Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Menu 4-25-10

This may be my last menu for a week or two... Saturday a new baby is joining our family! We are very excited and busy finishing last minute preparations for his arrival.

Here's what our dinnertime looks like this week:

Sun- cream cheese chicken over bowtie pasta, green salad with oranges, almonds and craisins, french bread, red jell-o, green beans, and pineapple upside down cake (Happy Birthdays J.D. and Miss Riske!)
M- BLTs, steamed zucchs and watermelon
T- refried bean burritos
W- chicken caesar salad wraps
Th- leftovers
F- out
Sat- a tasty hospital meal. Wahoo!!


Monday, April 19, 2010

Endive and Apple Appetizer

I'm pretty sure it's Martha Stewart who pronounces "endive" "ahn-deeve". She also pronounces the "h" in "herbs". I love that lady.

As for me, I say "endive", just like it's spelled. And my favorite way to prepare it is as follows...

Endive and Apple Appetizer

assorted endive leaves
cream cheese, room temp
strawberry jam
crisp apples, like Fugi or Gala

Combine two parts cream cheese to one part jam. Spread a little strawberry cream cheese on each endive leaf. Top with a thin slice of apple (brush with lemon juice to prevent browning). This is a quick, refreshing appetizer or snack. My kids loved it! Thanks to friend Laurel for recipe.

Menu, 4-18-10

This week for dinner...

Sun- chicken spaghetti, garden salad, whole wheat rolls, asparagus, lemon yogurt cake with whipped cream and strawberries
T- chef's salad
Th- BBQ beef sammies
Sat- out

I am going to try to stick to this menu come heck or highwater. I have been cheating too too much as of late!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Split Pea Soup


Split pea soup: Looks like barf, tastes delicious. Ever since I was little I've loved this soup, and I'm really not sure why. What kid likes something that looks like so sick?? Well, I did. I think I just loved the little bits of ham in it. SO tasty. And so, I thought that if it was good from a can, how much better would it be from scratch? Answer: A lot better. I think this soup is so so good, inexpensive, and pretty nutritious too. This recipe is simple and really easy. It basically makes itself! Thanks, Dave Lieberman, for a quality recipe.


1/4 cup olive oil (you could probably get by on less, but I did use the full 1/4 cup)
1 large onion, finely diced (I omitted this, of course)
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 pound bag split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 1/2 pound smoked ham hock
2 quarts chicken stock, water, or combination
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium high heat. Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite. Season to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove ham hock and let cool. Pull meat from ham hock bone and shred. Garnish with ham and pepper.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Menu 4-11-10

What's for dinner at our place this week:

Sun- Hawaiian haystacks, strawberry spinach salad, no bake cookies, cornbread
M- leftovers
F- chicken and veggie shiskabobs with pineapple rice
Sat- I'm thinking brownies and ice cream