Menu Plan July 28-August 3

Oh my word! The summer's almost over.

Next week we start back to school. It will be our eighth year homeschooling. I had meant to spend most of last week preparing the school room, finalizing my curriculum purchases, and working out lesson plans. But we had some unexpected company and I put those plans on hold to get the house in order. This week, however, will be dedicated to making ready for the school year. I'm going to be BUSY!

So here's what I've got on the menu for the week:

Monday
Indian butter chicken, fabulous flatbread

Tuesday
Mini cheddar meatloaves, baked potatoes

Wednesday
Baked egg rolls, garlic sesame noodles

Thursday
Broiled tilapia with Parmesan, oven roasted herbed zucchini

Friday
Chicken broccoli quinoa casserole, green beans

Saturday
Beef and bean burritos

Sunday
Chicken tater tot casserole (crockpot)

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Oven Roasted Herbed Zucchini

It's the time of year for zucchini harvest, and many people find it difficult to know what to do with it. This easy recipe adds some pizazz to the veggie that some people find bland. And other than slicing it up, you won't do much at all besides enjoying it.

Here's what you need:

2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
2 teas lemon juice
salt and pepper

Mix the olive oil, Italian seasoning and lemon juice in a Ziploc bag big enough to hold all the zucchini slices. I use a gallon bag. Then put the zucchini slices in the bag and squish around carefully until all the slices have been covered with the oil mixture.

Place the zucchini slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to taste, then enjoy!

Menu Plan July 21-27

Last week was crazy busy, so I didn't get around to posting any recipes. I'll try to do better this week.

Here's what I've got on my menu:

Monday
One pot BBQ chicken and bacon pasta, broccoli

Tuesday
Southwest turkey burgers, crispy potato wedges

Wednesday
Ground pork and eggplant casserole, zucchini

Thursday
Grilling out with friends

Friday
One pot sausage and tortellini, crusty bread

Saturday
Beef and potato burritos

Sunday
 Roast beef and potatoes

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Menu Plan July 14-20

I'm BACK! The kids and I just arrived home this afternoon.

After several hundred miles of traveling and a good visit with my family in West Virginia, I'm glad to be home. We made lots of good memories, including a nice trip to Valley Falls State Park and a Frozen-themed birthday party.

I also enjoyed a West Virginia classic, the pepperoni roll. This one came from a local joint called Colasessano's. They pretty much set the standard for pepperoni rolls where I grew up.

 Hubby survived quite well without us. He grilled up some meat and ate on that for days. He's said several times today he can't wait to eat my cooking again! Sweet, huh?

So here's what I've got planned:

Monday
Parmesan tilapia, balsamic carrots

Tuesday
Beefy Spanish rice, corn

Wednesday
Crockpot chicken, roasted zucchini

Thursday
Dinner with friends

Friday
Greek Night! We're having a themed dinner with some friends.
I'll be making pastitsio, chicken shawarma, flatbread, and Greek lemon potatoes.
Greek honey cake for dessert!

Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Honey rosemary chicken (crockpot)

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Frozen Birthday Party

Yesterday the Princess and her cousins celebrated their birthdays together. They had decided on a Frozen theme. My sister-in-law volunteered to make the cake and I bought decorations.

Rock candy sticks served as the backdrop for the cake, which was made from angel food cake and ice cream. It truly was a frozen cake!

Blue jello and clear gelatin were used to make jello ice cubes, and punch made with Sprite, blue Hawaiian punch and ice cream quenched our thirst.

They all got some Frozen presents, too!

I think all the birthday girls had a great time, and we made some great memories with family.