Weekly Menu for the Week of April 24 – April 28

Hello!!! How was your Easter?  Ours was lovely and we were honored to be able to have my Sister, my cousin and her two sons here to celebrate with us.  They all live in Germany so the time we get to spend together is very precious.  I hope your Easter was filled with celebration, love and peace.  

I did not post a menu last week as we petty much were winging it all week and eating what we had on hand.  This week I am ready to go and am sharing my menu with you.  Hope you enjoy it

Monday: Sweet & Sour Carrot and Cucumber Salad, Porkchops, rice

Tuesday:  Porkroast, twice baked potatoes, green beans

Wednesday: Garlic butter and asparagus rice, frikadelen, cucumber salad

Thursday: Lime cilantro chicken with black beans and corn

Friday: slow cooker cashew cicken, rice, green beans

Hope you find something on the menu you may enjoy cooking as well.  Happy week to you!!

Margareta

Toasted Coconut Almond Rice Crispy Treats

Yesterday I posted about finding inspiration on Pinterest.  The recipe for these Crispy Treats were found there and were posted by Beaming Baker.  You can click here to link to her original post.

I changed the recipe a bit and added some chocolate chips.  This recipe came together so easily and is gluten free, dairy free and vegan.

Ingredients:

Dry Mixture 

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut shreds or flakes

1/3 cup sliced almonds

3 cups vegan gluten free brown rice crisp cereal

Wet Mixture

1/3 cup natural almond butter

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions 

Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Bring a small skillet to medium heat and add the coconut to toast.  Stir often and in about 3-5 minutes coconut will start to tan.  Remove from heat and add to a large mixing bowl.  Add in the almonds and crispy cereal and stir until well combined.

In a small saucepan over medium low heat add the almond butter and the syrup.  Wisk together until well blended and warm until mixture starts to bubble.  Add to the dry ingredient mixture.  Stir and fold until well combined.  Add the chocolate chips if desired and stir to incorporate.

Pour into the prepared pan and flatten out into an even tightly packed layer using a spatula.

Chill in the freezer for 30-40 minutes.  Remove and slice into 16 squares.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for up to one week.  I packaged mine in snack bags so they are ready to pack in lunches.

Here they are – ready to go.

Enjoy!

Margareta

Menu for the Week of April 3 – April 7

Hello my lovelies!  Can you believe it is April 1st today?  Where you pranked or tricked today?  If you were, then I hope it was all in good fun.  

Here is the menu for the week which got a resounding thumbs up from my son.  I hope you enjoy it as much as he will.  

Monday:  Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Tuesday:  Cashew Chicken

Wednesday: Meatballs Subs and Salad

Thursday:  Pizza

Friday: Sloppy Joes and French Fries

Today was our Costco run so I really don’t need to buy to much at the market tomorrow.  

Enjoy the menu and enjoy your week.  Until next time…

Margareta

Triple Chocolate Brownies – Gluten Free with a Secret Ingredient

I have been gluten free for about 2 years now and always get super excited when I find a really good gluten free recipe.

The recipe for these brownies did not disappoint!  My son ate 2 and my hubby at 1 1/2.  They are not aware of the secret ingredient or else they would not have even tried them.  I took some to work and my coworkers loved them!

I came across the recipe on the You Tube Channel: Clean & Delicious.  Dani has some great tips for clean eating.  Click here to access her page and find out more about Dani and her other delicious recipes.

Here is her recipe for the Triple Chocolate Brownies:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour ( I used all purpose gluten free flour)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup sifted coca powder

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (this is the secret ingredient)

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup chocolate chips

a bit of oil to grease the pan (I used cooking spray)

Chocolate Icing:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Coat an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and sifted cocoa powder.

In a blender combine the black beans, water, maple syrup and vanilla extract.  Blend until everything is well combined and the beans are broken down.  This will be very liquidy.

Pour the bean mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.  Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Once the brownies have cooled completely, prepare your icing.  Simply combine all the icing ingredients and stir until combined.  At first I thought it was to dry, but keep mixing and have faith.  It will come together nicely.

Spread the icing over the cooled brownies and cut into squares.  Mine made 16.  These are so thick and dense they are almost like fudge!!!!

Margareta

 

 

2 Week Menu Plan for the Weeks of February 27 – March 3 and March 6 – March 10

So far I have been keeping up with the 2 week menu plan.  Sorry I am a bit late in posting, but time just seems to get away from me lately.  For these two weeks I am trying to use up some leftovers which I am incorporating into the menus and use the meats I have on hand.  After next week I will definitly need to make a Costco run.

The way I cook I often have leftovers.  We only have so many days in the week for lunches so instead of taking the same leftovers each day, I decided to freeze some of the leftover taco meat, veggies, pasta, rice, etc. and incorporate them into menus this week. 

So here is how I did it …..

Week of February 27 – March 3

Monday: Chicken Parmesan with zoodles (zucchini noodles)

Tuesday: Schinken Noodle (used leftover pesto pasta) green beans

Wednesday: Tilapia, leftover rice, salad

Thursday: Meatball subs (using leftover meatballs) salad

Friday: Paninis and soup (using leftover goulash and adding more liquid, potatoes and veggies)
Week of March 6 – March 10

Monday: Sweet and Sticky Orange Chicken, green beans

Tuesday: Bacon mac n cheese, Ham, corn

Wednesday: Enchilladas(using leftover taco meat and enchillada sauce) refried beans

Thursday: Baked Ziti casserole

Friday: loaded nachos

I would love to know what you are cooking up at your Haus. Let me know how you use your leftovers.  Hope you have a great 2 weeks!

