Mexican Vacation to Marathon

I'm back writing now, I'm sorry I haven't been consistent the last weeks. I've been out due to my wonderful and much needed Mexican vacation with my husband, sister and brother in law. We had an amazing time, we ate, drank, & soaked up the sun! I have been playing catch up from prepping for vacation and returning from vacation. Wow its amazing after a week of eating whatever you want at an all inclusive how your body gets thrown off track. Needless to say I was happy to return to my evening table meal plans! This week I'm featuring a menu for my husband who is running the 1/2 Marathon next week. Its Carb loaded, please note I am not a dietician or health food guru. So most of my recipes I found researching what to eat the week before or in my Right Rhythm Heart Healthy recipe book or I modified the recipe of what I had in my cabinets, fridge or freezer. I'm not a health food geek, remember I'm a country raised girl. Hope all you runners out there have a great race day! Don't forget to race to the store and load up on good eats!! Each meal I plan to have fruits for dessert so add your favorite fruits to your menu as well.

Weekly Dinner Plans

Monday – Beef Stroganoff & Corn

Tuesday – Almond Crusted Chicken Breasts & Steamed Vegetables   

Wednesday – Chicken Salad on Bread, with Baked Potato & Cottage Cheese       

Thursday – Left Overs

Friday – Stuffed Red Peppers

Saturday – Spaghetti & Green Beans  

Sunday – EAT OUT 

Grocery List

Check your List before you go to the store, you may already have some of these items!!!

·         3 lb Ground Beef

·         4 Chicken Breast

·         Onion

·         4 Red Peppers

·         Baked Potato (Idaho)

·         Celery

·         Baby Carrots

·         Green Beans

·         Lemon

·         Frozen Steamer bag of vegetable medley

·         Diced Tomato’s

·         Corn

·         1 cup of mayo or miracle whip (make sure you have)

·         Dried Cranberries

·         Sliced Almonds

·         Package of McCormack Seasoning for Beef Stroganoff

·         Spaghetti Sauce

·         Box of Rice

·         Favorite bakery bread for chicken salad sandwiches

·         Rosemary Seasoning or Fresh Rosemary (Make sure you have)

·         Spaghetti Noodles

·         Egg Noodles

·         Sour Cream

·         Cheddar Cheese

RECIPES

Monday – Beef Stroganoff & Carrots on the side

            Package of McCormak Beef Stroganoff Seasoning

            1 lb of Hamburger

            1 Cup of Sour Cream

            1 Cup Water

            1 garlic clove

            ¼ diced up Onion

            Egg Noodles   

Fry your hamburger with onion and garlic. Follow the recipe on the back of the McCormek Package. Boil noodles. Heat your baby carrots in the microwave!

 Tuesday – Almond Crusted Chicken Breast

                ½ C sliced almonds

                1 T EVOO

                1 t fresh lemon zest

                1 T fresh lemon juice

                1 t rosemary seasoning or Fresh

                1 garlic Clove

                Chicken Breast

Preheat oven 425. Toast almonds on boil. Then Blend almonds, olive oil, lemon zest & juice, rosemary, garlic. Process until coarsely chopped, mixture will be thick. Put Chicken in baking dish. Put paste on breasts. Add two extra breast for tomorrow meal to bake with in the oven. Roast in oven about 10 minutes or until 165/175 internal temp. Tent with foil and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Heat steamer bag of medley veggies. Shred up the plain chicken for tomorrow chix salad.

Wednesday – Chicken Cranberry Salad

            Chicken Breast Shredded

            1 C dried Cranberries

            ½ Celery chopped

            ½ walnuts

            1 C mayo or miracle whip

            Parsley to taste

            Baked Potato’s washed

Combine the salad ingredients. Then serve salad cold on favorite bread.

For baked potato: Rub some olive oil and poke the potato with fork. Microwave for 8-12 min. usually I will for 6 take it out and turn it with two in there it will take longer. (To check stick a fork in it and if it goes in easy but center is firm the potato is ready.) Serve with some butter, cottage cheese, salt and pep.

Thursday – Left Overs

Eat up some leftovers in the fridge!!

Friday –Stuffed Red Pepper

1 lb ground beef

¼ Onion

Carrots

Can diced Tomato’s

1 c water

1 t Worcestershire

2/3 C rice

4 Oz Shredded Cheese

Red Peppers

Cut tops out of pepper and remove seeds. Boil for 5 minutes. Cook 2 lbs of beef. Drain. Set aside half for tomorrow spaghetti. Sautee onion, carrots, celery until tender. Add diced tomatoes, Worcestershire, water and rice bring to boil and simmer 15 min. Combine the meat and rice mixture stir in pepper, basil and parsley. Stuff each pepper and top with cheese. Bake for 20 min at 350 cover with foil.

