I can't believe it's another Monday ... this year seems to be flying by. Of course, I say that every year but I always feel like time is going by so fast. I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend and are having a good start to your weeks! This week we will be trying the following recipes:
Sunday night -- we had leftover chicken from the Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken that we made last week, so we mixed it with some barbecue sauce and had BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with baked beans and potato salad. Yum! I like to serve these sandwiches on dinner rolls that Safeway sells instead of regular bread or hamburger bun type rolls.
Monday night -- we are having leftover lasagna. We were gone Friday and Saturday nights so we've got a lot of leftover lasagna to eat. Luckily, it really is The Best Lasaga Ever so we don't mind having it again!
Tuesday night -- we will be going to the Mariners v. Tigers game! Every Tuesday is Military Appreciation Night so we got tickets for $10.00! We are going with some friends from Detroit so that should make the game a lot of fun. We're planning on eating at Pyramid Brewery beforehand, it's right across the street from Safeco and also has a beer garden!
Wednesday night -- Asian Pork Tenderloin. I blogged about this recipe a few weeks ago but I never made it. We plan on having it with stir fried vegetables -- some sugar snap peas, bell peppers, water chestnuts and baby corns.
Thursday night -- Monterey Chicken. I've made this recipe before and it was REALLY good. We don't have a grill so I baked it in the oven and then added the toppings and it turned out really well. I can't wait until we move and get a grill so we can have grilled Monterey Chicken instead of baked!
We aren't trying out a lot of new recipes this week, but hopefully our meal plan will give you some ideas! I really think that planning ahead makes not only our grocery shopping easier, but our week nights easier as well. Whoever gets home first doesn't have to look around the kitchen and decide what to make, they can just get started!
Happy Cooking!
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Showing posts with label budget. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
I was slacking for a few weeks, but I'm back on track with my meal planning! It really does make the weeks so much easier.
Sunday night - I had leftovers from both my lunch and dinner from Saturday, so I had leftovers. J. spent the night in Anacortes because he had a 7:00 a.m. brief on Monday morning (yuck!)
Monday night - Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry. J. found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It was quick to put together and very tasty. We served it with rice.
Tuesday night - Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tacos. I am really looking forward to making this recipe. I love tacos, but making chicken tacos can be such a pain. This recipe looks amazing ... throw everything in the crockpot before you leave in the morning and dinner will be ready when you get home!
Wednesday night - The Pioneer Woman's Best Lasagna Ever. We've had this several times and it's a favorite. I substitute Italian Herbs for some of the Basil in the sauce, because I think the Basil can be a little overpowering.
Thursday night - depending on the amount of food we have left over ... we will either be having leftovers or I might make the leftover chicken into enchiladas or tortilla soup. I'll report back if I do something fancy :)
Hope you're all having a wonderful start to your week ... I've been suffering from a case of the Mondays!
Hope you're all having a wonderful start to your week ... I've been suffering from a case of the Mondays!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
J. was in charge of meal planning for the week and he did a great job (and all the grocery shopping!) I just might keep him around. We're working on cleaning out our freezer and pantry in anticipation of moving out of our apartment at some point this summer. It's nice to have things on hand "just in case" but it's also nice to eat them before they expire.
Sunday night - dinner at G.S. and N.'s house. They made yummy ribs, we brought baked beans and these delicious brownies. I was nervous about how the brownies would turn out because the batter was SO thick, but they are pretty good. I used Double Stuf Oreos instead of regular Oreos and I think that if did it again I'd try regular Oreos.
Monday night - Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Stew. Whew, what a name. I was skeptical about this recipe, but it turned out to be really good and the leftovers were even better. And I don't usually eat leftovers.
Tuesday night - Red Curry with Shrimp and Scallops. This was DELICIOUS. As in, I am considering running out to Trader Joe's and purchasing their entire stock of Red Curry Sauce. I got a bottle of TJ's Red Curry Sauce, we added shrimp, scallops, green beans, potatoes, cilantro and served it over rice. It may just be my new "go-to" recipe.
Wednesday night - leftovers. J. has to work late and we have a fridge full of leftovers.
Thursday night - not sure what's on the menu yet. If it turns out to be as delicious as our Red Curry, I'll be sure to post about it later :)
Hope you're having a good week!
Sunday night - dinner at G.S. and N.'s house. They made yummy ribs, we brought baked beans and these delicious brownies. I was nervous about how the brownies would turn out because the batter was SO thick, but they are pretty good. I used Double Stuf Oreos instead of regular Oreos and I think that if did it again I'd try regular Oreos.
Monday night - Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Stew. Whew, what a name. I was skeptical about this recipe, but it turned out to be really good and the leftovers were even better. And I don't usually eat leftovers.
Tuesday night - Red Curry with Shrimp and Scallops. This was DELICIOUS. As in, I am considering running out to Trader Joe's and purchasing their entire stock of Red Curry Sauce. I got a bottle of TJ's Red Curry Sauce, we added shrimp, scallops, green beans, potatoes, cilantro and served it over rice. It may just be my new "go-to" recipe.
Wednesday night - leftovers. J. has to work late and we have a fridge full of leftovers.
Thursday night - not sure what's on the menu yet. If it turns out to be as delicious as our Red Curry, I'll be sure to post about it later :)
Hope you're having a good week!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
Happy Monday friends! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. It was super cold here and very snowy. I am 100% over the winter weather and ready for spring. Keeping my fingers crossed it comes sooner rather than later!
My report on last week's recipes:
Lasagna Skillet - great recipe. This made a ton of food, was easier than lasagna and tasted great as leftovers. I can't think of better qualities for a recipe!
