Menu Planning Week of October 18, 2015

Since FB hashtag searching is not my friend, I've decided to rekindle my old cooking blog.  Each week I'll post my menu plan over here with searchable labels!  Each post will have one week of recipes.  I hope you enjoy!

Week of October 18

Menu plan (tips and links in comments below) I only post dinners here.  Lunches are mostly leftovers or sandwiches, although I did try the new meatball place on CC one day this week and I was impressed.  Didn't want to like it because it replaced a Norman favorite, but the price was right (my lunch was $5.41) and the food was excellent.

Sunday:  Huevos Rancheros, fruit
This is a long-time favorite at our house. It takes a while, and I recommend making both the red and green sauces because they're both delicious. I usually double the sauce and freeze half for next time. Time saver step- skip buying soft corn tortillas and grab tostadas instead. Warm them in the oven for speedy plating. Cook eggs to your preferred texture. Serve with sliced fruit and a mimosa!

Monday:  Cream Cheese & Green Chile Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad
We just bought part of a grass fed and finished cow, so I'm excited to start including some beef meals into our weekly menu plans. Serve with frozen sweet potato fries and salad.

Tuesday:  Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, French Bread
I have an evening event Tuesday night, so I'll throw this in the slow cooker before I leave for work. When Josh gets home with the kiddos, he can make a quick batch of brown rice, heat our favorite frozen French bread in the oven, and serve an easy, delicious dinner.

Wednesday:  3 Cheese Italian Rigatoni Pie, Salad
I just love anything that comes from a spring form pan! Which one of us Type A firstborns will win the task of aligning the pasta? That's the real question. Serve with salad.

Thursday:  Herb Roasted Chicken with Butter Toasted Wild Rice

Friday:  Baba and Pops are coming and who knows where we'll end up for dinner.  $100 says Hideaway.

Bonus:  Spinach Artichoke Dip and GF Rolls

Hugo's weekly request:  Beer Cheese Dip and Crackers

Last one, I promise!  Soft Baked Pumpkin Cookies with Buttercream Icing

Like WonderBra

To be WonderBra, to be supportive, to uplift...
that's my goal for the week, the semester, the year, our lives together.
When I started planning our meals for this week I decided to make five days of Josh's favorites. His first week of law school would be filled with intense reading, new classrooms in a new school surrounded by people he's never met. What would be better than coming home each night to his favorite, familiar smells wafting from the kitchen? Here is my plan for the week:

Monday - Shrimp Creole with Salad and Crusty Whole Wheat French Bread
Tuesday - Crab Cakes with Baked Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus
Wednesday - Barbecued Ribs with Black-Eyed Peas and Potato Salad
Thursday - Reuben Sandwiches with chips and various dips
Friday - Lasagna Rolls with Salad and Garlic Bread
Desserts - White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies & Raspberry Cream Cheese Cake

I've decided to blog about Monday's dinner, Shrimp Creole. On my first trip to Frost to meet Josh's family I enjoyed this delicious meal. It reminds me of new love, nervous first meetings, and the butterflies that accompany the first kiss with your future spouse. Magical.

All you need to make your own Shrimp Creole is

1 pound of medium shrimp
1 medium onion chopped, about 1/2 cup
2 stalks of celery chopped, about 1/2 cup
1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons of butter
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (to taste)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups hot cooked rice

First defrost, peel and devein shrimp, set aside.
Cook rice according to package directions.

Saute butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, parsley, paprika, ground red pepper, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Combine cold water and cornstarch, stir together.

Stir cornstarch mixture and shrimp into skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, cook and stir for 2 minutes more or until shrimp turn deeper pink.

We enjoyed our Shrimp Creole with salad and crusty French Bread with Boursin cheese.
Thanks to my sweet husband for the flowers, he's quite a WonderBra himself.

Ava enjoying her yummy dinner

Note the "Crimson and Cream" colored Fiesta dishes in honor of OU.

Dinner was completed with Josh's favorite cookies, White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut. Simply mix up your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and substitute white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts for the chocolate chips. Yum!

Heirloom Recipes

Before Thanksgiving I helped my Nana bake for the holiday. Since she was expecting almost 30 people, there was a lot to do. As we prepared the treats I've enjoyed my whole life, I made copies of them with the intention of sharing them with Ava someday...and you today!

The first recipe I have is for Martha Washington Candy. I'm sure there are many variations on this, but here is Nana's version:

*3 cups chopped pecans
*7 ounces Angel Flake Coconut
*1 stick butter at room temperature
*1 can Eagle Brand Milk
*32 ounces (about 7.5 cups) powdered sugar
*1/4 pound Paraffin wax
*12 ounces chocolate chips

In a large bowl mix together pecans, coconut, butter, Eagle Brand Milk, powdered sugar. Form into 1 inch balls, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all of the dough has been formed into balls, cover cookie sheet with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator. Meanwhile, combine chocolate chips and Paraffin wax in a double boiler until smooth and glossy. Dip candy balls into chocolate until completely covered. Return to parchment paper to set. Make sure to eat one before the company arrives, otherwise you may not get any!

The second recipe I have to share is my great grandmother's Old Fashioned Tea Cakes. These dense, not too sweet cookies are unbelievably wonderful with coffee.

*1 cups sugar
*1/2 cup real molasses
*2 eggs
*1/2 pound butter (yikes, I know...just don't make 'em too often)
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*1 /2 heaping teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 heaping teaspoon nutmeg
*1/2 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
*1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cloves
*1/3 cup buttermilk
*flour as needed

In a large mixing bowl, fill halfway with flour. Create a well in the middle of the bowl. Pour all ingredients into the hole. Mix all ingredients completely with hands. Form dough into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and cook at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes.

The last recipe is for what we Raines grandkids call Nana Punch. It's 10 times better than any punch you've ever had...ever. Although I wouldn't serve this nectar of the gods at weddings, due to the staining-red hue.

*2 6 oz packages strawberry Jello
*3 cups sugar
*4 cups boiling water
*6 packages unsweetened red Kook Aid
*6 quarts cool water
*1 small bottle almond extract
*2 large cans pineapple juice
*1 12 oz frozen lemonade tube

*2 32 oz bottles Ginger Ale

Mix Jello, sugar, boiling water, Kool Aid, cool water, almond extract, pineapple juice, and lemonade tube together in a large, sealable container or pitcher. (If you're making this way ahead of time, you can put the mixture into gallon-size freezer bags.) Freeze until slushy. Pour Ginger Ale over punch mixture and serve. If you don't have a red mustache when you're finished, you haven't had enough!