Our Dinner Menu Plan

My oldest son attends a year round school so technically we are on vacation until the middle of September.  I am going to post this weeks dinner plan and then I will take a brief break to spend quality time with the boys.

What are you serving for dinner this week?  (Please post in the comments section)

Our Dinner Menu Plan

Monday - Carolina Crab Cakes (loved this recipe - it has no mayo), Fried Okra, and Bunny Mac 'n' Cheese

*My husband caught 28 blue crabs at the beach this past weekend.  He spent about 4 hours removing the meat and boy were these crab cakes good!!)

Tuesday - Teriyaki Pork Chops, Rice and Mixed Greens

Wednesday - Healthier Version of Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo (use fat-free milk - recipe does not state) with Tomato Salad and Bread

Thursday - Refried Beans, Brown Rice and Side Salad

Friday - Pumpkin Waffles or Pancakes (I have not decided just yet), Bacon and Fruit Salad

Saturday - Pesto Pasta with Spinach and Bread

Sunday - Tacos, Spanish Rice, Side Salad and Banana Parfait

Crock Pot Quinoa Casserole

I am sure you have heard me talk about this before, but each week I try to prepare at least 2-3 vegetarian dinner meals.  I believe it can sometimes be cheaper and healthier, plus it brings us out of our comfort zone.

I came across a recipe for Crock Pot Quinoa Casserole and thought it sounded easy (I love easy), and healthy, plus it met the requirements for vegetarian night.  I did add garbanzo beans, as she suggested, to make it a little heartier.   I also added peanuts in the last 30 minutes of cooking, instead of almonds.

I really loved this dish, but my kids did not.  My husband said it was okay, but would be great with chicken (ha, ha).  I think that would officially take it out of the vegetarian category, don't you think?

You should really give this Crock Pot Quinoa Casserole a try if you are up for trying something new.  It would make an awesome side dish too!

End of Summer Soup

This week has been crock pot week for us.  I tried to find new recipes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, that would be a great fit for my family.

Remember the lady that cooked in her crock pot every night of the week for an entire year?  Well, I have used some of her recipes in the past and thought I would give another one a try.

End of Summer soup sounded like a good way to incorporate lots of vegetables and perfect for vegetarian night.  I did make quite a few changes to the original recipe, like adding eggplant instead of squash, carrots instead of zucchini, okra and fresh herbs such as basil and parsley.  My family thought this soup was just okay.  I may have changed it too much from the original. 

It is definitely an easy soup to make and cook all day long.  I would give it another try, but stick with the original.

Chocolate Cheerio Treats

As you all know I LOVE chocolate.  The other day I really wanted a snack with some chocolate, but of course, we did not have any.  I decided to put some things together to make these super chocolatey treats.

Sorry to say that I did not measure anything so please feel free to change the ingredients according to your tastes.  Next time I make this I think I will put less sugar and less honey.

Chocolate Cheerio Treats

Ingredients:

*Measurements below are estimates

1/4-1/2 Cup Honey

1/4-1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1/4-1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolates

Handful of small marshmallows

3 - 3 1/2 Cups Regular Cheerios

Melt honey, sugar, peanut butter, chocolate and marshmallows in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  

Once completely melted remove from heat and add cheerios.  Stir to combine completely.

Press into a 9 x 13 pan and let cool.  If you like your chocolate treats a little thicker press into a 9 x 9 pan instead. 

Once cooled, cut into squares and enjoy!

Our Dinner Menu Plan

End of Summer Bounty

Our dinner menu plan is not 100% complete because we have weekend plans.  Therefore our weekend meals will be based on what my parents chose.  Sometimes it's great not to have all the meal planning pressure :-)

Our Dinner Menu Plan

Monday - Bacon Pesto Pasta with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Side Salad

Tuesday - End of Summer Crock Pot Soup with Fresh Bread

Wednesday - Crock Pot Garlic Honey Chicken (this is already made, just need to throw it into the crock pot) with Roasted Asparagus and Corn

Thursday - Crock Pot Quinoa Casserole with Garlic Bread and Bruschetta 

Have a blessed week!

Crock Pot Swiss Steak with Onions and Peppers

I will add a picture of the completed recipe as soon as I can :-)

The crock pot is a great cooking device to use at any time.  I think the summer is just as good as any to use the crock pot and conserve electricity.  No need to get your kitchen hot and cause your air conditioner to work overtime.

This recipe for Crock Pot Swiss Steak is a favorite in our house.  Sometimes I compile all the ingredients and place it in a freezer bag and freeze for a later day.  You then remove the freezer bag, cut it open and place in the crock pot.  (If your crock pot is on the smaller size, you would need to place in two smaller freezer bags or thaw ahead of time to ensure it would fit into the crock pot).

Crock Pot Swiss Steak with Onions and Peppers

Ingredients:

4-6 Cube steaks (depending on your family's size and the size of the steaks)
1 Large onion, sliced
1 Large green pepper, sliced
1 Can healthy request cream of mushroom soup
1/4 Cup water
Pepper to taste

Place steaks in crock pot and cover with onions and peppers.  

Combine soup, water and pepper.  Top steaks with soup mixture.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours.  It is okay if you cook these longer, as long as it is on low, because these steaks will become more tender the longer they cook.

I served these over mashed potatoes and a side of green beans.

Cucumbers in Vinegar

This may seem kind of weird to post about something so simple like cucumbers and vinegar, but I think it gets forgotten sometimes.

You may say "this is not a healthy side dish". Well let me tell you about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar.  Studies have shown that apple cider vinegar can lower blood glucose levels, cholesterol, blood pressure and may slow the growth of cancer cells.  Who knew, right?

My kids really love cucumbers with apple cider vinegar and yours may too.

Cucumbers in Vinegar

Ingredients:

1-2 Large cucumbers (depending on your family size), peeled (optional) and chopped

Enough apple cider vinegar to almost cover the cucumbers

Fresh ground pepper according to taste

Salt (optional)
1-2 Tbsp water (optional - it will reduce the strong flavor of the vinegar)

Mix all ingredients together and serve.  You may also put in the refrigerator to let the flavors marinate until you are ready to serve.

* My mom said that adding fresh tomatoes and onions is also a great twist to this classic.