Beer Can Chicken - very tasty. It was so juicy and flavorful but it ruined my roasting pan. I think next time I will line the pan with bags that you can get to cook turkey's in.
Chicken & Wild Rice soup - absolutely fabulous. I used leftover chicken from the beer can chicken that we made so I didn't poach the chicken as the recipe said. I think I could have cooked the soup a little bit longer, but it was really good. And it made great leftovers.
This week's recipes:
Monday night - leftovers. We had a fridge full of leftovers so we worked on cleaning it out tonight. I am happy to say that we succeeded. There is just enough pasta leftover for J. to have lunch tomorrow.
Tuesday night - Chicken fried rice. I don't have a recipe to post for this one, but our friends are apparently fried rice making experts and gave me some tips. They say the key is to make your rice and then refrigerate it until it is cold. Then you can fry it in a wok with whatever ingredients you want to add. I think we will be adding eggs, onions, carrots and chicken.
Wednesday night - Creamy Scallops. I am going to serve this over some angel hair pasta with a salad.
Thursday night - Asian Pork Tenderloin. I think this recipe looks amazing. I will let you know next week!
My report on last week's recipes:
Lasagna Skillet - great recipe. This made a ton of food, was easier than lasagna and tasted great as leftovers. I can't think of better qualities for a recipe!
Beer Can Chicken - very tasty. It was so juicy and flavorful but it ruined my roasting pan. I think next time I will line the pan with bags that you can get to cook turkey's in.
Chicken & Wild Rice soup - absolutely fabulous. I used leftover chicken from the beer can chicken that we made so I didn't poach the chicken as the recipe said. I think I could have cooked the soup a little bit longer, but it was really good. And it made great leftovers.
This week's recipes:
Monday night - leftovers. We had a fridge full of leftovers so we worked on cleaning it out tonight. I am happy to say that we succeeded. There is just enough pasta leftover for J. to have lunch tomorrow.
Tuesday night - Chicken fried rice. I don't have a recipe to post for this one, but our friends are apparently fried rice making experts and gave me some tips. They say the key is to make your rice and then refrigerate it until it is cold. Then you can fry it in a wok with whatever ingredients you want to add. I think we will be adding eggs, onions, carrots and chicken.
Wednesday night - Creamy Scallops. I am going to serve this over some angel hair pasta with a salad.
Thursday night - Asian Pork Tenderloin. I think this recipe looks amazing. I will let you know next week!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
It's another short week in our household ... J. had President's Day off so we went on a little last minute trip to Portland. We were in Portland on Sunday night and last night we had dinner at a friends house so I only have to make three meals this week. And I've found some new recipes ... I hope I'm out of my recipe rut!
Here is what we will be eating this week:
Tuesday - Lasagna Skillet. I love lasagna but it's really a pain to make. It takes forever and has a million different steps so I usually only make it on the weekends when I've got a lot of free time. I hope this recipe will make lasagna a weeknight meal in our house!
Wednesday - Beer Can Chicken. I've heard a lot about beer can chicken and I hope it lives up to its hype! I made my first whole chicken last December (?) and it was so much easier than I expected (and so much better than the rotisserie chickens I was buying at the grocery). Plus, there's usually enough leftovers to make another meal.
Thursday - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. I only started eating Chicken & Wild Rice soup last year (I'm a weird eater). Paradise Bakery & Cafe has the best Chicken & Wild Rice soup and I loved it. But then we moved. And there is no Paradise out here. So, I'm attempting to create my own with leftover chicken from Wednesday. I will let you know how it goes!
Here is what we will be eating this week:
Tuesday - Lasagna Skillet. I love lasagna but it's really a pain to make. It takes forever and has a million different steps so I usually only make it on the weekends when I've got a lot of free time. I hope this recipe will make lasagna a weeknight meal in our house!
Wednesday - Beer Can Chicken. I've heard a lot about beer can chicken and I hope it lives up to its hype! I made my first whole chicken last December (?) and it was so much easier than I expected (and so much better than the rotisserie chickens I was buying at the grocery). Plus, there's usually enough leftovers to make another meal.
Thursday - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. I only started eating Chicken & Wild Rice soup last year (I'm a weird eater). Paradise Bakery & Cafe has the best Chicken & Wild Rice soup and I loved it. But then we moved. And there is no Paradise out here. So, I'm attempting to create my own with leftover chicken from Wednesday. I will let you know how it goes!
I hope you all had a great weekend! I'll be posting later this week about our weekend in Portland!
Friday, February 18, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
This week has FLOWN by ... I cannot believe it's already Thursday. I am really looking forward to coming home tonight, eating beef stew and watching TV all night :)
Sunday - J. was gone (he has been SO busy at work lately, I'm looking forward to seeing him this weekend!) so I had leftovers.
Monday - It was Valentine's Day so we had Filet Mignon, Twice Baked Potatoes and Asparagus. It was really good. We didn't really use any recipes ... J. just marinated the filets in steak sauce for a bit and then made them in his cast iron skillet. I made a delicious peanut butter pie for dessert. Most people use a graham cracker crust but I chose an oreo crust this week. It's such an easy dessert to make and very light ... and we've had pie all week!
Tuesday - we had fish tacos ... I blogged about them last week, but J. didn't get to try them so we had them again. This week, I let J. make the dill sauce and it turned out pretty spicy! We also added store bought pico de gallo and this spicy corn salsa I found. They were tasty!
Wednesday - we ordered in pad thai. One order of pad thai from our local Thai place is enough for three meals (no joke) and is $10.00. This is our go-to when we don't feel like cooking.
