Menu Plan Monday

I finally got a coupon from Saving Dinner, Thanks Leanne. I downloaded several new freezer meals and hopefully this week i will have an evening to put those together. Meanwhile, I am assuming we will still have to eat this week, ugh.

Monday - BLT's

Tuesday - Lasagna

Wednesday - Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and Corn Muffins

Thursday - I think I might try this Southwestern Pasta , only I will make it hot and add chicken.

Friday - Pizza and Chicken Wings

What Really Happened Last Week

You all know I traveled last week. But Mr. Geek and the little geeks seemed to have found something to eat.
Monday - Sloppy Joes per LG's request.

Tuesday - McDonalds

Wednesday - ?? I think my mom brought food for Mr. Geek. What did the poor children eat?

Thursday - Far East grilled chicken. The last of the freezer meals

Friday - Junk food

Saturday - Spicy Nacho Bake This was a new recipe and I LOVED it. The little guys liked it okay (That means success in my book.)

Sunday - Zippy Peanut Steak Kabobs - If you have a peanut or tree nut allergy in your house, don't worry I substituted Sunbutter and these were really good.

Menu Plan Monday

Not to be whiny, but what does a person have to do to get a coupon from the Dinner Diva .

Monday -Labor Day -- Kitchen is Closed!

Tuesday - Soccer Practice. Apricot BBQ Chicken in Crockpot

Wednesday - Under the Tuscan Sun Chicken

Thursday - The Littlest Geek has Piano, Middle Geek has Soccer Practice. Burgers on the grill.

Friday - Looking for suggestions!!

What Really Happened Last Week

Monday -Horseback Riding This was the boys last lesson.

Tuesday - Soccer Practice and Cub Scout Family Picnic - Hamburgers and Hot Dogs. It was potluck and I brought a Garbanzo Bean and Tomato Salad. I made up the recipe as I went along, one can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed. Two tomatoes from my garden, diced. One handful of fresh basil (also from my garden) cut into slivers. I added zucchini (yes from my garden, see a trend) that had been cut into matchsticks. Pour over some Red Wine Vinegar, a bit of sugar and plenty of salt. Allow it to sit as long as possible for the flavors to blend (or eat it right away, I won't tell.)

Wednesday - Summer in Vermont Chicken - This is chicken marinated in maple syrup and other spices. When you cook it on the grill it gets a wonderfully sticky coating.

Thursday - The Littlest Geek has Piano, Middle Geek has Soccer Practice, Mr Geek's Triathlon was canceled because his athlete has strep throat. (Will she be able to compete in the race on Saturday? Stay tuned.) We had Manic Meatloaf in the Crockpot. This was another freezer meal that really hit the spot. There is a tomato onion relish that is supposed to be cooked separately, but I added the relish to the crock pot during the last hour and half of cooking. It was perfect. No the children did not eat it. there's was more for me and Mr. Geek.

Friday - Red River Chicken and Chicken Wings. College Geek was home for the weekend and there was a fistfight over the chicken. (Okay maybe no fist fight, but no leftovers either.)

Saturday - Cross Rock!!! and Mr. Geek's triathlon . Stories and Pictures to follow.

Sunday - We had friends over and Steaks on the grill, Corn on the Cob, yum.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Cherry Tomato Tilapia.

Tuesday - Horseback riding

Wednesday - Oranged Tofu StirFry.

Thursday- BBQ Meatloaf , the Littlest Geek has Piano.

Friday - Healthy Bok Choy Noodles and Skillet Turkey with Browned Onions (I am using the Heart Heathy Menu this week from Saving Dinner (except for the meatloaf which is from a freezer menu) and sometimes I know these recipes are too light for the boys in this house. I am making two "dinners" using the recipe for inspiration and then improvising. I wonder what the results will be?

Weekend - Fiesta Artichoke Chicken

What Really Happened Last Week

Monday - Rescheduled Swim Party - I thought there would be hot dogs for the kids, but instead they had pizza. I had given the boys a snack before hand but ended up going back home to get hot dogs. We had Grilled Portobella Mushrooms with cheese on buns. Note: Use the large portobella mushrooms if you try this because the mushrooms will shrink a bit and not cover the entire bun. (They were deliscious)

Tuesday - Horseback Riding for the boys they ate McDonalds. I ate scrambled eggs with sun dried tomatoes.

