Black Bean Soup with Cheese Quesadillas

Tonight we had blackbean soup along with some cheese quesadillas with the stuff I had leftover from making fajitas the night before. It turned out really good, which this recipe usually does for us. I have enough to freeze for leftovers so we can enjoy it again another night.

Here is the recipe:

Rachel's Black Bean Soup

written by Rachel L - http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com
1 cup salsa

3 cans black beans

2 cups chicken stock

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped small carrots

2 tbsp. cilantro (fresh, chopped)

1 tsp. lime juice (optional)

Warm the salsa in your soup pot until a little bubbly, then add the black beans to heat and then the chicken stock, garlic powder, carrots into the pot.Bring to a boil while stirring and then lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot for around 15-20 minutes.

Then, use a hand immersion blender and blend what is about half of the soup (to thicken) being careful not to splash. You can also do this with a regular blender just be sure to let the soup cool before you blend it or ladel it out.

Next, add your cilantro along with the lime juice if you like and its ready to go!Sometimes I let it thicken up a bit and cook down more. I also often make brown rice on the side and put a little in the bowl before putting my soup on top. You can also add sour cream to it on top.

Meal Planning: November 2nd - 8th

Wow. Well last week did not go exactly as planned! We only got to a few of the meals on there. One night we ate leftovers because it made way more food than I thought. One our lunch was so big we didn't want a big dinner so just had snacky stuff. And then on Halloween night we ended up eating out. So a couple of last weeks meals will be repeats this week since we did not get to them. Here is this weeks *plan*:

Monday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas

Tuesday - Chicken Teriyaki, Rice, Pineapple, Green Beans

Wednesday - Chili, Cornbread

Thursday - Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Sunday - Breakfast for dinner

Meal Planning: October 25th - 31st

We have been out of town but now we are back and trying to get into the swing of things with planning meals again. I am trying to use a lot of things from the freezer and pantry to clean them out in preparing for moving. I will probably be doing this for the next month so meals may be a little different from normal during that time. I'd like to use as much of it up as possible just to have less to pack and worry about. So, here is this week:

Monday - Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday - Roasted Chicken & Veggies

Wednesday - Chili, Cornbread

Thursday - Red Beans & Rice, Mixed Veggies

Friday - Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken,Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner: Eggs, Sausage, Potatoes, Toast

Sunday - Veggie Spaghetti

Creamy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

The weather turned cooler today and I really wanted to make soup. However, I wanted a new recipe and not something I had tried before. A friend suggested this soup so I looked up a recipe and decided I had to make it. It seems I can't just make a recipe the way it is listed, I am always having to change something, so of course I changed things on it, but I will post the original recipe so people can use that if they would like.

Here is what I did differently. I put all the ingredients into the crock pot and let it cook on low for 8 hours. Not sure if I would do it that way again but it worked. I also added carrots and corn to it just to bump up the veggie content a little. I also added a tad more water since I knew some would cook out while it was on the crockpot all day. I used a homemade version of the chicken soup, just a roux with flour, butter, chicken broth and some garlic powder and salt. Next time, I would saute the onions in a little butter first before putting them in the soup.

And the original recipe from allrecipes.com

Creamy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

4 potatoes, cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 cup water

3/4 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, combine potatoes, onion, celery, beef broth, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. Stir in sausage and condensed soup and continue to simmer until heated though and slightly thickened. Season with pepper. Serve hot.

Meal Planning: October 4th - October 10th

OK I have a few meals that I did not get to last week because we had unexpected circumstances come up. We are trying to sell our home and we keep having appointments in the evening to show it so we end up eating out while trying to kill time and not dirty up the place before a showing. So many of the meals from last week did not get made because this happened 5 nights last week and one of the nights it was so late getting back that we just quickly made sandwiches. I'm going to try again this week with them and add a couple of others.