Saturday – Spaghetti & Green Beans  

            Half of meat mixture left over from yesterday’s peppers

            Jar of Spag. Sauce

            Noddles

            Green Beans

Cook your sauce and meat mixture. Boil noodles. Heat greens in microwave.

Sunday – EAT OUT to Celebrate the accomplishment!!

Spring Time - Grill Time!

Happy Spring everyone! I love this time of year and even more going into the summer because we start to grill. Grilling is so easy, and the lovely part is it doesn't require much clean up! This week I'm featuring my favorites on the grill. They are so easy and will satisfy your palette. Remember to stock up on some new grilling seasoning & a case of your beverage of choice. One of my favorite parts of grilling is letting the kids play in the front yard. Starting the grill putting the tailgate on the truck down and cracking a beer! Its a great time to play with the kids, have some good conversation with your spouse and enjoy being outdoors. Get your grocery shoes on and stock up on my good meats & veggies for the grill next week! Does anyone know when the farmers market starts?

Weekly Dinner Plans

Sunday – Steak & Potatoes

Monday – Buffalo Chicken Sliders  & Curly Fries

Tuesday – Chicken Alfredo w/ Sun Dried Tomatoes & Salad  

Wednesday –   Brats & Beans

Thursday – Left Overs

Friday – Take Out

Saturday – Burgers & Zucchini  

Grocery List

Check your cabinets for ingredients you may already have!

·         1 lbs Ground Beef

·         1 bag frozen Tyson shredded Chicken (Or chicken breast and grill/shred)

·         Curly Fries

·         Steaks

 

•      Grilling Seasoning

·         Brats

·         2 Zucchini  & 2 Summer Squash

 

•     Onion

 

·         Lettuce

·         Potatoes

·         Alfredo Sauce

·         Jar of Sun Dried Tomatoes

·         Linguine Noodles

·         Franks Hot Sauce

·         Ranch packet & Ranch Dressing

·         Buns (bakery isle are the BEST!!)

·         Provolone Cheese Sliced (1/2 lb in deli isle)

RECIPES

Sunday – Steak & Potato’s    

Marinade your steaks on Saturday. Diced some potatoes put in foil with butter, salt, pepper, & parmesan cheese. Grill potatoes and steaks on grill.

Monday – Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Curly Fries  

½ bag of Tyson frozen shredded chicken

1 packet of ranch seasoning

            1 cup of franks hot sauce

In skillet heat the chicken, add the remaining ingredients. Layer the meat on buns with lettuce. .

           

 Tuesday – Chicken Alfredo w/ sun dried tomatoes & Salad

½ Bag of Tyson Frozen shredded Chicken

                1 jar Alfredo Sauce

                1 jar of sun dried tomatoes

                Linguine Pasta

                1 bag frozen broccoli

                Basil, Salt, Pepper

Heat chicken as directed on bag. Boil Linguine Pasta as directed. Add Sauce to Chicken. Season Sauce with basil, salt and pepper & add the jar of sun dried tomatoes. Strain noodles when complete and dinner should be ready!

Wednesday – Brats and Beans and Onions

Throw your favorite brats on the grill. Dice up your onion and put on foil with butter, oil, salt and pepper and fold together so it can steam on the grill. Heat some pork n beans in the microwave, easy dinner night!

             

Thursday – Left Over’s Night

You should have plenty of left overs to feast and eat up what you have in your fridge.

Friday – TAKE OUT

Saturday – Burgers & Zucchini   

Thaw 1 Ibs hamburger

                Zucchini /Squash

                Onion

                Butter, olive oil, salt, pepper

Make hamburger patties with salt and pepper, add some A1 sauce for some kick. Dice up your onion and put on foil with butter, oil, salt and pepper and fold together so it can steam on the grill. Slice the zucchini, & Squash & put in foil with oil, salt, pepper. Throw everything on grill. Top with sliced cheese

 

Evening Table

Evening Table

 

This last week I was working with a designer for Evening Table’s Logo. I'm always talking about my blog and want to get a business card created so I can easily send my friends to my blog. Being a marketer and entrepreneur mind, I wanted to make sure my mission and logo all were in line. So as I started jumbling my thoughts of why I write this blog and what it really means. I wanted to share with you. I explained to her what I see of evening table I said, “I think of a farmhouse table, covered with lace, fancy china Depression glass, candles, and flowers with a table full of family you love. Evening Table is about feeding your family in an old fashioned style. Its not really even about the food but the values that era held.  That generation ate together every day regardless of how busy they were. They prayed, they ate slow and they had conversation. Why I write this blog every week is because I want to bring that to your family. Create that tradition of eating together every meal. Evening table is about bringing your family together and having a plan. The plan is so important in today’s crazy world and without a plan the temptations are endless. With a strategy for meal planning you can have a meal on the table every single day regardless of your busy life. So I hope you find value in coming to evening table every week. Happy Easter Everyone!