Wednesday - We had to pick up Middle Geek's school schedule, it was not the nightmare that last year's was and we were finished in 45 minutes (this included finding the locker and practising the combination). Kickin' Dirty Rice - This was yummy, however I used Zatarain's Creole Seasoning, and while I like the flavor it is a bit salty for me. Does anyone have a recipe for Creole/ Cajun seasoning or another brand that you like?

Thursday - Middle geek had his first visit with his new reading tutor and the Littlest Geek started Piano again making it a good night for a crock pot meal. Chicken with Orange Couscous - Somehow when I went to make this I was short some ingredients (SavingDinner gives a shopping list that I must have misread) and I was out of Quinoa. I attempted to throw together something inspired by the name and it was just okay, so I will not be sharing that recipe.

Friday - Buffalo Chicken Wraps - Best meal of the week. Since I also created my own recipe inspired by the title, I think I can share this very simple recipe.

Two chicken breasts cut into strips.

Put the chicken in a ziplock bag with 1/4 cup rice flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt and shake to coat.

Pan fry in canola oil in small batches so tha the chicken gets crispy. (Be sure to shake excess flour from chicken before frying.)

Pour several tablespoon of hot sauce over the top of the chicken and lightly toss to coat.

Serve with tomatoes and lettuce on a wrap or on a plate. (For those not GFCF, I made a Blue Cheese/ Sour Cream sauce.)

I server this with potato salad and cole slaw.

Saturday - We went to Six Flags (story in itself).

Saturday - Southern Stir Fry-- Another big hit this week. Look at the picture, doesn't that look summery and delisious. I made it with smoked chicken from our local grocery story.

Sunday - Mr. Geek's night to cook. We had Ribs and asparagus on the grill. Yum.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Portobella Burgers - Rescheduled Swim Party - There will be hot dogs for the kids.

Tuesday - Horseback riding

Wednesday - Kickin' Dirty Rice -We have to pick up Middle Geek's school schedule.

Thursday- Chicken with Orange Couscous (I will use Quinoa instead of couscous) , Middle geek has his first visit with his new reading tutor and the Littlest Geek is starting Piano again.

Friday - Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Weekend - Southern Stir Fry (I will make this with chicken instead of pork.)

What Really Happened Last Week

Monday - The last Swim meet of the Summer! I made Beef Burgundy in the crockpot. This was really really good but way too heavy of a meal for a hot night. I think this should be just on the winter menus.

Tuesday - Horseback Riding for the boys they ate McDonalds. I went out with my two AbFab friends to see Mama Mia. (WONDERFUL!!) and then we went out to eat. Review to follow.

Wednesday - Swim Team Party was canceled because of Rain, I had Band Practice - I just could not cook that night, I am not sure why but I had a complete brain freeze of ideas. So the family went out to eat, All the Geek family went except for College Geek who was out of town. We do not eat out much as a family so this was a real treat and lots of fun.

Thursday - I was going to make the Thai Chicken that was on the menu but I decided instead to remake the Red Curry Chicken

Friday - I had dinner alone. (What? It was very weird.) I had picked up some irregular sliced bacon (hopefully the slices were irregular and not the bacon) during my travels last week to the Swiss Meat and Sausage Company . I combined that with one huge home grown tomato, add mayo and plenty of salt on toast -- mmmmmm. (Wait I just need a minute----okay I am back.)

Saturday - Beef Skewers with Pineapple Jalapeno Sauce -- College Geek was home and asked if I would please make him a home cooked meal. Was this the same kid that when he was HighSchool Geek used to look at the dinner and and plead "Why can't we eat normal food like everyone else?" I even asked "what do you think is normal food?" He said, "Pizza, chicken nuggets." Apparently after a year of eating what everybody else eats for a year at college and he began to appreciate (his words) "food with taste".

Sunday - Dinner out with friends - OMG that make three dinners out this week, but part of the join of having the College Geek home, is that Mr. Geek and I can continue our tradition of Sunday night dinner dates.

Menu Plan Monday

This Week
Monday - Ginger Chicken Breast with Chinese Cole Slaw
Tuesday - Caribean Steak

Wednesday - South African Chicken

Thursday - Paprika Pork Chops (Chicken) with Corn Relist

Friday - Fried Chicken (postponed from last week)

Last week - What really happened.