Monday - Balsamic Chicken & Onions

Tuesday - Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

Wednesday - Shepard's Pie

Thursday - Cashew Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

Friday - Basil Chicken with linguine
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas

Meal Planning: September 28 - October 4

I haven't posted in a bit. We have still been eating, though. :) We were getting our home ready to put on the market to sell and so I haven't had time to update! On the urging of someone who tried the recipe, I made the Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken last week and everyone loved it! I think we will have that one again soon. I also made a nice pork loin and of course various veggies to go with everything. We had chili as well that lasted a few nights. Lemon Crumb Tilapia was made one night and Shrimp with Feta & Tomatoes over angelhair pasta. We loved all of it!

So, here is the plan for this week. We are going to attempt 3 vegetarian meals for dinner this time.

Monday - Balsamic Chicken & Onions

Tuesday - Tortellini & Peas

Wednesday - Shepard's Pie

Thursday - Cashew Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

Friday - Portabella Penne Casserole
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas

First Time Making Home Fries

I got a craving for some Home Fries so I ended up making these along with an egg and some toast and they turned out really good! This was the first time I have ever made them but I will be making them again!

I used 4 baking potatoes for these but next time I think I would probably only use 3. I also used 1 onion. I cubed the potatoes and chopped the onion up. I put 3 tablespoons of butter into the pan and let it melt while I was chopping the vegetables. I kept it on medium heat because I wasn't using non-stick and didn't want them to stick to the bottom so I tried to keep it lower. I just let the butter melt and then put the potatoes and onions into the pan. I stirred them to coat them with the butter and then seasoned them with salt and pepper. I covered the pan and would come back every couple of minutes and stir them. They took a while to cook, about 20-25 minutes, but they were worth it! And of course I had to eat them with some ketchup! :)

Modified Blueberry Muffins

I wanted to make some muffins for the kids, so I found this blueberry muffin recipe from All Recipes and modified it since I wanted to make them a bit healthier. I changed the white flour to whole wheat flour and replaced the sugar with Sucanat. I omitted the crumb topping.

They were perfect for the kids, not too sweet. I think if I had added the crumb topping, they would have been sweeter, but I wasn't going for sweet since it was just for them. They were a tad bit dry, agian maybe if I had added the topping to it they wouldn't be. But I think next time I would add a little bit more liquid to it.

Overall, the kids loved them, so I will probably make this again and keep playing with it.

Here is the original recipe from All Recipes if anyone wants to try them.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Roasted Chicken with Veggies in the Crockpot

I usually make this meal in the oven (like this), but this time I used the crockpot. I placed the whole chicken, which was still slighly frozen, in the bottom of the crockpot. I rubbed a little olive on on it and seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Mrs. Dash (my seasonings vary every time, that is just what I had today). Then I cut up the potatoes and washed the carrots and tossed them in and seasoned them the same. I left it on low for 8 hours and then it was on warm for about 30 minutes. Right before we ate I steamed some broccoli to go with it. Everyone enjoyed it and my kids ate every bite and asked for more. We had plenty left for another meal or two as well.

Meal Planning: September 7 - 13

Monday Date: 9/7/09

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes ~Peaches

Lunch: Out with friends

Dinner: Sausage Gravy, Biscuits, Eggs, Hashbrowns, Strawberries

Tuesday Date: 9/8/09

Breakfast: Oatmeal Pears

Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich Green Peas Grapes

Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes, Broccoli (crockpot)

Wednesday Date: 9/9/09

Breakfast: Eggs & Toast ~Peaches

Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwich Carrots Grapes

Dinner: Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, homemade guacamole

Thursday Date: 9/10/09

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes Pears

Lunch: Turkey & Provolone Sandwich Carrots & Grapes

Dinner: Parmesan Chicken, Spaghetti with Sauce, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Friday Date: 9/11/09

Breakfast: Oatmeal Blueberries

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Blackbean Soup, Cornbread

Saturday Date: 9/12/09

Breakfast: Yogurt ~Peaches

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Hawaiian Chicken over Rice, Broccoli

Sunday Date: 9/13/09

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes Pears

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Mac N Cheese, Green Peas, Strawberries

Beef Fajitas

Well this week we were supposed to have veggie fajitas. But when I was cleaning the freezer out, I found these "beef tips" from the grass fed cows at Peaceful Pastures. I didn't want them to go to waste, so I tried stewing them for a while, and they actually turned out really great. The picture doesn't do it justice, but this is the beef stewed in some organic salsa and a little water. I let it simmer on low for about 2 hours, while stirring it often, and it turned into a really nice sauce with really tender beef! So we put these into tortillas and had them with all the stuff I planned to make veggie fajitas with. We used black beans, avocado, cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes. The kids weren't really into the beef but loved everything else while my husband and I thought it was all really tasty! I would make this again.

