"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow." ~Lin Yutang

Sunday, February 6, 2011

holy grocery list!

firstly, i want to apologize if my misuse of capital letters causes people to be offended.  i don't intend it to, but if it does you'll have to excuse me and either accept my sincere apology and believe that i'm not intending to offend you.  it's just my style of writing.  or another option is to not be offended by not reading my blog.  thank you.
secondly, is my menu for the next two weeks.  i didn't make the pesto minestrone soup from the last menu, but everything else was made and enjoyed.  this menu seems varied, but golly i'm kinda awestruck at how long my grocery list is!!!  eek!  maybe it's just 'cause am writing on my paper sideways...  ???
so, here's the scoops:
  • chicken parmesan with penne pasta and tomato pasta sauce.  fresh green salad. 
  • santa fe salad.
  • homemade fresh baked potato soup with fresh homemade bread.
  • yummy tuna tetrazinni *recipe at bottom* with peas.  i'm substituting the cooking sherry for the juice from canned cherries.  ???  i looked it up.  it's legit.  ---i'll let you know!
  • beef brisket (my friend, i'll call her "tenille" made this last week and my mouth's been watering for it since!) with potatoes and apple-glazed carrots.
  • chicken sandwiches.  -an easy recipe (another from "tenille").  you just bake the frozen breaded chicken patties with a slice of pineapple on top of them and a slice of swiss cheese on top of it all.  throw it all on a bun with barbecue sauce or homemade terriaki sauce (bbq mixed with the pineapple juice).- served with corn and french fries.
  • chicken fettuccine alfredo with broccoli and garlic bread.  -we had this just recently and it was so easy and much loved!
  • crock pot pork chops (the easy way: just add cream of mushroom soup) with mashed taters and green beans (added to the pot).
  • layered chicken and black bean enchilada casserole with rice.  this was a pull out of the hat because we had so much leftover chicken two weeks ago.  i tossed this together and added corn (because really! anything that has black beans MUST have corn too!) and we all LOVED it!!!!! 
  • "gourmet" ramen soup
  • meatloaf, baked potatoes in the crock pot (because how easy is THAT?!), and granny green beans.
  • spaghetti with fresh bread.
  • fried chicken with corn and zucchini melody and mashed potatoes.
*tuna tetrazinni recipe*
8 oz. spaghetti (broken)
2 cans of mushrooms (but i've never had it with mushrooms, so i didn't add them because my kids don't like them anyway)
1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. sherry
1/2 lb. shredded cheese (i used cheddar)
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cans (7 oz) tuna (drained)
1.)  cook spaghetti, drain, and set aside.  preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.)  in 2 qt. saucepan over low, stir flour into hot butter until blended.  gradually stir in milk, sherry, and a little moisture.  (the directions actually have you drain most of the liquid from the mushrooms and pour the rest in here.  i did that with the tuna instead.)  stir until thickened.  stir in cheese, salt, and nutmeg until cheese melts (it takes a while on low... i turned it up to med. after being impatient).
3.)  stir spaghetti, tuna, and mushrooms (or not) into the sauce.  pour into a 2 1/2 qt. shallow baking dish.  bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes and is light golden brown.
i served it with cooked frozen peas (because canned peas are gross) and almost mixed them but decided to let the eaters decide that for themselves.  i mixed mine together and it was scrumdiddlyumptious!!!!  oh how exciting to know i can make a tuna tetrazinni without a box and it's SO GOOD and just as easy!!!!
Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." COMMENT! IT SHOWS ME THAT I'M BEING READ!!!

4 comments:

Liz said...

yum! i think we need to come have dinner with you guys! and btw, i enjoy no capitalizing.

MamaT said...

step 2.) add flour to butter, but there is no butter called for... what kind of recipe is this, anwat?!
:)

MamaT said...

it's 1/4 c. butter, you genius! and mushrooms are good in it... :P
~yes, folks, i dialogue with myself.

MamaT said...

substitute cherry juice for sherry? really?! no. not really. substitute cherry juice for cherry liquior (or whatever). substitute apple juice or white grape juice for dry sherry and is it a good substitution? it works but dry sherry is a lot better tasting!
thanks for asking. :D