Monday - Marinated Beef Kabob with Wasabi Sauce - We had this on the grill and even though we had to eat it quickly because we had a SwimMeet that night, OMG, it was yummy. Changes from recipe - I made the marinade with mayo instead of yogurt to make the meal GFCF. I put onion on the skewer with the meat instead of Cherry tomatoes. To make the Wasabi Dip, I mixed Wasabi powder with sour cream since I figured the boys wouldn't eat it anyway.

Tuesday - Galicky Garbanzos, Broccoli and Pasta -This was a recipe that did not excite me at all reading it but the finished product was worthwhile. It is basically a combination of chopped brocolli, garbanzo beans and pasta. I added some tomato sauce. The big surprise was how the Middle Geek shoveled it in. I quote, "Mom it has everything I like, brocolli, butts and noodles." Yes he calls Garbanzo Beans - butts, Go look at one and I think you will understand why.

Wednesday - We had hamburgers (I didn't feel like cooking)

Thursday - Tex-Mex Chicken Wrap I made this in the crock pot, it was good and made good leftovers.

Friday - I was home alone for dinner. I found a steak in the freezer and threw it on the grill. I ate just that, no veggies (don't tell anyone). I followed it up with homemade Chocolate Chip Coffee Ice Cream. (Mr. Geek made this Ice Cream and it deserves a post all on its own.)

Saturday - Just me and Middle Geek, he had Chili and I had a Chili Cheeseburger.

Sunday - I made Lasagna for my Mom's Birthday Party (the actual day is later this week). It must good cause I didn't have any leftovers (or maybe I didn't make enough).

What's for Dinner at the Geek House?

For summer, I have switched from using Freezer Meals and I subscribed to the weekly meal planner from Saving Dinner. Each week has six meals planned with a detailed shopping list on the front.

Last night we had a memorable dinner (memorable in a really good way) .

The menu called for Red Chicken Curry.

I should probably tell you that I love cookbooks and new recipes, and sometimes I follow them exactly and other times I use them for inspiration. This leads to some really good dinners that will probably never be repeated in my life time as I am not always sure how I got there. For that reason alone Mr. Geek was excited that I was blogging about this meal, so that there would be some sort of written record and maybe he would see the same meal again. (I agree with him on this, I can't wait to make this again.)





First I sliced the chicken breast relatively thin (about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick) and cut the slices into squares. I placed the chicken in a bag and added salt (~1 teas) and Coconut Powder (a purchase from the International Food Store, it is coconut ground into a coarse powder). I shook the bag to coat the chicken and pan fried it until it was crispy. (I saved some of the chicken at this point for the picky Littlest Geek.)









After the chicken was cooked, I added a bag of frozen peas and 1/2 bag of frozen mango to the same pan. (Do not rinse or clean this pan before this step.

Then I added one can of coconut milk and a seasoning packet of Thai Red Curry and a bit of water. (I did not follow the instructions on the seasoning packet either, I am that much of a rebel hah.)

After the mixture came to a boil and had thickened a bit, I poured it over the chicken, stirred it and served it over Jasmine Rice.

I rounded out the meal with some watermelon.











The only thing I would like to do differently next time is I plan to look for plain red curry at the International Food Store instead of using the spice mix. Although the mix is GFCF, I like to keep the amount of processed food we eat to a minimum.

Did you hear that? It was Mr. Geek screaming, "NOOOOO! Please, can't we have the same meal more that once?" heheheheh

My Herb Garden

It looks like we may have finally gotten the last frost this week. To celebrate the ending of winter (finally) and the beginning of May, I am going to start planting my herb garden.

This is what I plan to grow.

1. Oregano - This is a hardy perennial that I don't think I could kill if I tried. (My kind of plant!)

2. Sage - This also came back this year. It doesn't always and with all the snow this winter it was a nice surprise.

3. Basil - My favorite herb of all time. Trust me once you have eaten fresh basil you will crave it in your pasta sauce, on your pizza, in a salad. yum

4. Rosemary - My second favorite herb. In the summer I love to cook a whole chicken with rosemary on the grill. MMmmm, add some grilled new potatoes and asparagus, maybe corn on the cob and .... I just need a moment....