Meal Planning: August 31 - September 6

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes, Peaches

Lunch - Sweet Potatoes, Bean & Cheese pockets, Strawberries for "dessert"

Dinner - Veggie Tacos, Guacamole

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Turkey Burgers, Peas, Pears

Dinner - Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Blueberries

Lunch - Leftover Chicken & Veggies

Dinner - Broccoli & Parmesan Pasta

Thursday:

Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Banana

Lunch - Leftover Pasta

Dinner - Shepard's Pie (with turkey)

Friday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Leftover Shepard's Pie

Dinner - Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, Eggs

Saturday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Bluberry Pancakes

Lunch - Probably out while we are doing activities

Dinner - Hoping to buy some fresh seafood, if I can't find it then Leftovers

Sunday:

Breakfast - Sausage Biscuits & Gravy

Lunch - Eat out

Dinner - Grilled Chicken, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes

Healthy & Simple Snack Ideas for Toddlers

I have had this list for quite some time, but for some reason I keep forgetting to post it to the blog! So here are some ideas for healthy snacks for your kids if you need them.

Also this is probably a good time to remind everyone of the link I have for healthy LUNCH IDEAS in case you are looking for those with it being Back To School time for a lot of people. I hope someone finds these useful!

Healthy & Simple Snack Ideas for Toddlers

(As always, be sure these are size & age appropriate for your child before feeding and also always supervise eating.)

Fruits/Veggies:

Blueberries

Grapes

Raisins

Raspberries

Blackberries

Cranberries

Strawberries

Cherry Tomatoes

Carrots

Pears

Watermelon

Peaches

Peas (fresh or still frozen)

Snap Peas

Steamed Veggies (Broccoli, asparagus, etc.)

Corn (fresh or still frozen

Bananas

Avocado

Beans

Olives

Apple

Pineapple

Honey Dew

Cantaloupe

Mango

Oranges

Papaya

Cucumber

Tangerines

Peaches

Kiwi

Dried Fruit

Bell Pepper Strips

Proteins:

Beans

Cheese (shredded, cubed, strings)

Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)

Nuts

Eggs (hard boiled, scrambled)

Chick Peas

Tofu

Edamame

Dips/Spreads:

Hummus

Almond Butter

Peanut Butter

Yogurt

Guacamole

Applesauce

Yogurt (plain or mix with fruit, also can add a drop or two of vanilla for flavor)

Baked Goods:

Pita Bread Wedges

Mini Muffins (blueberry, banana, bran, carrot, zucchini, etc.)

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole Wheat Toast

Packaged:

Pirate Booty

Fruity Booty

Veggie Booty

Whole Wheat Crackers

Annie’s Graham Bunnies

Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies

Whole Wheat Crackers

Granola

Pretzels (unsalted)

Cheese (cubed, shredded, strings)

Rice Cakes

Soy Crisps

Puffed Rice

Popcorn

Carob Chips (unsweetened)

Graham Crackers

Apple Chips

Banana Chips

Fruit Bars

Fruit Leathers

To Make:

Cooked Whole Wheat Pasta

Pinwheels (sandwiches or roll ups)

Tortellini or ravioli

SIGG bottles prior to Aug 2008 used BPA in the liner

Although we don't use these since I never trusted them because they would never disclose what was in the liner, I feel this is important information to get out there. I recently was made aware that the SIGG company has now released that prior to August, 2008 the liner in the bottles contained BPA. You can find more information along with pictures to determine which version you have on this link at their website.

I have friends who have written the CEO. In one response, this is what was said "I understand your point and recognize that there is a lot of confusion out there right now. While we have always said "no leaching of BPA" that message may have been shortened by a retailer or journalist to read "no BPA". This is why we have increased our communications on this topic, in order to clarify the facts. " In this same letter, he mentioned giving replacement bottles, but either way, it is worth writing them to let them know how upsetting this is and ask for compensation. I feel they should be held responsible for the misleading advertising they did and for all of these children (and adults) drinking out of BPA lined containers when the reason most people about them was to avoid BPA! His email is Steve.Wasik.CEO@sigg.com , I encourage you to write in.

