Menu 1/31–2/6

We’re in the middle of our second winter break right now.  It was supposed to only be a four-day weekend with teacher work days tomorrow and Tuesday, but with the three snow days this past week, it’s ending up being a full seven days in a row off of school!   My kids are loving it, of course, but I’m feeling like I could use a little jolt of routine back in my life right now!  My goal for tomorrow is to go grocery shopping, since we haven’t had a fresh fruit or vegetable in the house for two days (being snowed in with five kids is my  excuse for this oversight), and also to buy the supplies for our traditional Groundhog’s Day cupcakes.  Here’s hoping that by the time Mr. Groundhog pops his head up on Wednesday, that I’ll be back to some semblance of normalcy again!    

Monday—Groundhog’s Day Cupcakes— This is a day off of school for my kids, so we’ll get started on making these cute little fellows for Groundhog’s Day on Wednesday.  It  is a decade long tradition in our family, to make them for each of the elementary kids to share with their classes, which means we’ll be making about 6 dozen of them this year.   

BBQ Chicken Nachos (new)
Black Bean and Avocado Salsa (recipe coming soon)

Tuesday—Peanut Butter Pancakes—I totally need to take new pictures of this oldie, but goodie, so we’re using a day off of school to experiment with these! 

Creamy Lemon Pepper Chicken and Pasta –we tried this easy, creamy dish for the first time a few weeks ago and enjoyed it.  I have some ricotta cheese that’s expiring soon, so wanted to give it another try. 
 

Wednesday--BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing—this is one of our favorite healthy meals.  The cilantro ranch dressing is fantastic!   

Blueberry-Spinach Smoothie—we have smoothies all the time in the summertime, but I’m feeling like we could use a little nutritional boost around here, so we’re braving the cold drink on a cold day! 


Thursday--Hearty Quinoa Stew (new)—I have some quinoa I bought at Costco that’s just sitting in my cupboard, so I’m excited to finally put it to use!

French Peasant Bread—okay, I know….I make this every week.  Actually I usually make it at least a couple of times every week, but it’s SO easy, my family LOVES it,  and with half whole-wheat flour I just don’t feel that guilty about it! 

Friday—White Chicken Pizza with Caramelized Onions made with our favorite whole-grain Pizza Crust—A fun twist on regular tomato-based pizzas.

Saturday—Orange Streusel Muffins—Citrusy with a streusel topping…what’s not to love? 

Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Burritos—this is one of those long-lost recipes I made ages ago and forgot about, but with the BBQ sauce and grilled chicken I know we’ll enjoy it again!  

Sunday—BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Sandwiches—I was looking for quick, easy and man-friendly for the Super Bowl festivities and this sandwich fits the bill perfectly! 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies—bar none, my husband’s favorite cookie ever. 

Avocado-Pomegranate Dip (coming soon)



Review of Last Week: 
Monday--Potato Kielbasa Skillet—everyone loved it all over again and took better pictures of it, since the previous pictures were from back in the earlier days of the blog.      
Tuesday--Nacho Mama's Mac and Cheese—kids devoured it.  Hubby and I thought it needed a little extra hot sauce to spice it up.  
Wednesday--Sweet and Sour Chicken over brown rice—this one ended up getting booted off the menu for a left-over night instead.  We’ll put it back on again soon. 
Thursday--Raspberry Swirl Coffee Cake (made with blueberry yogurt and jam instead of raspberry)—turned out great.  I think it’s safe to say that substituting jams and yogurt flavors works wonderfully well to suit individual tastes. 
Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup (new recipe)—This one’s super easy and we totally LOVED IT!  Look for the recipe in the next few weeks! 
Friday--Makeover Chicken Crescents—This one’s always a family favorite!
Saturday--Apple Fritters—We didn’t actually end up making it, since we ran out of apples. We made Carrot Cake Pancakes instead and really enjoyed them with the Maple-Cream Cheese topping.  
Creamy Potato-Leek Soup (new recipe)—this one went into the okay category for me.  Everyone ate it, but I think it was the leek flavor that made it more like a three-star meal than a five-star meal for me.  My husband liked it and said I should publish it anyway, so I’m debating…. 
Sunday--Mexican Lasagna—
O' Henry Bars—LOVED IT, as always!

Go check Organizing Junkie for lots more Menu Plans!