5. Thyme - Good in the baked chicken and soups.

6. Marjoram - We have GREAT pasta sauce all summer.

7. Thai Basil - All basil is not the same. I grew this for the first time last summer and enjoyed this in curry.

8. Cilantro - A controversial herb in the Geek house. I love it, Mr Geek hates it.

9. Chamomile - Not only does this make good tea, but it have pretty white flowers

10. Lavender - Sometime I grow plants just because I like to. I have never used lavender for anything, but I like having the option.

11. Parsley - Two reason - First I love fresh parsley, but even better Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars love parsley. Each year we try to capture one of these caterpillars and watch it turn into a butterfly right in out kitchen. (I'll take pictures.)

That leaves two opening for impulse buys at the store. I will fill them in when I decide.

Any suggestion?

Shake and Bake

Wow, this morning we were woke up by an earthquake. Those of you in California are probably thinking, "What wimps!", well you probably are right. This is how we handle an earthquake in my house:

Me (feeling the bed shake, grouchily): WHAT are you DOING?

Mr. Geek : It's four thirty. (That explains THAT.)

Then he goes and stands in the door way, alone. I stayed in bed wondering, what did he do to make the bed shake so badly that it didn't stop even when he was gone.

Midwesterns are not good at handling earthquakes.


Here is some random information about my week.

Dinner

There was much interest in my post on Sunday Dinner, so I decided to take more pictures of our food. I rely completely on freezer meals that I make once a month, freeze and pull out each day for dinner. Saving Dinner is the best, it includes a shopping list and all the recipes. Sometimes even when the recipes don't sound like something we would like, we are pleasantly surprised with a great meal. This meal was one of those. The dinner was Chicken with Apples and Leeks, which reminded me of Kalynne's Week of Leeks . No final picture, but it was so good there were no leftovers.

Lock-In

Tonight is a Lock-In for the Youth at church. Wish me luck. We have so much fun stuff planned - Sand volleyball, two bands are playing, and we are going to play Nerf Dart Tag, a game I stole from Drewpy Drew . (Actually he sent me the directions).

Have a GREAT weekend!

The Birthday Cake

This was my son's birthday cake. It is a penguin because he likes penguins!!

It was my first time using a silicone baking pan and I was really sketical if it would turn out or not.


I used the recipe for my boy's favorite (gluten- free casien-free egg-free) Brownies.

The big question was - Would the cake come out of the pan?

I cooled the cake completely (as long as I could stand it, I am not very patient), turned them over and...

Well see for yourself, they came out perfectly!

I used homemade butter icing (so much better than store bought). I didn't have any decorating stuff, so I used a ziplock bag with a hole cut out. (Now you know why when my niece and I decorate cakes, she does the icing.) Even so, I think he turned out pretty cute. (and artifical color free also.)

Comfort Food

When the temperature starts dropping and January seems to stretch on endlessly, I crave food from my childhood. My number one comfort food is not only from my childhood but also from my dad's childhood, a comfort food that has spanned the generations.

My dad grew up in the depression, the only son of a divorced woman, uncommon in the day. My grandma worked in a dress factory when she could and my dad was not embarassed to tell me of the time they gladly took food from the Salvation Army.

Knowing this you should guess that my dad's boyhood food was simple, cheap, and filling. Here's the recipe:

Beans and Hamhocks

1 pound dried navy beans
1-2 Ham Hocks (I substituted smoked chicken breast because of my son's pork allergy. It was a delicious substitution however I am sure it would not acceptable to my grandma if she were still with us)

That's it, that is all the ingredients.
Soak the dried beans over night. Rinse and add fresh water and cook over low heat until the bean are cooked through. (no al dente, I mean mushy) Add hamhocks and continue cooking. Add salt to taste.

Serve with (and this is important) fried potatoes and onions. Pour a couple tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, add thinly sliced potatoes and onion. Cook until the potatoes are very crispy. Add lots of salt and pepper (this is comfort food, salt and fat do not count). You can eat corn muffins with this as long as they are made sweet corn bread, such as those made from Jiffy Mix.

For a GFCF, egg free version, see following:
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon egg substitute
Mix the dry ingredients with
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water
Makes 2 dozen mini muffins baked 15 minutes at 375