Someday, I want to start a small organic garden. Ages ago before we had kids, we had two tomato plants that produced an enormous amount of the most delicious tasting tomatoes. A few years ago, however, when I tried container gardening on our deck, animals would come during the night and take bites out of our green tomatoes. That was so frustrating!

Whenever we do have a garden in the future, I would like to have a compost tumbler because I’ve read about how great they are. And I definitely want to have some protection around all of the plants to keep hungry critters from ruining our produce!

Trying to eat healthy is still the theme in our kitchen but somehow dark chocolate and pumpkin bread happen to be sitting on our counter right now. Hmmm….at least there is a health benefit with the antioxidants in dark chocolate and the beta carotene in pumpkin. Right?
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I’m trying hard not to have fried foods often at all.   The main fried food we have is salmon patties, but how can you make salmon patties without frying them?  

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Before I go on with our menu for the week, I must apologize for a few dead links in my last two Menu Plan Mondays.  I have been so busy at work packing up everything in my classroom, moving into a brand new wing at school, unpacking, and setting up a classroom.  I’ve been in a hurry and haven’t tested all my links like I usually do, so here are working links to all my recipes from the last two weeks:

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• Bacon-Spinach Turkey Meat Loaf with Tomato
• Chicken Parmesan Rollatini
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Easy Beef Enchiladas
• Lemon Chicken Oregano
• Slow Cooker Mediterranean Minestrone Casserole
• Turkey Chili with Beans & Zucchini

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Now for our menu for this week:

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Monday:  Low-Cal Fettuccine Alfredo (new recipe from Food Network), chicken, salad
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Tuesday:  Leftovers

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Wednesday:   Tuscan Glazed Chicken (use light mayo), veggies

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Thursday: Salmon patties, corn, green beans
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Friday: Chicken Parmesan Rollatini from “Food Network,” green beans, salad

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Even when a person is trying to lose weight, it’s good to have little treats or rewards along the way.  Here’s a healthy cookie with fiber and nutrition that makes a nice treat:

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached flour (or whole wheat flour)
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (can use instant)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar  (or 3/8 cup brown sugar & 2 KAL spoonfuls of  KAL Stevia Powder)
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Cream together the olive oil, butter and brown sugar.  Blend in the egg and applesauce.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture.  Blend well.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add the oats, raisins, and walnuts.  Drop by spoonfuls on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes.

My husband is talented when it comes to music!  He plays the guitar and has even played a 12 string guitar before.   Right now, he has two guitars and a banjo tucked away in a closet somewhere that he played occasionally years ago.  Actually, he used the banjo mostly for a few music lessons and mainly taught guitar and violin lessons.  Oh, yes, I forgot to mention that he plays the violin.  The violin was his first instrument which he started playing when he was eight years old.  In fact, he is still playing on the same violin (the sound is beautiful) and plays in a local orchestra.

Our son is in college and has played in a school band for nine years, and he’s now playing in a steel drum ensemble group.  He is talented, too, and has won UIL State Music Awards in the past.  When he’s home, our son likes to play the piano in our living room (used to be my piano when I was growing up).  One advantage to having musicians in the family is that I get to listen to great music at home and at concerts!

I haven’t forgotten! And I still intend to share a recipe or two with you using oatmeal. The past two weeks have been crazy at work. We have been packing up our whole classroom and moving to a brand new wing which is exciting. We have all brand new technology (SMART Board, Document Camera, iPad, Flip Camera, Computer Podium with the monitor on a swivel arm) which is pretty cool! However…this has all been very, very time consuming as I’m sure some of you can imagine who’ve been there. So, don’t give up! I hope to post a recipe soon or at least by this weekend.

We’re still trying to eat healthy! Notice I said “trying.”  It’s hard breaking the bad habits of the holidays, but we’re doing better.   If you’re looking for a chili recipe, check out Turkey Chili with Beans & Zucchini.

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Monday: Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup  & salad
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Tuesday:  Bacon-Spinach Turkey Meat Loaf with Tomato Jam  from “Eat Better America,” veggies

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Wednesday:  Leftovers from Tuesday

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Thursday:   Salmon, corn, green beans
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Friday:  Chicken Parmesan Rollatini from “Food Network,” green beans, salad (We still haven’t made this!)

Great song, “What a Savior”  by Laura Story.
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