Thursday - we are having beef stew. I put it in the crockpot this morning and it will be waiting for me when I come home from the clinic tonight! Now that's what I call on easy meal!
I hope you all had a great week! I feel like I am in a recipe rut ... any new recipes for me to try next week?
Thursday - we are having beef stew. I put it in the crockpot this morning and it will be waiting for me when I come home from the clinic tonight! Now that's what I call on easy meal!
I hope you all had a great week! I feel like I am in a recipe rut ... any new recipes for me to try next week?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
What we ate this week ...
I've had so many other things to blog about this week (doesn't happen that often so had to take advantage of it!), that I haven't had time to post about our meal planning for the week. So far this week, we've eaten:
Sunday - we went to a Superbowl party at our friends house and they made amazing ribs. It had been a VERY long time since I've eaten ribs and they were so good. So so so good. I don't know if I have it in me to try to make them sometime, but it's tempting. We also had a bunch of chips and dips and other appetizers as well. Yum.
Monday - leftover chili and corn muffins.
Tuesday - J. had a late night and an early Wednesday morning, so he stayed up north near the base. I made myself these fish tacos. They were really good, but I burned the fish a bit so I've got to work on my fish frying methods. I LOVED the dill sauce that goes with the recipe and I also added avocado and black beans because that's what I love about Mexican food.
Wednesday - Chicken with Coconut Lime Peanut Sauce. I would give this a 2.5 out of 5. Overall, it was good, but the sauce wasn't fantastic. It was pretty thick and needed to be a little sweeter or more coconutty or something. I'm not sure. I added lots of extra lime juice and coconut milk to try to thin the sauce out but it still ended up pretty thick. It also could have been my fault because I used regular coconut milk and not lite coconut milk -- maybe the key is in the "lite" version!
Thursday - Chili Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash. J. was not a fan of this dinner, but I liked it. The pork tenderloin could have used a little more flavor, but the sweet potato hash was amazing. I added a little bit of salt to it like the comments suggested and I thought it was tasty. I don't know what I would do with the pork tenderloin ... maybe increase the amounts in the marinade and possible marinade the meat longer? I don't know.
Tonight we are heading to Bellingham, a college town about 60 miles north of us to see what it has to offer ... so I better go figure out what I'm going to wear! Have a fabulous weekend friends!
Sunday - we went to a Superbowl party at our friends house and they made amazing ribs. It had been a VERY long time since I've eaten ribs and they were so good. So so so good. I don't know if I have it in me to try to make them sometime, but it's tempting. We also had a bunch of chips and dips and other appetizers as well. Yum.
Monday - leftover chili and corn muffins.
Tuesday - J. had a late night and an early Wednesday morning, so he stayed up north near the base. I made myself these fish tacos. They were really good, but I burned the fish a bit so I've got to work on my fish frying methods. I LOVED the dill sauce that goes with the recipe and I also added avocado and black beans because that's what I love about Mexican food.
Wednesday - Chicken with Coconut Lime Peanut Sauce. I would give this a 2.5 out of 5. Overall, it was good, but the sauce wasn't fantastic. It was pretty thick and needed to be a little sweeter or more coconutty or something. I'm not sure. I added lots of extra lime juice and coconut milk to try to thin the sauce out but it still ended up pretty thick. It also could have been my fault because I used regular coconut milk and not lite coconut milk -- maybe the key is in the "lite" version!
Thursday - Chili Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash. J. was not a fan of this dinner, but I liked it. The pork tenderloin could have used a little more flavor, but the sweet potato hash was amazing. I added a little bit of salt to it like the comments suggested and I thought it was tasty. I don't know what I would do with the pork tenderloin ... maybe increase the amounts in the marinade and possible marinade the meat longer? I don't know.
Tonight we are heading to Bellingham, a college town about 60 miles north of us to see what it has to offer ... so I better go figure out what I'm going to wear! Have a fabulous weekend friends!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
I've FINALLY decided what color scheme I want to use in my kitchen ... I've been plagued by this for months now. While I can't completely makeover my current kitchen (we're renting and I'm not going to paint), I can work on looking for things for my future kitchen.
The main color I want to use is the one in the bottom, right-hand corner:
The main color I want to use is the one in the bottom, right-hand corner:
It's a little bold, but it's my absolute favorite color. In the last two apartments I lived in before moving to Washington, I painted accent walls in my bedroom with Snap. I plan on doing accent walls in the kitchen and then using black, white and a pale turquoise to accent it. I think it will be very cheerful and energetic and perfect for a kitchen.
And, as if it wasn't exciting enough to finally figure out what I wanted to do with my kitchen, I found some perfect pieces for it in Indy today. In the four years that I lived here, I always wanted to go to the Midland Arts & Antique Market but I never made it there. I had some free time this afternoon so I decided to pop in ... and I am so glad that I did! I found some pieces of Fiestaware that I've been eyeing and they were SUCH. A. GOOD. DEAL. It was amazing really. I got this beautiful pitcher:
The pitcher retails for $48.00. Price at Midland: $12.00. I could not believe my eyes.
I also got this lovely serving platter:
In turquoise! I can't wait to get home and put them on display in the kitchen! For all of you who are looking for ways to freshen up your house on the cheap, check out your local antique stores! You can find some amazing deals. Now I'm on the hunt for the spoon rest in Peacock and possibly the salt and pepper shakers as well ... but only if I can find a good deal!
