Monday, November 19, 2012

menu monday | november 19 - november 25



it's monday, again, already?!

not only is it monday, but it's one of those monday's that is JAM PACKED with to-do's.
so, first on the list...
monday | baked pasta with roasted red pepper sauce
tuesday | beef tacos
wednesday | grilled chicken; roasted root veg + asparagus
thursday | happy turkey day! turkey + all the fixin's
friday | thanksgiving paninis! (i have been waiting 364 days for these!)
saturday | banking on more leftovers/lazy
sunday | testing out some ugly sweater party recipes... (to be announced, if and only if they are delicious.)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

homemade applesauce

there is nothing scary about making your own applesauce.
it is so easy.
it's almost easier than opening a jar of store bought apple sauce.

side note: making applesauce this time made me get really excited about making baby food someday. [no i'm not pregs, yet...i don't think.]



applesauce
3lb bag of apples, peeled, cored & sliced
3/4c water
1/4c white sugar
1 cinnamon stick

add all ingredients to a large pot. bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. cook until apples are soft. [20-30 mins.] pour contents into a blender & pulse until it reaches your desired consistency.

i know it seems like there are 438 types of apples at the store OR your local orchard. [i miss living around one of those.] i think the best for applesauce taste & texture are gala or fuji. go get cooking!

Monday, November 12, 2012

menu monday | november 12 - november 18


i try to stick to a weekly theme. it makes menu planning a little easier.

meatleass monday [for the most part, we try to stick to this.]
taco tuesday [or anything mexican/tex mex.]
wednesday & thursday...flexible.
panini friday [we need a carb day & we love paninis so much!]
every other saturday date night
sunday dinner with grandma [my mom]

this week, however, i am breaking all the rules & flip flopping all of my days.
monday | palermo's pizza. [we are feeling ultra lazy...& this frozen pizza is bomb.]
tuesday | red curry chicken; basmati rice
wednesday | kielbasa potato skillet
thursday | spinach salad; baked sweet potatoes
friday | thanksgiving potluck @ the squadron. i am bringing a turkey...that hopefully won't look like this:

saturday | burgers with avo, caramelized onions, bacon & chipotle mayo; spicy sweet potato fries
sunday | grilled pork chops; roasted butternut squash; green salad

Saturday, November 10, 2012

steak & caramelized onion paninis

so, i have to say, i'm not a huge fan of going out to eat. [hence the meal plans.]
1. [not to pat myself on the back, but] i can totally make 99% of meals we eat out, in our own kitchen.
[honestly i think anyone can! as long as you can follow a recipe, you're half way to becoming a chef.]
2. i can do #1 for a fraction of the cost we would pay out.
3. it's way more comfortable at home.

thursday night, major barber & i went out to eat with a couple of good friends & a few guys from out of town.

leaving the men up to picking the location, they chose a steak house.

[disclaimer: i hope everyone appreciates my candor...i wouldn't normally discuss dollar amounts like this, but i just want to break it down now on the reals.]
our bill [including tip & a couple drinks for hubs] was $125!!

i don't know about you, but that's a week of groceries in our house.

after two loaves of bread & butter, i took 3 bites of my HUGE ny strip steak entree, & i was full.

SO...that leads me to...
[actually, last night...AND breakfast today!]


steak & caramelized onion paninis
2 slices fresh italian bread
2 slices sharp white cheddar
1/4 c caramelized onions
2 oz leftover steak, thinly sliced
2 oz butter, softened

butter outside of bread. inside, layer cheese, steak, onions, cheese. [i always do a top & bottom layer of cheese in my paninis, because it helps hold everything in.]



cook in a panini press, or in a frying pan over medium heat,  until golden brown.

after dinner, there was STILL leftover steak!! benjamin was positive it was for him, so he sat patiently waiting. [he never got it.] instead, i cut it into a small dice &, along with the leftover onions, saved it for a saturday morning breakfast scramble...& made 1 restaurant meal into 3.


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

brown sugar acorn squash

OH MY WORD... she's back!
and she's...MARRIED!

i am terribly embarrassed that i have neglected this baby blog, but my excuse is valid. i was planning a wedding while housing all of my in laws. [needless to say, i was a busy lady.]

that being said, i am officially signed, sealed, delivered, mrs. barber. no big deal! i am certainly not the first or last to say this, but i never want this over-the-moon-head-in-the-clouds phase to wear off...the one where you can't stop saying "my husband."

so, now that i'm home and doing my housewifery, i am also going to keep up with this blog project. i. will. be. a. blogger. [not striving to be one of the popular, cool kids; just the kind who starts a project & sticks to it.]

so, onto...
holy moly. this is a treat. being off the wedding diet wagon means carbs & fat served in a bowl of deliciousness. growing up, this was our mom' way of sneaking veg onto our plates. now i know better, but it's still supremely awesome next to it's friends, a juicy pork chop & fresh, steamed green beans.


brown sugar acorn squash
2 acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise & seeded
1/4c h2o
1 stick butter [don't judge me.]
8 T light brown sugar

preheat oven to 350°F. place squash halves [two at a time] face down, in a 8x8 glass baking dish. fill dish with 1/8c water. microwave on high for 7 minutes. take out of micro [caution: HOT!!] & flip over into 9x13 baking dish. [repeat with other halves.] fill each half with 2 T butter & 2 T sugar. bake for 20 minutes, or until sugar is melted.