Also you can see a letter written by the CEO about this here where he explains a little more about it.

And for the record, we chose Kleen Kanteen because of all the research I did, I could never find what the SIGG liner was made of, and now we know. We've since also used Foogo containers made my Thermos. I will not be buying SIGG at all in the future, either.

ETA - Visit this great site for even more info.

Snack Taxis

I saw the Snack Taxi a while back and finally decided to try them. We have Wrap-N-Mats and love those, but I wanted to try these as well. I am all about reusable products for packing food to cut down on waste. I got 8 total, 4 sandwich size bags and 4 snack size bags. My husband's are the skulls :), DSs are the airplanes, DDs are the flowers, and mine are the swirls. I will let everyone know how they work! I ordered them from www.snacktaxi.com but there are a few places that carry them, some with coupon codes. I just liked the patterns at the home store the best so I went with that one.

This is how they came

This shows one sandwich and one snack size of each

This is the inside

The two of them in my Ju-Ju-Be Fuel Cell

Lemon Crumb Tilapia

We ended up finding some fresh tilapia the other night on a whim and made this recipe with it. We have had it before and it is really yummy! I thougt I would post the recipe again in case anyone would like to make it. We ate it with lima beans and corn on the side. It was loved by everyone. :)

Lemon Crumb Tilapia
(from recipezaar.com)
12 oz tilapia fillets, thawed
1/4 c Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T grated parmesan cheese (not the canned kind)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 T butter (divided)
1 T vegetable oil
1-2 T lemon juice

Rinse fish and pat dry. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and lemon peel on waxed paper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Dip fillets in melted butter. Coat fillet with crumb mixture. In nonstick skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with oil over medium heat. Cook fillets for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with lemon juice. When removing fish from skillet, use a spatula or the fish will fall apart.

Meal Planning: August 17th

These next two weeks are a little crazy for us so I needed really easy meals for quick preparation and little planning. Here is what I have on the list for our menu! Breakfasts are going to be the usual either eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, or yogurt with fruit and lunch is either leftovers or sandwiches.

All of these meals should be in the links over to the right if you need any recipes. :)

Mon - Zucchini Orzo, Carrots (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Tue - Cobb Sandwiches, Grapes

Wed - Quesadillas, Guacamole

Thu - Tuna Melts, Peas, Carrots

Fri - Spaghetti, Green Beans

Sat - Sloppy Joes, Corn

Sun - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes

Mon - Fried Rice with leftovers (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Tue - Macaroni & Cheese, Peas

Wed - Crockpot Chicken, Black Beans

Thu - Lasagna, Green Beans

Fri - Broccoli & Feta Couscous

Sat - Leftover Night

Sun - Pizza

Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler

We bought a 4 pound bag of blueberries from the local farmer's market and had more blueberries than we knew what to do with. So, I decided I would make a cobbler out of them. I got this recipe for Blueberry Cobbler from allrecipes.com. I used Sucanat instead of the white sugar and used whole wheat pastry flour instead of the white flour, everything else I left the same. It came out great! I would definitely make this one again.

Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

3 cups fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Meal Planning: August 10th - August 16th

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Hummus, Pita Bread, Carrot Sticks, Grapes

Dinner - Broccoli Cheese Soup in bread bowls (double soup recipe and freeze)

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Egg Salad Sandwich, Peaches

Dinner - Roasted Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes (never got to this last week), Salad

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Leftover Chicken & Veggies

Dinner - Grilled Pork Chops, Peas, Sweet Potatoes

Thursday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Turkey, Avocado, & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (with leftover roasted chicken)

Friday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Leftover Casserole

Dinner - Veggie Omelets, Fruit, Sausage, Biscuits

Saturday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Toast

Sunday:

Breakfast - Eggs with Chese, Toast

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - Leftovers (or Pizza if no leftovers)