Hope you are all having a wonderful week!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
This week is a short week for us ... we are heading to Indianapolis for a friend's wedding. We've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time because our friend, Patman, who has been overseas in Afghanistan used his two weeks of R&R to attend the wedding. We can't wait to see you! (and the bride and groom, of course!) Anyways, here's our recipes for the week:
Sunday - Pan-Seared Scallops with Linguine and Pine Nuts. I tried this recipe back in October when J. was in Key West. It's a delicious meal and a great recipe for those nights when you need something quick.
Monday - Crockpot Beef Stew. I've been wanting to make a beef stew all winter and finally found a recipe that looks good. The Pioneer Woman posted a beef stew recipe that looks AMAZING and I plan on trying in the near future, but for this week, I wanted something simple to throw in the crockpot.
Tuesday - The Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta, but we will be substituting shrimp for chicken. Have to take advantage of the fresh seafood while we can! This is a great recipe that we've made several times and love. It's quick, simple and delicious!
Wednesday - leftovers!
Hope you all have a wonderful week! Send me any new recipes you've tried lately!
Sunday - Pan-Seared Scallops with Linguine and Pine Nuts. I tried this recipe back in October when J. was in Key West. It's a delicious meal and a great recipe for those nights when you need something quick.
Monday - Crockpot Beef Stew. I've been wanting to make a beef stew all winter and finally found a recipe that looks good. The Pioneer Woman posted a beef stew recipe that looks AMAZING and I plan on trying in the near future, but for this week, I wanted something simple to throw in the crockpot.
Tuesday - The Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta, but we will be substituting shrimp for chicken. Have to take advantage of the fresh seafood while we can! This is a great recipe that we've made several times and love. It's quick, simple and delicious!
Wednesday - leftovers!
Hope you all have a wonderful week! Send me any new recipes you've tried lately!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
What we're eating this week ...
I'm getting back on track with my meal planning and weekly meal plan posts. J. was supposed to be gone in California this week doing some training, but the weather was crappy yesterday and his flight got cancelled. So, I wasn't planning on having any "real" meals this week, but I've come up with a few that sound good ...
Monday - Mediterranean Salmon with couscous. I think this looks amazing ... I love salmon. I love feta. I love pine nuts. And I love couscous. And it looks healthy. It's a win.
Tuesday - Yellow Curry made with Trader Joe's yellow curry sauce. As I've stated many times, I am always late to jump on the bandwagon. I had been to Trader Joe's a few times here and there, but last week after finding this recipe I decided to go again and let me tell you, if you have a Trader Joe's in your area and you are not frequenting it, you are missing out. I was sure everything was going to be overpriced and I would walk out of there spending a small fortune. Not the case at all. I only went for a few things and I don't plan to start doing my major grocery shopping at TJ's, but it's great for specialty items. I got both their yellow and red curry sauce ... and they were $2.69 each. Their gouda cheese was cheaper than the grocery price. And their milk was the same price as the grocery. I was very happy that I took the time to check it out!
Wednesday - Grilled cheese and tomato soup. I've posted about this tomato soup before ... I don't usually eat tomato soup and I think this recipe is fabulous. And who doesn't love grilled cheese?
Thursday - Cooking Light's Pasta e Fagioli. I found this recipe while thumbing through Cooking Light's Italian cookbook. And J. and I tried a white bean soup last week at Pinxto so I thought I would try making one.
I'm looking forward to this week's recipes ... everything looks good and I'm excited to try a couple of new recipes. I even branched out and used a recipe finder other than Tasty Kitchen! What are you all eating this week? Any new recipes for me to try?
Monday - Mediterranean Salmon with couscous. I think this looks amazing ... I love salmon. I love feta. I love pine nuts. And I love couscous. And it looks healthy. It's a win.
Tuesday - Yellow Curry made with Trader Joe's yellow curry sauce. As I've stated many times, I am always late to jump on the bandwagon. I had been to Trader Joe's a few times here and there, but last week after finding this recipe I decided to go again and let me tell you, if you have a Trader Joe's in your area and you are not frequenting it, you are missing out. I was sure everything was going to be overpriced and I would walk out of there spending a small fortune. Not the case at all. I only went for a few things and I don't plan to start doing my major grocery shopping at TJ's, but it's great for specialty items. I got both their yellow and red curry sauce ... and they were $2.69 each. Their gouda cheese was cheaper than the grocery price. And their milk was the same price as the grocery. I was very happy that I took the time to check it out!
Wednesday - Grilled cheese and tomato soup. I've posted about this tomato soup before ... I don't usually eat tomato soup and I think this recipe is fabulous. And who doesn't love grilled cheese?
Thursday - Cooking Light's Pasta e Fagioli. I found this recipe while thumbing through Cooking Light's Italian cookbook. And J. and I tried a white bean soup last week at Pinxto so I thought I would try making one.
I'm looking forward to this week's recipes ... everything looks good and I'm excited to try a couple of new recipes. I even branched out and used a recipe finder other than Tasty Kitchen! What are you all eating this week? Any new recipes for me to try?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
First Thursdays
All of you Seattle-ites may already be in the know but I just recently learned of this ... on the first Thursday of each month, most of Seattle's museums offer free admission! I think this is a fantastic program and a great way to see all of Seattle's museums on a budget.