Margareta

2 Week Menu Plan for the Weeks of February 13 – February 17 and February 20 – February 24

I am getting used to planning my menu for 2 weeks at a time.  Since I did such a large Costco Haul 2 weeks ago, I did not need to buy any meat this week.  I have seen a drop in my grocery bill as well, since I am trying to use items I still have on hand.

So here is what I have planned for the next two weeks:

2/13/2017 – 2/17/2017

Monday: Schinken noodle and cucumber salad

Tuesday: Valentines Pizza, salad

Wednesday: Bacon and Potato Soup, rolls

Thursday: Chicken Pesto Pasta, salad

Friday: Hungarian Goulash, noodles, green beans

 

2/20/2017 – 2/24/2017

Monday: Spaghetti Cabonara, salad

Tuesday: Cabbage and noodles with sausage

Wednesaday: Asian Garlic Noodles with beef and green beans

Thursday: Taco Skillet

Friday: Chicken Burritos

I hope you enjoy these two weeks of menus.  Until next time, Happy Cooking!!!

Margareta

 

 

 

 

 

2 Week Menu For The Weeks Of January 30, 2017 – February 3, 2017 and February 6, 2017 – February 10, 2017

0I have a treat for you this week!  In my last menu post I mentioned that I had been watching the You Tube Channel “How Jen Does It”.  I love her recipes. They are simple, delicious, and easy to make.  She also plans menus 2 or even 4 weeks in advance.  I have decided to try and plan 2 weeks at a time and see if I can maybe save money on groceries as well.

This week I spent $140 at Trader Joes and $260 at Costco.  The Trader Joes items will last me 2 weeks and Costco will last me a bit longer – maybe even through the end of the month.  I will only need to pick up a few things on the weekend like Milk andsome fresh fruit.

So here is my menu for two weeks!

Week 1

Monday: Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Tuesday: Meatball Subs, Salad

Wednesday: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Thursday:  Thai Inspired Chicken with Peanut Sauce, Rice

Friday:  Beef Stew with Gluten Free Dumplings

Week 2

Monday: Mongolian Beef, Rice Noodles, Grean Beans

Tuesday: Kielbasa, Oven Potatoes, Salad

Wednesday:  Oven Baked Tacos, Refried Beans

Thursday:  Cheesy Tortellini with Meatsauce, salad

Friday:  Enchilladas, Rice, Black Beans

Hope you enjoy the menu line up for these 2 weeks.  I will keep you posted on the grocery bill and if my budget improves and I spend less.

Margareta

Weekly Menu For The Week Of January 16 – January 20

Here is a look at what I am cooking up at the Haus this week. Several of these menus can be found on The Domestic Geek You Tube Channel.  Let me know what you have on the menu.

Monday: Orange Chicken Stir Fry with Rice

Tuesday: Roasted sweet potatoes, Meatloaf, Salad

Wednesday: Enchillada Soup

Thursday: Salsa Verde Chicken, Lime Cilanrto Rice

Friday: Leftovers

Adding a leftover day on Friday ensured that we did not waste any food and aso made for a quick dinner after a long week.  Let me know what you do with leftovers.

Margareta

Weekly Menu For The Week of November 28 – December 2

Greetings all!  I did not post a menu last week as it was Thanksgiving week and we were away for most of it.  This week I have decided to not post a menu but instead share with you how I will be using up my leftovers.

My family enjoys leftovers much more when they are presented as a new meal instead of feeling like they are eating the same thing over and over.  I hate to be wasteful so instead I have become creative.  If you have a family with the same sentiments then these next few posts will be for you.

Gobble Good Turkey Casserole 

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

1 can condensed cream of mushroom  soup

I package onion soup mix

1 cup rice (cooked)

1 1/2 cups milk

2-3 cups leftover turkey cut or torn into bite size pieces

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Put into a large Casserole dish and bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Gluten Free Version:

Use 2 packets of GF condensed cream of chicken soup and add a small can of mushroom stems and pieces a half cup of precooked celery.  If you can not find GF onion soup mix then just add a variety of spices such as onion salt, garlic, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning etc.  

History of this recipe: When my son was in second  grade his teacher gave each student a brown bag she shaped into a turkey.  The bag was filled with the uncooked rice that is needed in this recipe and attached the recipe card.  That was 9 years ago and we still use this recipe every year.  

Weekly Menu For The Week Of November 14 – November 18

This week my recipe inspirations come to you from the Skinny Ms emails that I have been receiving.  They provide many unique ways of preparing food and for using your crockpot while keeping things on the lighter side.  So here is what is cooking at my Haus this week:

Monday: Slow Cooker General Tso’s Chicken

Tuesday: Slow cooker Mac n Cheese, sausage, cucumber salad

Wednesday: chili

Thursday: Slow Cooker Fried Chicken, green beans

Friday: Santa Fe Chicken and Zucchini Stir Fry

Hope you enhoy these recipes.  I am anxious to try them all – especially the fried chicken.  If you try any of them or if you are following my weekly menus let me know what you think!

Margareta