Weekly lunch for momma

Yesterday afternoon I decided to make up some lunches for myself to get rid of some veggies that were needing to be used up. I have some plastic one use containers that are about a cup and a half worth of food space to store them in the fridge. I made enough for five meals. I decided to make it a vegetarian so I could add any other leftover meat or can tuna whichever I felt like on the particular day but I wanted a base recipe to build off of. I can either eat it hot or cold. This is just what I had on hand but you can substitute any veggies or rice of your liking.

Veggie Rice Lentil Medley
4 medium green zucchini
2 bell peppers
3 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
2 baby bock choy ( save the leaves for the very end)
3 green onions (save for end)
1 cup wild rice and lentil medley (Safeway brand)
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1 15oz can diced Italian flavored tomatoes

Boil the rice medley in 2 cups of low sodium broth for 15 minutes, chop onion and garlic sauté for 2 minutes on medium in 1 tbs olive oil. chop zucchinin and whites of bock choy add to onion and garlic. add salt and pepper to taste (very important to add while cooking not just at the end to flavor your dish). Cook for 5 minutes until softend

Add your can of tomatoes then the bock choy leaves and green onions boil for 5 minutes add the rice medley with any leftover broth and the 1/2 cup orzo, cover and cook until orzo has absorbed the liquid. Eat immediately or cool and put in storage containers. This can also be frozen and then thawed and heated through.

Today I will be adding some BBQ chicken from last nights dinner to mine.

I'm back!

Hello all I have decided to come back to the blogging world even though my last attempt was short, I am hoping to engage in a more productive and informative blog. I will be diving into the world of menu planning and money saving. I have been working on shopping for two weeks at a time and have been able to save our family about $150 a month. I have also cut our shopping at Costco to once a month which has saved about $200. I hope to offer some great recipes and ideas that will work for your family.

Grandma's White bread

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a bowl mix yeast and water stir let sit for 10 minutes. In another bowl add sugar, flour and salt. In another bowl beat eggs and add oil stir into yeast mixture than add flour mixture blend until smooth.Add enough of remaining flour to make a soft dough(will be sticky). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6-8 minutes until you have a smooth ball. Add to a large greased bowl cover with plastic wrap for 1hour. Turn out on to floured surface and cut in half shape in 2 loaf shapes and add to loaf pans and cover with plastic wrap, let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire rack for at least a half hour before slicing.

Raisin Bread:

Make like above recipe but before second rise roll out flat add melted butter cinnamon and sugar add raisins that have soaked in warm water; roll up and tuck in ends place in loaf pan and let rise for the second time. Bake the same temperature and time.

Chicken and cheese stuffed shells with alfredo sauce

1 box big shell pasta
1 jar favorite alfredo sauce
1 lb chicken breast
3 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese plus some for topping
1 lemon juced and zested
1 tbs garlic powder
salt and pepper
lemon rosemary rub(I use Pampered chefs blend)

preheat oven to 350 boil pasta just until softened. In a large skillet saute' chicken in olive oil and season with garlic powder,salt,pepper,and lemon rosemary rub. Brown and set aside. In a medium bowl add ricotta and 1cup parmesan cheese,salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice mix to combine. When shells are done stuff with cheese then chicken put in a 13by 9 inch pan cover with alfredo sauce and top with parmesan cheese, cover with foil and bake 30-35  minutes until cooked thru and bubbly.

Pesto Cream Sauce Lasagna

I made this receipe up one night we had friends over and I ran out of spaghettil sauce. Everybody liked this one better. You can make the lasagna and cover with plastic wrap and foil then freeze(defrost before baking), or you can make the night before and put it in the fridge.


1 1/2 pound of chopped turkey(or meat of choice) I used left over thanksgiving turkey that I froze
1 cup mozzarella cheese
no bake flat rolled lasagna noodles(I used Barilla brand)
3 tbs pesto
4 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup defrosted spinach
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half(or heavy cream or milk whatever you have)
2 cups turkey stock(or whatever you have on hand)
4 tbs butter
4 tbs flour
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375*

Chop turkey meat and reserve in a bowl. Mix together ricotta, spinach 1/8 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper stir and set aside.
Melt butter in large sauce pan add flour, and cook 1-2 minutes. Add half and half and stock, whisk to combine and make sure there are no lumps cook on medium heat until thickend. Add the pesto and stir take off heat.
In a 13/9 baking dish add a little of sauce to bottom of pan and start to layer ingredients like a normal lasagna. Finish top layer with the sauce and mozzarella cheese and the rest of the pamesan cheese.
Bake for 1 hour covered. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until brown and bubbly

Raspberry Pecan Tuna Wrap

2 cans tuna fish
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cupcherry flavored dried cranberrys
1/2 rib celery
1/4 chopped avocado
1/4 chopped tomatoe
1/2 chopped and peeled apple
1tbls raspberry pecan dressing
2tbls mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tbls honey
salt and pepper to taste

In a small saute' pan add pecans and honey. Cook until honey is melted and you can slightly smell pecans, add cranberrys remove from heat. In medium bowl add tuna and pecan mixture, stir to combine and break up tuna. Add the rest of the fruit stir. Add mayo, both mustards, dressing salt and pepper stir and serve in a flour tortilla or butter lettuce to make for a lighter version.

You can substitute the tuna for a can of chicken and I cut the raspberry dressing out of that one

CARROT MUFFINS

1 cup raisins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

4  shredded medium carrots

1 large Gala apple peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 12 cup muffin pan. In large bowl add raisins, and chopped apple and carrots add cinnamon,nutmeg,and cloves. In another bowl add flour, baking soda, salt.and baking powder stir to combine. In a small bowl cream sugar and eggs, add oil. Combine egg mixture into flour mixture. Fold in the fruit mixture until just combined don't over mix or the muffins will be tuff. Use a medium scoop or tablespoon to fill cups. Bake until toothpick comes out clean 20-30 minutes. Let cool and serve or frost with a cream cheese frosting.