Last night, J. and I took advantage of this fantastic program and went to the Seattle Art Museum. Not only did we get free admission to the permanent collection, but we got half off of our tickets to see the Picasso exhibit. We decided to make it a weekday "date night" and had dinner at a tapas place, Pinxto. We had a Groupon for Pinxto from this past summer that was just begging to be used :)
Both Picasso and Pinxto were great. It was incredible to me how many works that Picasso did over the years ... and the museum didn't even have every work he'd ever done. We also were able to get an audio tour which was an added bonus -- it told the history behind several of his famous pieces and also gave some background on Picasso. He was quite the womanizer. My favorite display was a series of 9 photographs that showed his progress on "La Guernica." It was so cool to see the progression. I've looked all over the web and couldn't find an image of the 9 photographs, but here is the finished masterpiece:
Last night, J. and I took advantage of this fantastic program and went to the Seattle Art Museum. Not only did we get free admission to the permanent collection, but we got half off of our tickets to see the Picasso exhibit. We decided to make it a weekday "date night" and had dinner at a tapas place, Pinxto. We had a Groupon for Pinxto from this past summer that was just begging to be used :)
Both Picasso and Pinxto were great. It was incredible to me how many works that Picasso did over the years ... and the museum didn't even have every work he'd ever done. We also were able to get an audio tour which was an added bonus -- it told the history behind several of his famous pieces and also gave some background on Picasso. He was quite the womanizer. My favorite display was a series of 9 photographs that showed his progress on "La Guernica." It was so cool to see the progression. I've looked all over the web and couldn't find an image of the 9 photographs, but here is the finished masterpiece:
Pinxto was a great find ... it's a tapas and cocktails bar in Belltown. My only complaint is that their menu is kind of limited, I think it would be a great place to go for a happy hour drink and snack but trying to eat dinner there wound up being a little bit expensive. That being said, everything we had was delicious and I will definitely be going back in the future. My favorite things that we tried were the bacon wrapped dates and the chocolate mousse. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them!
I hope you all had a wonderful week and have a great weekend!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas Ideas
Happy December Friends! I couldn't let the holidays go by without helping you out with your gift giving! Just kidding. But here are a few things that I think would make great Christmas gifts for the fabulous people in your life. Remember, I'm on a budget, so nothing too fancy here.
2.
4. Books make great gifts as well ... and can be relatively inexpensive. A couple of years ago, I gave all my best girl friends "Eat, Pray, Love." I read it that year, LOVED it and thought I would share it with them. Amazon and Half.com are two great places to look for books at a discount or check to see if you have a Half Price book store in your area ... that place is AMAZING!
5. COFFEE. Now, I may be biased since I live in the coffee capital of the world, but I think coffee is a great gift. Get a nice travel coffee mug, ceramic perhaps, and a gift card to Starbucks and you've got a great gift. Or pair it with a package of Starbucks VIA Coffee. The recipient will be thanking you for weeks to come. I found this ceramic mug on Amazon for only $10.25:
If you aren't on a budget, don't forget these all would make great stocking stuffers or gifts for Secret Santas! What are your favorite gifts for the holidays?
1. I like to trade my credit card points in for gift cards ... either to give directly to someone or for a store I know I want to buy someone's gift from. I hate to toot my own horn (and I may have gotten this idea from my mom so I might be tooting her horn), but I think this is a genius idea. You use your card all year, you accumulate points and then you trade them in for presents. And then giving gifts isn't so expensive. My credit card uses the Thank You Network and some of the gift cards I will be trading my points in for are Starbucks, iTunes and Sephora ... and they have tons of other great stores too!
2.
I am in LOVE with these super cute bags from Gussy. These would be perfect for your mom, your sister, your friends or your co-workers. Especially at $14.50. Buy a little pouch, pop in a gift card to MAC, Sephora or some other cosmetic store and it's a great little gift. With a theme. Sigh. I love themes.
3. Magazine subscriptions ... this is the gift that keeps on giving! And you can get really good deals online ... or even with your credit card points. Here I go again with those darn points, but seriously who doesn't love giving free gifts? The Thank You Network offers a pretty good selection of monthly magazines and they cost around 2,000 points, which is not that much. Amazon also has pretty good deals on magazines ... I wrote this post about getting a year's subscription to Real Simple for $10.00. And there's a magazine out there for everyone ... just get creative ... there are great food, travel, beauty, fashion, organizing, scrapbooking, crafting, etc. magazines out there!
5. COFFEE. Now, I may be biased since I live in the coffee capital of the world, but I think coffee is a great gift. Get a nice travel coffee mug, ceramic perhaps, and a gift card to Starbucks and you've got a great gift. Or pair it with a package of Starbucks VIA Coffee. The recipient will be thanking you for weeks to come. I found this ceramic mug on Amazon for only $10.25:
6. There's an App for that ... For the iPhone/iPod lover in your life ... these are too cute:
7. For the crazy pet lover in your life ...
If you aren't on a budget, don't forget these all would make great stocking stuffers or gifts for Secret Santas! What are your favorite gifts for the holidays?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
What we're eating this week ...
We've been going non-stop since the beginning of November so, this week, we are trying to relax and stay at home as much as possible. Which means ... meal planning! It's been easy because J. is getting an extended Thanksgiving Break. A water pipe burst in the simulator building and the sims are down! It's been handy to have him around the house! Here is what we are trying this week:
Sunday night - we tried Brooklyn Girls Penne Arrabiata, which J. found on Allrecipes.com. It was DELICIOUS. And it made a TON of food. We will definitely be eating Brooklyn Girls Penne again.
Monday night - we made homemade pizzas, using The Pioneer Woman's pizza crust and this simple pizza sauce. We topped it with mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms and basil. It was delicious. I must say that I've always thought making your own pizza was something that you did with a Boboli crust and store bought sauce ... but making your own crust is so darn easy. And the sauce was even easier. I highly recommend both.
Tuesday night - we will be having leftover chili that I made while J. was in Key West last month and put in the freezer. We will also be having homemade corn muffins. It's amazing how easy (and cheap) it is to make things that you usually buy at the store!
