Monday, January 12, 2015

On the Menu Monday (MPM) - Week 3 - 2015

I didn't get to make everything I wanted to last week, but here were a couple of favorites!
 
Pan fried bone in organic chicken thighs, seasoned with Flavorgod Everything seasoning, roasted broccoli with lemon and pan roasted butternut squash. This made great leftovers as well. 
 Oven roasted pork tenderloin with red peppers and onions. Acorn squash with ghee and roasted brussel sprouts. This was SOOOO good! We both loved it!
 
We had a fantastic weekend! Friday I had done some running around for our dinner party on Saturday. I picked up a couple of salads for dinner and we were going to just pop in a frozen pizza for dinner, but we decided to try a new place not far from us called Living Waters, which also has a yoga studio. Lets just say, they should stick with yoga. I could not even eat one slice, all you could taste was raw pizza dough. We even put it back in the oven and cooked it further, but yuck. I hate to throw out food, and we tried a few neighbors, but no takers, so we literally threw out a almost a whole pizza. Sad, but it was awful! 
Saturday we spent the morning getting some errands and shopping done for our dinner party. We were supposed to have a chef come in and prepare dinner for 12 of us, but our chef, along with two of his kids got the flu, so I had to pinch hit. We came up with the menu Friday and I made the potato dish and the salmon spread in preparation. I asked one of our neighbors grandsons to come over and help with prep work, serving and clean up. It was the third time he has come to help with something like this, and he is absolutely wonderful and a huge help! Dinner worked out really well, we had a smoked salmon spread on endive, paired with a really nice sparkling wine from New Mexico, a mashed potato dish, I had picked up the recipe the week before from one of our Trader Joe's. It had broccoli, leaks and cave blue cheese, it went really nicely with the beef tenderloin with a mushroom madeira reduction that I made and roasted asparagus. We did a salad course with Kung Fu Riesling, a nice dry Riesling, loved it. The main course we paired with a Mount Vedeer Cabernet and then we had a  dark chocolate cake with a butter cream frosting, paired with The Velvet Devil Merlot. It was a really good time and a great group of people. 
 







Sunday, our friend Carrie was in town visiting her boyfriend, so we met up with them for lunch at The Bonefish Grill which is new to us here, they just opened a couple of months ago. We have been twice and just love the food. After a bite to eat we went to see Wild with my girl Reese. Pretty good movie. I think she will get an Oscar nod. When we got home, we had Boyhood from Redbox so we watched that before the Golden Globes came on, and we both loved that. Trying to make sure we get all of our "Oscar" movies in. Can't wait to see who will be up!
I have set some goals (once again) around meal planning, as best I can. I want to try a new recipe at least once a week. Have one chicken meal, one fish meal, one crock pot/braised meal and one soup or stew. This week we have plans a few nights, so I am doing my best to squeeze these things in.
 

Monday
Plans - Home, I need to work on my planner and goals for 2015
Breakfast and Lunch - Clementines, Pear and chicken salad with a vinaigrette (this is a pre-made salad from our local store, they are SO good).
Dinner - Chicken and Pasta with a Champagne Cream Sauce I am changing this up a little to include leftover ingredients I have on hand. We have a half of a bottle of sparkling wine left over from Saturday so I thought it would be a good use of it. I am also going to use pasta I have on hand, add some chicken and try thyme instead of sage. I also will add some of the leftover asparagus. If  had mushrooms, I would add those as well, but I am sure it will be good. 

Tuesday
Plans - Neighborhood Bunco night. This is always one of my favorite nights of the month, looking forward to seeing the girls!
Breakfast and Lunch - Eggs and bacon, fruit. Leftovers (clean the fridge out - unless I pick up another salad!)
Dinner - Usually it is just snacky foods at Bunco. I am bringing Cheesy Beer Smokies I think it seems like something that the girls will like!

Wednesday
Plans - We weren't able to get together for HH last week, it was SOOOOO cold, I was happy to not have to leave the house! BUT, the good news is, more people can make it this week!
Breakfast and Lunch - Eggs and bacon with fruit and a salad
Dinner - Bacio for HH

Thursday
Plans - Hoping to catch up on some things at home and get ready for a dinner party Friday night. 
Breakfast and Lunch - Eggs and bacon and salad
Dinner - Walleye. We didn't have this last week, and I am still working on cleaning out the freezer. 

Friday
Plans - Carrie and Scott are coming for dinner along with another couple, Mike and Kelly. Looking forward to seeing them, it is a fun group!
Breakfast and Lunch - Eggs and bacon with fruit and soup or a salad if there aren't leftovers. 
Dinner - I have not come up with the menu yet, but I am sure it will be good!

Saturday and Sunday
Plans - my mom and dad are flying up from AZ on Thursday to attend a good friends funeral. So my sister and I will be going with them to the services, just waiting on details. So keeping most of the weekend open to spend with them.

For more meal planning and links to recipes - check out the Orgjunkie.
 
 

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