Weekly Dinner Plans

Sunday – Spaghetti & Freezer Corn

Monday – Spaghetti Casserole

Tuesday – Chicken Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Wednesday –   Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Celery

Thursday – Left Overs

Friday – Take Out

Saturday – Honey Ham & Cheesy Potatoes

Grocery List

Check your cabinets for ingredients you may already have!

·         2 lbs Ground Beef

·         Chicken Drumstick Legs

·         Honey Ham

·         Pepperoni

·         Celery

·         Green Onions

·         Potatoes

·         Butter

·         Eggs

·         Cream of Chicken Soup

·         Oil

·         Mayonnaise

·         Pickled Relish

·         Lrg. Crescent Rolls

·         Gravy Package Mix (White Gravy)

·         Flour

·         Spaghetti Noodles

·         2 Jars  Spaghetti Sauce

·         Sour Cream

·         2 Blocks Cream Cheese

·         Hash Browns

·         Corn Flakes

·         Cheddar Cheese

·         Moz Cheese

 

 

RECIPES

Sunday – Spaghetti with Freezer Corn   

Pretty much prep so you are making double. Because you will use the extra spaghetti and sauce for your casserole tomorrow. Ground 2 lbs of beef. Boil Water. Add whole package of Spag. Noodles. Then sauce to beef. Heat corn in microwave. Use all the left overs for tomorrows spaghetti casserole.  

 

Monday – Spaghetti Casserole  

This is super easy since you have all the ingredients cooked. You will just warm 8 oz cream cheese and mix with 8 oz sour cream. You will layer half spaghetti at the bottom of greased casserole dish. Spoon half of cheese mixture all about, then repeat layer and top with some Moz cheese & pepperoni on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes!

           

 Tuesday – Fried Chicken & mashed Potatoes and gravy

I found drumsticks on sale at Supersaver for $2.50. Fill your cast iron skillet, or skillet with 2 inches full of oil.  Put on Medium heat to start heating the oil. In one bowl crack and mix a couple eggs. Put flour in another bowl. Pat your chicken will paper towel. Then dip in egg mix, then dip in flour. Once finished put chicken in the skillet. Cook around 7 minutes each side covered. I check the internal temp so its 180. While the chicken is cooking cut up your potatoes, and put in the microwave to steam for 12 minutes. Then prep your gravy mix as directed. The left over chicken, shredded up to use for tomorrow’s chicken salad sandwhiches. You can even prep it that night if you wish.

 

Wednesday – Chicken Salad Sandwiches

            1 ½ C. finely chopped and shredded chicken from the leftover drumsticks

            ½ C. Celery

            ½ C. Green Onions thinly sliced

            1 T. lemon juice

            2 Hard Cooked Eggs

            1/3 C. Mayo

            2 T. Pickled Relish

            2 t. mustard

In mixing bowel combine chicken, celery, green onions, lemon juice, and pepper. Stir in Egg, mayo, pickled relish & mustard. Cover Chill for tomorrow.

Thursday – Left Over’s Night

You should have plenty of left overs to feast and eat up what you have in your fridge. Remember like Grandma says “Don’t let any food go to waste!”

Friday – TAKE OUT

 

Saturday – Honey Ham & Cheesy Potatoes

Honey Ham is so easy! Just follow the directions on the package. Then make some cheesy Potatoes to go with!

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup. 1 ½ C Sour Cream. ½ Block Cream Cheese. Hash Browns. 1 pck Cheddar Cheese. 2 C. Corn Flakes. 2 T Butter.

Heat oven 350. Mix Soup, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese in bowl. Add Hash Browns Cheese and mix well. Pour in greased dish. Combine crushed corn flakes and butter and top. Bake 50 mins.

 

Grandma Ludy

Yesterday I went back to my home town to celebrate my Grandmothers 90th Birthday. She still lives
independently, she drives, and every year cooks liver and onions for my Dad's Brithday in March. Wow what a blessing God has given! The family hosted a party for her at a local senior center in David City. It was amazing how many of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends showed up to wish her well and celebrate her!!! She has touched many lives, and is truly one of the most amazing people I will ever know. She has an art of cooking and baking, and strong love for Jesus and her family. I learned from her to never let anything in your fridge to go to waste. Leftovers can be transformed into something glorious & delicious. She was married to my Grandfather Clarence Birkel they lived in the Birkel homestead and raised 8 children. She fed hungry mouths for many years and has continued to pass down the tradition  to many of praying and eating as a family. This week I am featuring all of my grandmothers recipes! Some are my grandfathers favorites so eat up, Grandma's cookin this week!!

