Menu Monday

Since imitation is the best form of flattery, and also since I was too lazy busy last week to post my menu for the week, I'm going to change things up a bit and start posting my previous week's menu. That way if plans change and I don't make half the things on the list, I don't have to go into a boring explanation about it like I did a couple weeks ago. Plus I can just do the hits and misses along with the menu. Whew! Easier for me and you, don't you think?

Now that our 1985 kitchen floor is gone and it matches the rest of the room (pics coming soon, once we finish painting the walls!), I'm digging being in the kitchen even more than I did before. Love it. Want to know what else I love? My new Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast cookbook that my bff Christie has been raving about. Know what else I love? Amazon Prime. I have no idea how I didn't know about this. You sign up for it and you get free two day shipping on pretty much everything (including this cookbook). Why didn't somebody tell me about this sooner? I've wasted way too much money on shipping and waiting for packages to come....

Anyways, on to last week's menu....

Monday: leftover Roasted Beef Tenderloin from our dinner party on Saturday night. Oh. My. Goodness. I can't even begin to explain how unbelievably phenomenal this is. I've made my fair share of Pioneer Recipes, but this one tops them all, for sure. It's from her Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook, and the recipe above was the only one I was able to find online. As she says in her cookbook, beef tenderloin is expensive, so it's not something you'd really make on a regular weeknight, but if you're going to have company over for dinner I highly recommend fixing this. Can't stop thinking about it!!

Tuesday: (from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast) Asiago-crusted pork chops and broccoli with sour cream sauce. Instead of cooking the pork chops in the skillet I baked them, and I've got to say that they weren't awesome. They were good, but I think they would have been better if I'd done a better job at pounding them a little thinner and cooking them in a skillet. Ben and the kids loved them, though, so I'll make them again and next time follow the directions. The broccoli, however, was awesome---I used fresh broccoli instead of refrigerated (never seen that, anyway--I assume they meant frozen?), and the sauce was delish. Will make that again for sure.

Wednesday: leftover pork chops. Not so good when left over. Soggy. Yuck.

Thursday: (from Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast) Portobello and Black Bean Quesadillas . I have to say, this wasn't love at first bite, but it was love at second bite. And third bite. And fourth bite. And so on. Be sure to dip them in some salsa (it only adds a few more calories, but a lot more flavor) if you make these. I didn't use any cilantro (it was optional, anyways) and I used more green onions than the recipe called for. Will make again!!

Friday: James Island Hamburgers (for the adults) and hot dogs (for the kiddos). We also had some assorted sides that go along with burgers and dogs but nothing exciting enough worth mentioning. We had friends in town for the weekend and invited some other friends over for dinner, so with a total of 8 children ages 9 months to 6 years running around I pulled out my go-to super-EASY and awesome hamburger recipe that I think came from my Grandmama (Mom, if you're reading this, correct me if I'm wrong!). I don't have exact measurements because I just throw everything in a bowl, so I'm going to try to guess what the measurements are as I type this out....forgive me if it's not perfect and your burgers are a little crumbly, but I swear these are the best hamburgers and they're the only ones we ever make....

1 lb ground beef

2 heaping tbsp sour cream

2 (or more) tbsp dried parsley flakes

1-2 tbsp dried onion flakes

a biiiiig squirt of dijon mustard (maybe 1 or 1.5 tbsp?)

several shakes of Worcestershire sauce

Mix it all up with your hands. This part is the hardest because your arms get really cold---I usually give Ben a beer and talk him into doing it. Shape meat into patties, stick into fridge for a little while while you talk to your friends and the grill heats up. Grill for however long you like to grill your burgers. Toast your buns. Put cheese on burgers if you so desire. Put on buns and add mayo (if you're me). Add whatever else you like. Eat. YUM.

Saturday: we ordered pizza. Boring! I don't like pizza so I ordered a sub. All five kiddos were in bed by 7, asleep by 7:15. Magic pizza? :)

Sunday: leftovers from the weekend