Made it today since I needed to use up the leeks my mom gave me from her garden weeks ago)
Thurs: Garlic Shrimp if hubby feels up to it (shrimp were BOGO at the store)
Fri: Homemade Pizza

Check out http://www.orgjunkie.com/ for more Menu Plan Monday ideas.

Sick Hubby

Picture024.jpg,
originally uploaded by dibranchia.

Hubby has actually called in sick. Something I think he's only done once or twice for as long as I've been married to him, so you know he's not feeling well at all! He's always telling me how often Miko and I sleep alike, and now I have proof that Percy and he sleep alike too. Poor thing! He's actually asked for canned chicken noodle soup for lunch too, even though I told him I'd make it homemade for him.

I am doing a 14 days of Valentines for him (ie- 1 Hershey's kiss on the 1st, 4 Honeybuns on the 4th day, 6 Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the 6th, a massage on the 10th [10 fingers]) and was tempted to actually buy 10 cans of Chicken Noodle soup for him the other day, but didn't think I could find room for all of them, not to mention they weren't on sale either. Today I've left 11 little post-it's all around the house telling him little reasons why I love him. I got the idea for the 14 days from Carrie (http://scarehaircare.blogspot.com/) on a WW board I like to read (and I participate in occasionally). She does it much better than I do.

Yesterday wasn't much fun. Not because hubby and I weren't feeling well but because of the weather. It wasn't even that cold yesterday. We had high winds, and we ended up losing power for quite a few hours. Found out later, once it came back, that there was a pretty big fire because of it (the power lines falling on the dry trees and such) and people actually being evacuated. And it didn't just happen in my county but other counties in Richmond too! http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-02-11-0173.html

Needless to say, not much got done yesterday. Although I did get the ceiling fans cleaned. That way I didn't have dust snakes when they started up again.

Today not much else will get done. It's another day of not feeling so great, but that's ok. I'll get done what I can. Dinner tonight is pulled from the freezer, it's enchiladas. All I have to do is put it together, I froze everything separately (takes up less room that way). If hubby doesn't feel like eating it, I'll still fix it, and he can have soup. That way it's still made and it won't go bad since it's thawed. I get to play nurse today.

Why yes, I am still alive.

Sorry for being quiet this week. I've had some medical problem, liver related. I hope to be back to normal posting although hubby is starting to come down with what I'm afraid looks to be the flu. :( We'll see what happens. You might just get a recipe for chicken noodle soup. Anyone know how to build an autoclave?

Recipe Review: Caldo Tlalpeno

YUM! Hubby gives it an 8, but with this note: "I would give it a 9, but I don't really have a spot to hit at this moment thanks to the dental work this morning." Poor dear. This soup worked out perfectly for this. I was going to make quesadillas to go with it as noted in the directions, but after making it, it looked like it would definitely be enough for both of us with just a few tortilla chips, and I was right. Hubby didn't eat lunch (we got back from the dentist about lunch time), and we both went to bed after taking our respective pain meds (him: Ibuprofen, me something a lot stronger). I didn't make it totally as directed, I had some already cooked, shredded chicken in the freezer already, so I skipped that part and just pureed the garlic with the chipotle in the broth and warmed everything through when I cooked the instant brown rice (which I was surprised I actually did have in the pantry). The chipotle made the broth smell heavenly as it was cooking, and it was just spicy enough as it was cooking. As for the pepper with the onion, I'm not sure what I used, since it was one of the ones that I grew this summer on my back porch that I had just thrown into the freezer. This would definitely be a good dinner for when you've got a cold and are all stopped up too! AND I think it would be good with some white beans or pinto beans instead of chicken meat too. I froze the other chipotle peppers in individual sandwich baggies and then put them inside a larger gallon ziploc bag for later use.

From Eating Well Magazine http://eatingwell.com/recipes/caldo_tlalpeno.html
Caldo Tlalpeño

NUTRITION PROFILE: Low Calorie | High Fiber | Low Sodium | Low Cholesterol | Low Sat Fat | Heart Healthy | Healthy Weight

Although there are many variations of this Mexican chicken soup, spicy chipotle chiles are always part of the broth. Make it a meal: Serve with a Mexican beer and cheese quesadillas.

Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 poblano or Anaheim chile pepper, chopped
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (see Shopping Tip)
1 cup instant brown rice
4 radishes, sliced
1 small avocado, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, quartered

1. Bring broth, water, garlic and chicken to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, skimming any foam that rises to the top, until the garlic is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Transfer the garlic with a slotted spoon to a blender and the chicken to a clean cutting board.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and poblano (or Anaheim) chile and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add to the broth.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and chipotle pepper to the blender and process until smooth (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Pour the mixture back into the broth in the pan. Stir in rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Shred the chicken and divide among 4 bowls. Ladle the broth over the chicken and top with equal portions of radish, avocado and cilantro. Serve with a wedge of lime.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 318 calories; 13 g fat (2 g sat, 7 g mono); 39 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 22 g protein; 6 g fiber; 264 mg sodium; 517 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (60% daily value), Selenium (16% dv).
1 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

TIP: Shopping Tip: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they’ll keep 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

My Menu Plans for Next Week

Ok, I must admit I don't have much planned out, a lot of it will be eating leftovers, depending on how I'm feeling. I'm having a lot of liver pains, which not only make me feel bad, but also make me tired, but when I take the pain pills, also make me even more tired. So, since I've been taking them this weekend, I'm glad I can even focus! Luckily I started working on this a bit early.