Weekly Dinner Plans

Monday – Cheesy Chicken Rice Bake & Corn  

Tuesday – Chicken Enchilada Dish & Black Beans

Wednesday – Smothered Steak  

Thursday – Left Overs

Friday – Grilled Salmon & Asparagus

Saturday – EAT OUT!!!

Sunday – Skillet Lasagna & Salad

Grocery List

Check your List before you go to the store, you may already have some of these items!!!

Chicken Breast (you can purchase for $10 at Walmart around 10 chix breast)

1 lb Hamburger
3 salmon filets
1 lb round or chuck steaks cut into strips
2 Onion
2 Green Peppers
Asparagus
Celery
2 Lrg Carrots
Head of Lettuce
1 bag of frozen green beans
1 Lg Can Diced tomatoes
1 Can of Black Beans
Can of Corn or Frozen Corn
Can of Green Beans
1 can diced green chilies
Cottage cheese
Lasagna Noodles
Egg Noodles
Tortillas
Shredded Monterey jack cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Spaghetti Envelope Mix
Rice
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can evaporated Milk
Check your cabinets for these ingredients most you will already have!!
            1/4 C. brown sugar
             1/4 C. olive oil
             1/4 C. Soy sauce
             2 t. lemon pepper
             1 t. dried thyme
             1 t. dried basil
             1 t. dried parsley
             1/2 t. garlic powder

Sunday – Skillet Lasagna & Salad

1 lb ground beef

1/4 C. onion

             1 envelope spaghetti

1 pt. cottage cheese

3 cups lasagna noodles broken up

             3 1/2 tomatoes

1 C. Water
1 t salt
1 T basil or oregano
2 C. Monterey jack cheese

Brown meat and onion. Sprinkle 1/2 sauce mix over top. Add cottage cheese. Arrange noodles over the top. Add remaining spag. sauce mix and seasonings. Add tomatoes with liquid and water. Cover tightly and simmer for 30 min. Sprinkle with cheese over the top. Return cover and let stand for 10-15 min. Prep quick salad.

Monday – Cheesy Chicken & Rice Bake with Corn

              6 Chicken Breast

1 can cream of mushroom soup

             1 1/2 C. Water
              3/4 C. uncooked Rice
              1/2 t. onion powder
              1/4 pepper
              1 C. Cheddar Cheese

Mix in 2 qt baking dish. Mix soup, water, spices and rice. Layer at bottom of dish. Then add 4 of the chicken breast on top. Cover and bake 45 minutes. In another dish put 3 or 4 chicken breast with some salt and pepper to cook as well so you can prep tomorrows enchilada meal. Uncover your rice dish and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Bake until cheese is melted. With the two chicken breast you will let it cool and shredded up the meat with the fork and put in the fridge to save for tomorrow. Heat Corn in Microwave.

Tuesday – Chicken Enchilada Dish with Black Beans
 

             Shredded Chicken out of fridge

8 Tortillas

            Cream of Chicken Soup
             1 Can Evaporated Milk
             1 can of green chilies
             Onion
             Cheddar Cheese/Monterey Jack

Slice the tortillas into strips. Arrange ingredients in layers in 9x13 pan. Starting with Soup mixture. Tortillias, chicken and last the cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees. Heat black beans in microwave.

Wednesday – Smothered Steak (This was a favorite of Grandpa Clarence)

             1 lb round or chuck steak cut into strips

1/3 C. flour 

             1/2 t. salt
             1/4 t. pepper
          
Put into crockpot, stir well to coat steaks.
          
Add:
             1 large Onion, 1-2 green peppers, 1/2 C. Celery, 2 Carrots, 2 tsp soy sauce,

Cover and cook for 8 hrs on low. Serve with egg noodles.

Thursday –  LEFT OVERS!!!!!!!!

Friday– Grilled Salmon

             1/4 C. brown sugar
             1/4 C. olive oil
             1/4 C. Soy sauce
             2 t. lemon pepper
             1 t. dried thyme
             1 t. dried basil
             1 t. dried parsley
             1/2 t. garlic powder

Whisk together all ingredients pour into resealable plastic bag. Add salmon filets and marinade for 1 hr. Grill on each side around 5 minutes. Put asparagus on grill with olive oil and salt/pepper.

Saturday – TAKE OUT