Wednesday - Leftovers. We have a refrigerator full of pizza, penne, and pumpkin cheesecake. They need to be eaten ASAP!
Thursday - Tacos or Sliders ... right now I feel like I should not eat either, but ground beef was on sale at the grocery and I have a freezer full of it. And, let's be honest, both sound good. Who doesn't love a good slider?
Hope you have gotten rid of your Thanksgiving leftovers (another good thing about Friends Thanksgiving -- little to no leftovers!) and are eating well this week! Any new recipes for us to try?
Thursday - Tacos or Sliders ... right now I feel like I should not eat either, but ground beef was on sale at the grocery and I have a freezer full of it. And, let's be honest, both sound good. Who doesn't love a good slider?
Hope you have gotten rid of your Thanksgiving leftovers (another good thing about Friends Thanksgiving -- little to no leftovers!) and are eating well this week! Any new recipes for us to try?
Friday, November 19, 2010
Deals, Deals, Deals ...
So many good deals today! Piperlime is offering 25% off all boots today ... and they have free shipping and free returns (love this site!) and today's Groupon is $25 for $50 worth of clothing and accessories from American Apparel! I LOVE American Apparel and have already been perusing their website to see what I am going to purchase :) Ann Taylor LOFT is also offering their favorite sweaters for $25 ... for a limited time! I'm sure there are TONS more great deals going on out in the world but these three caught my eye!
Happy Thursday!
S.E.J.
Happy Thursday!
S.E.J.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
What we're eating this week ...
Happy November Friends! I cannot believe that it is November already, where is this year going? Before we know it, the holidays will be upon us and then we will be ringing in 2011! Sorry to be posting this so late in the week, but I had my college roommates in town over the weekend and I've been playing catch-up all day! We had a wonderful time together ... but that is for another post!
Here is what we're eating this week:
Sunday - Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti from Real Simple. I LOVE this magazine, such great recipes, ideas, etc. J. and his old roommate, G.S., went mountaineering all day Sunday so I made them ziti when they got home. It was pretty good, but a little bland. I'm not sure if it needed more salt or spices or if it was just the marinara sauce I used. I served it with garlic bread and it was a very good dinner.
Monday - Thai Honey Peanut Chicken with broccoli, served over rice. This. was. so. good. Seriously. It is definitely going into our rotation of favorite recipes. The sauce would be fantastic with any kind of stir-fry and vegetables. Next time, I think I will try it with shrimp. Delicious.
Tuesday - Leftovers. Tupperware containers are taking over my refrigerator. Help!
Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner. I haven't completely made my mind up yet ... we might have pancakes or waffles or omelets. Right now I am leaning towards pancakes or waffles. Yummmm.
Thursday - my mom is coming to the Pacific Northwest! Yay!!! I am going to attempt to make a pot roast ... it will be my first try so keep your fingers crossed that it turns out okay!
Hope that you all have a great week! Do you have any new recipes that I should try?
Monday, October 25, 2010
What we're eating this week ...
J. is back! Yay. We are having a short week since my college roommates are coming to visit on Wednesday, but we're going to eat well until then!
Sunday - Baked Potato Soup with sourdough bread and a salad. This soup was amazing. I've never been able to find a good potato soup recipe that tastes as good as a restaurant. Until now. This soup is definitely going to be a regular in our household.
Monday - Mahi Mahi was on sale at Safeway this week, so we will be having Mahi Mahi filets with asparagus and couscous.
Tuesday - Steaks with leftover Cheesy Chilie Grits from last week and a zucchini squash vegetable medley.
Wednesday - We are going to use the leftover steak to make fajitas. I am convinced that you can't make good fajitas at home but J. seems to think we can. I will let you know how that turns out.
I sucked it up and purchased more storage for my photos, so I should be back tomorrow with posts about my trip to Indy/Toledo and recent hikes. Hope you all had a good weekend!
Sunday - Baked Potato Soup with sourdough bread and a salad. This soup was amazing. I've never been able to find a good potato soup recipe that tastes as good as a restaurant. Until now. This soup is definitely going to be a regular in our household.
Monday - Mahi Mahi was on sale at Safeway this week, so we will be having Mahi Mahi filets with asparagus and couscous.
Tuesday - Steaks with leftover Cheesy Chilie Grits from last week and a zucchini squash vegetable medley.
Wednesday - We are going to use the leftover steak to make fajitas. I am convinced that you can't make good fajitas at home but J. seems to think we can. I will let you know how that turns out.
I sucked it up and purchased more storage for my photos, so I should be back tomorrow with posts about my trip to Indy/Toledo and recent hikes. Hope you all had a good weekend!
Monday, October 18, 2010
What I'm eating this week ...
I hope you all had a good weekend! I did! I hung out with some fabulous Navy wives on Saturday - we went to the pumpkin patch and picked out pumpkins, went to lunch at an adorable little cafe in Anacortes and chatted well into the evening at Mrs. R.'s house. Then, when I got home from Mrs. R.'s, I had a nice little surprise waiting for me in my mailbox - a letter congratulating me on passing the Washington State Bar Exam! It was such a relief. Today I got a ton of stuff done around the house - some cleaning, some laundry, some grocery shopping, etc. Since J. is still gone, I didn't plan an extensive menu for this week ... but here's what I will be eating:
Sunday night - Chili and homemade corn muffins! Both recipes are from Tasty Kitchen. I just love that site! In the chili, instead of using a 40 oz. can of kidney beans, I used one (15 oz.) can of kidney beans, one can of black beans, one can of chili beans, and one can of white kidney beans. I like a variety in my chili! And this was my first time making homemade corn muffins and they were a success! And very easy.
