week of 11/28

Monday- community group, no cooking

Tuesday 12/1: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/08/pork-tacos-with-fresh-pico-de-gallo-and.html

recipe review: We made this twice it was so good. Pretty easy to put together with the help of the hubby, and amazing flavor!

Wednesday: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/04/kung-pao-chicken.html

recipe review: Nothing amazing, but a quick weeknight meal. Definitely serve with some veggies.

Thursday: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/09/crispy-southwest-chicken-wraps.html

recipe review: These were so delicious, just what I was craving after a week of Thanksgiving leftovers.

Friday: http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/search?q=black+bean+soup w/ grilled cheese

recipe review: We had my sister's kids over for a sleepover, so I needed something quick, easy, and a kid pleaser. My niece was eating this soup so fast about half of it was falling into her bib!

Saturday: http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/2009/06/burgers-with-black-pepper-parmesean.html

recipe review: I did everything except the balsamic drizzle & I didn't roast the toms. I could eat the parm sauce all by itself. SO delicous!

week of 11/21

This week was a super low key week because it was thanksgiving, which sounds odd because thanksgiving usually involves a lot of cooking. My sister and I split the dishes, and we tend to cook the same thing every year, so I will link up to her old Thanksgiving post so you can see what we cooked.

http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/2008/11/thanksgiving-menu.html

We do a different jello salad than what is listed

3 oz. raspberry jello

3 oz. lemon jello

12 oz. fresh raspberries

14.5 oz can whole cranberry sauce

zest of an orange

Boil 1 c. water and dissolve the jello. Add in the raspberries & cranberry sauce and let the sauce melt. Stir in the orange zest and remove from heat. Pour into oiled jello mold and chill.

week of 11/14

I am feeling way too bogged down from too much pumpkin bread, egg nog, and sweets in general. Sorry hunny, it's salad week!

Monday 11/14: community group- side dish

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/01/creamy-5-cup-fruit-salad.html

Tuesday 11/15: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/chopped-italian-deli-salad.html

recipe review: I doubled everything besides the lettuce (I used 2 small heads of romaine) and it gave us enough for 2 dinner portions and leftovers. Kind of an expensive salad (you use a whole jar of marinated artichokes and pepperchinis, and a whole thing of salami), so if you are looking to cut costs, probably skip this one. Absolutely delicious though!

Wednesday 11/16: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/01/tortellini-spinach-salad-with-balsamic-tomato-vinaigrette.html

recipe review: seriously good stuff. Loved the tortellini in the salad- definitely made more like a main dish.

for Ben's work brunch: http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/2009/02/overnight-blueberry-french-toast.html

recipe review: if you want to wow a crowd, make this- just dont tell them how much cream cheese is used.

Thursday 11/17: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/02/bbq-chicken-salad-with-creamy-bbq-cilantro-lime-dressing.html

recipe review: absolutely delicious. Loved the creamy dressing with the bbq sauce chicken.

Friday: 11/18: http://www.parentsconnect.com/parents/food/recipe-center/salad-recipes/citrus_basil_chopped_salad_preg.html

We had this along side papa murphys take and bake pizza. I love the fresh citrus dressing paired with the crunchiness of the apples and pumpkin seeds. I will make this again and again.

Saturday 11/19: http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/2008/12/pork-varkenshaas.html with green beans

recipe review: perfect recipe for a group dinner.. seems really fancy, but really easy to make. Love this!

week of 11/6

Sunday 11/6: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2008/09/carne-asada.html

recipe review: awesome flavor, but we aren't the best at grilling and we cooked it too long. I would recommend grilling at med-high for 3-4 min on each side. I want to make this again because I know it could be amazing. I also didn't make the salsa or guac to save time, but this would be amazing with my sister's love sauce.

Monday 11/7: community group- no cooking

Tuesday 11/8: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/cheesy-basil-stuffed-chicken-breasts.html

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/08/roasted-garlic-and-cauliflower-pasta.html

such a perfect meal for the chilly weather. Great flavor combo. I have never made anything with cauliflower before, and I actually really enjoyed it! This required quite a bit of time (roasting the garlic, etc), but I split up the work throughout the day, so when it came time for final prep, I popped the chicken in and mixed the pasta together. Delicious! This was Ben's favorite of the week.

Wednesday 11/9: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/10/romaine-salad-with-chicken-cheddar-apples-spiced-pecans-and-cranberry-vinaigrette.html

Recipe review: Perfect balance of sweet and savory. You can't go wrong with spiced pecans.. and this is coming from a girl that doesn't normally love nuts! I opted not to use chicken in it because we were at a friend's house for dinner, but with it, this could definitely be a main dish. Will definitely make again.

Thursday 11/10: with http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/11/grilled-cheese-croutons.html#more

This turned out to be the perfect day for tomato soup and grilled cheese, probably my favorite comfort food. I didn't fully blend everything together, which left a great texture. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to campbell's again.

Friday 11/11: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/gemelli-with-chicken-garlic-heirloom_18.html

recipe review: no review because I brought this to a family that recently had a baby. It smelled delicious though!

Saturday 11/12: out to dinner with friends

Sunday 11/13: http://www.closetcooking.com/2010/09/chimichurri-steak-sandwiches-with.html

recipe review: This has pretty much all my favorite flavors- cilantro, lime, corn, garlic, and some spice. This recipe intimidated me, but it was so so tasty and really wasn't that much work.

Week of 10/30

Monday 10/31 - Chipotle for dinner

Tuesday 11/1- vegetable soup w/ turkey italian sausage: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2011/10/vegetable-soup-with-turkey-italian.html

recipe review: great flavor, easy to throw together. Would definitely make again.

Wednesday 11/2- pumpkin enchiladas & mexican rice http://jessieheaviland.blogspot.com/2009/02/enchiladas-with-pumpkin-sauce.html

recipe review: you can never go wrong with pumpkin enchiladas. Every time I make these I am so surprised by how tasty they really are. 5 stars!

Thursday 11/3- ribeye steak with baked asparagus (400 degrees, sprinkled with salt/pepper/parmesean cheese and drizzled with olive oil for 15 min).

Friday 11/4- Slow cooked spicy orange chicken: http://paynekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/slow-cooked-spicy-orange-chicken.html

Pan cooked yams: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1950,151173-234196,00.html

recipe review: gotta love crockpot recipes.. leave the house and return to a wonderful smell! I think I should have left it on keep warm instead of low because the chicken got a little dark and dry. Still really tasty! The yams were delicious.

Saturday 11/5- Sweet potato cakes with sour cream and chipotle black bean salsa http://lisaiscooking.blogspot.com/2011/09/sweet-potato-cakes-with-sour-cream-and.html

recipe review: saw this on pinterest and knew I would love it. The salsa was absolutely delicious. I would recommend using cornmeal somehow to give the sweet potato cake more texture, it tasted a little mushy....maybe dipping each side in cornmeal before frying?