Four

FOUR MORE DAYS

ONLY

FOUR.

MORE.

DAYS.

I can hardly wait!!

Four more days until the girls are out of school for the summer.

It’s almost like we’re “on hold” right now, waiting for the 24th to arrive. Even though the next week or two after that won’t exactly be slowing down, there’s that milestone looming for us, and mentally, it’s pretty much our sole focus right now.

Once we get past school, we’ve got the holiday weekend, dance rehearsals & recitals and then my annual trip to HQ for work, which means “Ammi Camp” for the girls. So, the next four weeks or so are busy ones. But just being over the hurdle of school (and those early-morning wakeup calls) will be major for us.

SuperMan has a busy week this week, too, so I’m planning easy things for dinner for us – less stress and less mess. Always a good thing.

Here’s what’s on our menu plan:

Monday: Soft Tacos & Warm Bean dip	Friday: Asian chicken stir fry with rice
Tuesday: Bourbon chicken & rice with veggies	Saturday: something grilled
Wednesday: homemade chicken fingers (I’ve been craving this and haven’t made it yet)	Sunday: eat out
Thursday: Salads & Baked Potato	Other options: pizza braid cheesy bread sticks

What’re you planning this week?

Mother’s Day, Menu Planning and Counting Down to Summertime (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)

Menu Plan Monday 1.30.12

Well, hello, there, Monday!

Nice to see you again (not really) – and I’m all ready with my menu for the week, so I’m one step ahead of you. (nanny-nanny-boo-boo!)

Taking it easy on the spices this week – Big Girl is still not feeling well (we’re headed back to the doctor today) and so I am trying to fix things that will be easy on her tummy.

Here’s what I have planned for our week:

Monday: Meatloaf, macaroni & cheese, veggies
Tuesday: Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
Wednesday: Crock Pot Sesame Ginger Chicken (new recipe) with rice & stir-fry veggies
Thursday: leftover night
Friday: not sure yet – it is the annual Father-Daughter Dance at school and they may go out for dinner.
Saturday: kids- pizza, grown ups- date night (yippee!)
Sunday: Small Group dinner here. Still finalizing the menu.

I also made some of my baked oatmeal for breakfasts and am planning another batch of bread for later today. Probably make some muffins for the girls or their favorite chocolate-chocolate chip bread.

What about you? What are you planning this week?

I made these chicken fingers twice last week (they were that good) and everyone loved them. And this potato soup, which was a toss-up. They ate it but I don’t think they loved it. Little Bit said it was like a potato milk shake. (hee hee) And since I can’t have the carbs, it will probably not get made very often around here. I was trying for something soothing for upset tummies.

Just thought I’d share!

You can find more yummy recipes on orgjunkie.com or Balancing Beauty & Bedlam, where she has her Pantry Challenge going on again for another month!

Monday, Please be gentle with me… (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Menu Plan Monday & some Random Thoughts (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Menu Plan Monday ~ 7 November (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)

What’s for Dinner?

Here’s one of my favorite go-to recipes for the nights that SuperMan is working late and it’s just me and the girls for dinner.

Sesame Chicken Bites

Yum.

My girls love them just like they are straight out of the oven. No sauces, ketchup or anything needed.

I make them with two gallon sized zip top bags.

I use one for the mayo base coat mixture. The second is used to hold the breading coating. Easy cleanup and easy prep. Love that.

I use flash-frozen chicken tenders and cut them into bite-sized pieces. This makes the dinner such a snap to make!

Here’s the recipe. I think it would also be great to serve at a cocktail party with a little honey mixed with horseradish for a dipping sauce.

Sesame Chicken Bites

1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup (apprx) sesame seeds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp Houston House Seasoning
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (Cut in bite-sized pieces)
(you can also use chicken tenders cut into pieces)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large gallon zip top bag, mix the bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Add a dash of Houston House Seasoning
In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard & house seasoning. Pour into a second gallon zip bag.
Drop chicken pieces into the mayo bag and toss to coat. I usually let the pieces sit in the bag in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.
Drop the mayo-coated chicken into the bread crumb/sesame seed mixture and toss to coat.
Place chicken nuggets on sheet pan that has been sprayed with oil.
Bake at 425 for approximately 15-20 minutes (or until chicken is done and coating is lightly browned)

I serve them with homemade french fries, a little fruit and sometimes some yogurt. Quick and easy – and healthy!

You can print the recipe here.