Monday - Shrimp and Creamy Cheese Grits with Chilies from The Pioneer Woman. This will be my first attempt at making grits, so keep your fingers crossed that they turn out!
Tuesday - Spaghetti and meatballs in Vodka Pasta Sauce. I haven't found a meatball recipe yet, but I can't imagine that they will be too complicated!
For the rest of the week, I am going to be completely boring and eat leftover chili and meatballs and turkey and cheese sandwiches! Cooking for one gets boring! I hope to be back next week with more new recipes.
Happy Eating!
S.E.J.
Sunday night - Chili and homemade corn muffins! Both recipes are from Tasty Kitchen. I just love that site! In the chili, instead of using a 40 oz. can of kidney beans, I used one (15 oz.) can of kidney beans, one can of black beans, one can of chili beans, and one can of white kidney beans. I like a variety in my chili! And this was my first time making homemade corn muffins and they were a success! And very easy.
Monday - Shrimp and Creamy Cheese Grits with Chilies from The Pioneer Woman. This will be my first attempt at making grits, so keep your fingers crossed that they turn out!
Tuesday - Spaghetti and meatballs in Vodka Pasta Sauce. I haven't found a meatball recipe yet, but I can't imagine that they will be too complicated!
For the rest of the week, I am going to be completely boring and eat leftover chili and meatballs and turkey and cheese sandwiches! Cooking for one gets boring! I hope to be back next week with more new recipes.
Happy Eating!
S.E.J.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
What I'm eating this week ...
I'm back from the Midwest, but J. is still in Key West for another couple of weeks. Last year, I hated to cook for one but for the rest of this month I'm going to try to cook for one! I can't eat out for the rest of the month ... (1) there's not enough places I like to eat in this town, (2) I'm trying to lose weight, not gain it and (3) it's not in my budget. So, here's my first attempt at cooking for one:
Tuesday night ... Pan Seared Scallops with Linguine and Roasted Pine Nuts. Umm, can I say DELICIOUS? I am eating this as I type this post and this recipe is amazing. It also teaches you how to pan sear scallops, which is a great technique to know. The only downside is that both scallops and pine nuts are expensive, but I had both leftover from previous recipes. So, I had every single ingredient at home. It was perfect for my first night back!
Wednesday night ... I'm going to use this recipe to marinade steak and then I'm going to turn it into Steak Fajitas with bell peppers and red onion. Yum. Since I'm eating solo, I'm forgoing sides.
Thursday night ... Sweet Potato Ravioli with Pecans and Brown Butter Sauce. I won't be making my own ravioli dough ... I buy wonton wrappers at the grocery store and use those. Last year I made butternut squash ravioli which were delicious so I'm excited to try these.
Friday night ... I'm undecided ... I'm either going to have Grilled Chicken over a salad with craisins, feta and walnuts or I'm going to have Bacon and Mushroom Quiche Tartlettes from Delishhh. I'm definitely making the tartlettes this week, I'm just not sure if I want to have them for dinner or freeze them to have for breakfasts.
I hope you all have a great week ... I will FINALLY be catching up on my blogging. I have TONS of posts to write. So stay tuned this week to find out about the rest of my trip to Portland, the hikes we have been doing lately, my first visit back to the Midwest since I moved to Washington and my best friend's wedding!
Tuesday night ... Pan Seared Scallops with Linguine and Roasted Pine Nuts. Umm, can I say DELICIOUS? I am eating this as I type this post and this recipe is amazing. It also teaches you how to pan sear scallops, which is a great technique to know. The only downside is that both scallops and pine nuts are expensive, but I had both leftover from previous recipes. So, I had every single ingredient at home. It was perfect for my first night back!
Wednesday night ... I'm going to use this recipe to marinade steak and then I'm going to turn it into Steak Fajitas with bell peppers and red onion. Yum. Since I'm eating solo, I'm forgoing sides.
Thursday night ... Sweet Potato Ravioli with Pecans and Brown Butter Sauce. I won't be making my own ravioli dough ... I buy wonton wrappers at the grocery store and use those. Last year I made butternut squash ravioli which were delicious so I'm excited to try these.
Friday night ... I'm undecided ... I'm either going to have Grilled Chicken over a salad with craisins, feta and walnuts or I'm going to have Bacon and Mushroom Quiche Tartlettes from Delishhh. I'm definitely making the tartlettes this week, I'm just not sure if I want to have them for dinner or freeze them to have for breakfasts.
I hope you all have a great week ... I will FINALLY be catching up on my blogging. I have TONS of posts to write. So stay tuned this week to find out about the rest of my trip to Portland, the hikes we have been doing lately, my first visit back to the Midwest since I moved to Washington and my best friend's wedding!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What we're eating this week ...
It's been awhile since we've had a full week of meals at home ... it took me awhile to come up with a menu for a full week and make my shopping list. But, I desperately needed to go to the grocery store so that was my motivation. Our kitchen is so bare that we couldn't even have pancakes for breakfast this morning because we are out of milk and eggs. Whoops.
Sunday ... A couple of J.'s friends came over so I made a big dinner for everyone. We had Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells courtesy of the Pioneer Woman, Garlic Cheese Bread courtesy of the Pioneer Woman and a salad. What would I do without the Pioneer Woman? I get most of my recipes from her or Tasty Kitchen (which is her creation also). We've had the Garlic Cheese Bread once before and it is to die for. I also made this cake for dessert. No, we don't really need dessert after all that other food but I've been dying to make this cake and this is my only opportunity. Okay, maybe not my only opportunity, but a good one :)
Monday ... Tomato Orange Soup from the Flying Elephant Delicatessen in Portland. We stopped here on our food tour (which I will blog about sometime this week, I promise!) and it was amazing. I don't even like tomato soup and I'm going to make a whole pot of it. It was THAT good. I am planning on serving it with some kind of "adult" grilled cheese. And by "adult" I mean I will be using cheese other than Kraft Singles. Nothing too fancy.