Check out http://orgjunkie.com/2008/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-4th.html for more great menus!

Monday: Hubby has his dentist appointment and possible root canal. Caldo Tlalpeno - from the current Eating Well Magazine: http://eatingwell.com/recipes/caldo_tlalpeno.html
Tues: It's Shrove Tues (Fat Tues) so it's going to be Pancake Night (how easy is that!)
Wednesday: Green Chicken Enchiladas (already in the freezer, just need to thaw and put together)
Thurs:Chinese New Year - steamed dumplings: Frozen from the Chinese Grocery Store - we buy a big bag of these (it's like $8) and they feed us for many, many meals).
Friday: Leftovers or homemade pizza whichever I feel like (pizza makings are in the freezer)
Sat & Sunday: usually also leftovers, but sometimes I cook. I'll know more when Thurs rolls around, usually my day for errands when I'm in town.

Tasty Dinner Tonight

Dinner tonight was very much a no thought deal. I had a small loaf of pumpernickel leftover from last weekend (I had froze it). I sliced it in half and filled with some Thousand Island Dressing, pressed sauerkraut (so it wasn't as wet), sliced deli Pastrami (as in packaged Hillshire Farm on sale) and Kraft 2% Milk Swiss slices. Closed it up, wrapped in Reynolds nonstick foil and popped it in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. I served it with the following salad out of the current Eating Well Magazine. I left out the caraway (I don't like them, although I like the taste if they are ground and did top with a bit of gorgonzola). I doubled the amount, but didn't add the lettuce, that way I can keep it in the fridge (the vinegar should keep the apple from going brown). Hubby gave it an 8. Oh! I also didn't have a shallot (I don't often keep them on hand) so I used a green onion and added a bit of powdered garlic.

I've got chicken legs marinating in some Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy, a bit of cider vinegar and Texas Pete for Baked Buffalo Chicken Legs and I'll make some chili tomorrow too. One or the other will be for lunch and one will be during the game, not sure which will be which. Doesn't really matter in the long run since we don't really watch the game. ;)

Creamy Chopped Cauliflower Salad

Makes 6 servings, about 1 cup each

5 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups chopped cauliflower florets (about ½ large head)
2 cups chopped heart of romaine
1 tart-sweet red apple, chopped

Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, shallot, caraway seeds (if using) and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add cauliflower, romaine and apple; toss to coat.

Per serving: 54 calories; 2 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 128 mg sodium; 257 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (53% daily value), Vitamin A (22% dv), Folate (15% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat

Toasted Sesame Strips

Gayle over at http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/ wanted some thrifty snack ideas. While we don't make many snacks around here, usually going for the fruits, or leftovers, and occasionally popcorn, cereals or cheeses. I have been sometimes known to make some.

This is one is one I used to make as a kid. First off I should mention that my parents were born and grew up in Baltimore, MD. I was born there also, but pretty much grew up in Va. Why do I mention this? Because one of my favorite trips, was when we visited the Inner Harbor. We used to stop by the McCormick's place they had there and take the tour, EVERY time. I would beg to go every time. They no longer have that place there, but I still remember it and the teashop we'd always get tea at. I have a little cookbooklet from them, "Kids' Cookery: A Learn to Cook Book for Children". No date is on it, and I used it quite a bit when I first started to cook. And this is one treat my sister and I made quite a lot when we got home from school in the toaster oven. We also liked to have it instead of garlic bread too. And that was all to say that's why the instructions seem so simplistic too. As we got older we wouldn't bother cutting off the crusts, unless we wanted it fancy. And even got to the point were we would just spread softened butter and sprinkle on the garlic powder, but you use less butter/garlic powder if you go the melted route instead. :) You can just toast the slices whole instead of baking too. And a cheap place to get sesame seeds, the Asian grocery stores! Big bags for what you'd pay for a small jar. Same thing for poppy seeds, especially if you have an Indian Grocery store for those.

Toasted Sesame Strips

You will need:
Measuring spoons
A saucepan
a knife
a pastry brush
a baking sheet
2 Tbsp butter
1/8 tsp garlic powder
4 slices of bread
1/ 1/2 tsp sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Have an adult turn the oven on to 425 F.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic powder to the butter.

Cut the crusts off the bread slices

Use a pastry brush to brush the butter and garlic powder mixture on each slice of bread

Sprinkle sesame seeds or poppy seeds on top of each slice of bread

Cut each slice of bread into 3 strips

Place the strips on a baking sheet

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 12 strips, 3 per serving.