Meal Planning: August 3rd - August 9th

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Hummus, Pita Bread, Carrot Sticks, Grapes

Dinner - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Salsa

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Whole Wheat Pasta & Sauce, Peas

Dinner - Cobb Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Turkey & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Spinach, Bacon & Mushroom Quiche, Roasted Potatoes (didn't get to it last week)

Thursday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Turkey & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Roasted Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast - Eggs with Chese, Toast

Lunch - Leftover Chicken & Veggies

Dinner - Tortellini & Sauce, Green Beans

Saturday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - BBQ Pork Chops, Baked Beans, Broccoli

Sunday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - Turkey Burgers, Corn & Grapes

Meal Planning - July 26 - August 1

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Lima Beans & Fruit

Dinner - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Egg Salad sandwiches, Peaches

Dinner - Creamy Ranch Pork Chops with Zucchini Orzo

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Blueberries

Lunch - Leftover Zucchini Orzo, Carrots

Dinner - Tilapia, Broccoli, Roasted Potatoes

Thursday:

Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Banana

Lunch - Turkey & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Mushroom, Bacon, Spinach Quiche & leftover Roasted Potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Leftover Quiche, Peaches

Dinner - Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Saturday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Bluberry Pancakes

Lunch - Cookout with friends

Dinner - Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, Broccoli

Sunday:

Breakfast - Sausage Biscuits & Gravy

Lunch - Eat out

Dinner - Leftovers

Italian Oven Baked Breaded Chicken

Tonight we had something a little different. I was planning to make Chicken Parmesan, but I noticed the cheese I thought I had to melt on top, I didn't have. So, I changed it to make Italian Oven Baked Breaded Chicken. All I did was take some chicken breasts and pound them out flat using my cast iron skillet. Then I used some bread crumbs, italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese and mixed it together. I went heavy on the parmesan since we didn't have the other cheese. Then I coated the chicken breasts in the breading. I placed them on a cookie sheet and then I put some more of the breading with cheese on top of the chicken. I drizzled the tops of them with olive oil and baked in the oven on 375 for 30 minutes. They turned out really good! We had them with some whole wheat spaghetti and sauce and some steamed green beans.

Feta & Spinach stuffed Chicken Breast

This is a recipe that we always like! I made it a little different this time, though. Instead of rolling the filling up in the chicken and then cooking in a pan, I slit the chicken open and made a pocket. Then I put the filling inside and baked it for 45 minutes. It came out really great! We had it with rice and everyone enjoyed it!

Here is the original recipe.

Stuffed Chicken Breast
(Weight Watchers Recipe)
This Greek-inspired dish is brimming with lots of spinach, onion and feta. Pair it up with steamed rice for a complete meal. Or try it over a bed of mixed greens. Serves 4
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 oz spinach
1 small onion diced
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 teaspoon oil; sauté onion until golden, 5 minutes.
2. Wilt spinach (steam spinach or heat damp spinach over medium heat in nonstick pan); stir in zest, feta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
3. Divide spinach mixture between cutlets. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
4. In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove toothpicks.

Pork Roast, Asparagus, and Sweet Potatoes

Tonight we had pork roast that was cooked in the oven with lemon pepper on top. With it we had asparagus that has a little lemon zest and taste parmesan cheese on it (both the roast and asparagus made by my mom!). Then we had mashed sweet potatoes with butter. It was all really great and the adults in the house loved it. The kids loved the sweet potatoes, but they are not big meat lovers and didn't really care for the roast. They both ate some asparagus, though! :)

Roasted Chicken & Veggies

I made a roasted chicken with various veggies for dinner tonight. You can see the veggies in the pot on the left before they were cooked. I used red potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. I drizzled them with a little olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and a mixed spice (I think it was Mrs. Dash). Then I placed the chicken on top. I used olive oil on the skin to get it crispy along with the spices. It baked for a LONG time. I should have put the veggies on top and around the chicken like I normally do, but I wasn't thinking. It took a lot longer to get done because the bottom of the chicken wasn't touching the bottom of the pan. It was really great after it got done. I also made the zucchini parmesan bread again that I posted the recipe for a few posts back. I used olive oil this time instead of butter and it was still great. The kids really love it.