Tuesday ... The Best Lasagna Ever courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. We've had this a couple of times and it is really good. J. is getting ready to go to Key West for the month of October (seriously ... it's for "work") and this was his request. I'll serve it with a salad and possibly Garlic Cheese Bread if there is any leftover from Sunday.
Wednesday ... Fettucine Chicken Florentine ... a new recipe from the Tasty Kitchen! It sounds delicious, so I hope it will be as good as it sounds! We will probably have a salad with this dish as well.
Thursday ... Leftovers.
Friday ... we will be celebrating J.'s birthday (early ... it's in October while he's in Key West). He wants to go out, but we haven't picked a restaurant yet.
It feels good to be home for a whole week and have a "food plan." It makes me feel organized and healthy ... even if some of the things we are making are not so healthy. At least, if I'm making the food I know exactly what's going into it! Happy Eating!
S.E.J.
Sunday ... A couple of J.'s friends came over so I made a big dinner for everyone. We had Sausage, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells courtesy of the Pioneer Woman, Garlic Cheese Bread courtesy of the Pioneer Woman and a salad. What would I do without the Pioneer Woman? I get most of my recipes from her or Tasty Kitchen (which is her creation also). We've had the Garlic Cheese Bread once before and it is to die for. I also made this cake for dessert. No, we don't really need dessert after all that other food but I've been dying to make this cake and this is my only opportunity. Okay, maybe not my only opportunity, but a good one :)
Monday ... Tomato Orange Soup from the Flying Elephant Delicatessen in Portland. We stopped here on our food tour (which I will blog about sometime this week, I promise!) and it was amazing. I don't even like tomato soup and I'm going to make a whole pot of it. It was THAT good. I am planning on serving it with some kind of "adult" grilled cheese. And by "adult" I mean I will be using cheese other than Kraft Singles. Nothing too fancy.
Tuesday ... The Best Lasagna Ever courtesy of the Pioneer Woman. We've had this a couple of times and it is really good. J. is getting ready to go to Key West for the month of October (seriously ... it's for "work") and this was his request. I'll serve it with a salad and possibly Garlic Cheese Bread if there is any leftover from Sunday.
Wednesday ... Fettucine Chicken Florentine ... a new recipe from the Tasty Kitchen! It sounds delicious, so I hope it will be as good as it sounds! We will probably have a salad with this dish as well.
Thursday ... Leftovers.
Friday ... we will be celebrating J.'s birthday (early ... it's in October while he's in Key West). He wants to go out, but we haven't picked a restaurant yet.
It feels good to be home for a whole week and have a "food plan." It makes me feel organized and healthy ... even if some of the things we are making are not so healthy. At least, if I'm making the food I know exactly what's going into it! Happy Eating!
S.E.J.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
What we're eating this week ...
Sunday - Steaks (marinated and grilled by J.), twice baked potatoes and sweet corn fresh from the Farmer's Market! Yum.
Monday - Chicken & Corn Chowder from About.com. I wanted to make a soup because the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy this week and I also wanted a recipe that we could use fresh corn from the Farmer's Market ... so chowder it is! I am also going to add some potatoes to the chowder as well. I think that's the best part of chowder!
Tuesday - Chicken Stuffed Pockets from the Tasty Kitchen. These caught my eye a couple of weeks ago. My aunt makes a dish that is very similar to these and they are really good, so I thought this would be a nice variation. I am going to serve them with a side salad.
Wednesday - Spicy Margarita Shrimp from the Tasty Kitchen. I think these look FANTASTIC. I am really excited to try them. I will be serving them over plain couscous, which J. assures me tastes TERRIBLE on it's own, so I really hope there is enough sauce leftover from the marinade to flavor the couscous! If you try this recipe ... make sure you read all the way through it first, the shrimp can only sit in the marinade for an hour! That is something I would have definitely overlooked!
Thursday - J.'s parents will be here! He is making us Spinach and Bacon Wrapped Scallops which we are serving with asparagus and couscous (we really like our couscous).
What are you eating this week? Any new recipes that we MUST try?
Happy Eating!
S.E.J.
Monday - Chicken & Corn Chowder from About.com. I wanted to make a soup because the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy this week and I also wanted a recipe that we could use fresh corn from the Farmer's Market ... so chowder it is! I am also going to add some potatoes to the chowder as well. I think that's the best part of chowder!
Tuesday - Chicken Stuffed Pockets from the Tasty Kitchen. These caught my eye a couple of weeks ago. My aunt makes a dish that is very similar to these and they are really good, so I thought this would be a nice variation. I am going to serve them with a side salad.
Wednesday - Spicy Margarita Shrimp from the Tasty Kitchen. I think these look FANTASTIC. I am really excited to try them. I will be serving them over plain couscous, which J. assures me tastes TERRIBLE on it's own, so I really hope there is enough sauce leftover from the marinade to flavor the couscous! If you try this recipe ... make sure you read all the way through it first, the shrimp can only sit in the marinade for an hour! That is something I would have definitely overlooked!
Thursday - J.'s parents will be here! He is making us Spinach and Bacon Wrapped Scallops which we are serving with asparagus and couscous (we really like our couscous).
What are you eating this week? Any new recipes that we MUST try?
Happy Eating!
S.E.J.
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