I can’t believe it’s already February! Are you making plans for Valentine’s Day? If you need an easy dessert, here’s one from Brooke at the Yellow Rose Cafe for Cherry Berry Dump Cake with cherries & strawberries.  Sounds yummy!
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If you’re looking for a great book to read, check out my Valentine’s Day Book Giveaway: The Five Love Languages.   And now on to our menu for the week:

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Monday:  Easy Beef Enchiladas, refried beans, avocado slices
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Tuesday:  Leftovers,  Easy Recipe for Pumpkin Custard (made with 1/4 cup sugar & KAL Stevia – we love this low-cal custard!)

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Wednesday:  Hearty Italian Chicken and Vegetable Soup from Food Network

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Thursday:  Leftover Soup
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Friday:  Pizza from Pie Five  (use coupon for one free pizza)

We are in Texas and having spring-like weather in the middle of winter (that’s called “Texas weather”).  As much as I’m enjoying not being freezing cold, I wish we would get some winter weather with snow so school would be cancelled for a day (I sound just like the students)!   It would be nice to have another day to rest and fight off whatever this is that I’m trying to come down with.  One thing hard about being a teacher is being around so many sick germs!  Oh well, the weather forecast looks like more spring-like weather this week…no snow!

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Our menu for this week:

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Monday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Tuesday:  Low-Cal Fettuccine Alfredo from Food Network, chicken, salad

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Wednesday:  Leftover soup from Monday

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Thursday:  Mediterranean Chicken with Rosemary Orzo  from “Eat Better America”
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Friday:  Pizza, salad

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

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!)

We are still wanting to eat healthy!    There are three “healthified” recipes in our menu this week that are new and sound tasty.  Last week, we had a new chili recipe that I modified.  If you’re looking for a chili recipe, check out Turkey Chili with Beans & Zucchini.

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Monday:  Easy Beef Enchiladas, black beans, avocado slices
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Tuesday:   Slow Cooker Mediterranean Minestrone Casserole  from “Eat Better America”

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Wednesday:   Lemon Chicken Oregano  from “Eat Better America,” squash & onion medley

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Thursday:    Chick-Fil-A using calendar coupons  (I’m moving into a brand new classroom at school and this will be a busy day!)
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Friday:   Chicken Parmesan Rollatini from “Food Network,” green beans, salad  (we didn’t make this after all last week, so we’ll try again this week)

I have probably eaten more pie, cookies, candy and desserts the past two weeks than I have eaten the past several months.  We are so ready to eat healthy!  In fact, our college-age son mentioned that he wants to eat lean and healthy this week.  So…here are some recipes that sound healthy and very tasty:

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Monday: Stir-Fry with Chicken, zucchini & yellow squash, and onions
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Tuesday:  White Chicken Chili from “Eat Better America”

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Wednesday:  Feta-Topped Chicken from “Eat Better America,” green beans, salad

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Thursday:  Chicken Parmesan Rollatini from “Food Network,” salad
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Friday:  Spicy Chicken Pizza, salad

Less than a week until Christmas!  We celebrated Christmas early with our daughter and her family and had turkey breast dinner Friday night, Mexican food for lunch, and then a roast & veggies cooked in the crock pot for Saturday night.  Fortunately, we have enough leftovers so I won’t have to cook much this week.  Plus, it will be such a busy week that we’ll probably have some fast food meals while we’re out and about.   So, our menu for this week is leftovers and fast food or carry out.

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Hope everyone can slow down, remember the reason for the season, and not stress over details that people won’t notice anyway.  Make a priority list and do the things that really make a difference.  Simplify where you can!

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One last thing, here’s a cute idea to take to a party or potluck this week.

“Melting Snowmen” made by Brandi, a co-worker of mine:

I realized that I forgot to ask her how she made them, but I thought an easy way to do it would be to get Chocolate Cake Donut Holes and dip in melted white chocolate.  Place snowman head in a puddle of melted white chocolate.  Use chow mein noodles for the arms and decorate with colored icing, sprinkles and colored sugar.  Here’s another recipe I found which is probably what my co-worker used:  Melted Snowmen Cookie Balls.
And if you want to see some more really cute ideas, visit our daughter’s blog, Frugal Novice, for 10 Creative & Easy Christmas Desserts (did I mention fun?).

Counting down: 20 days until Christmas! If you’re needing some special recipes, check out my Recipe Index at the top of my home page.
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My mother nearly always made black-eyed peas with snaps, so that’s one reason I like snaps so much.  Also, they just taste good!  So here’s and easy, healthy recipe for Black-Eyed Peas with Snaps & Ham:
INGREDIENTS:

• Pictsweet Field Peas with Snaps
• 1/3 package Hormel Natural Choice “Smoked Deli Ham” (No preservatives, 100% Natural)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (the fat in this recipe is healthier than fat from ham)
• Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cook peas & ham according to directions on the package of peas.  I use about 1/3 package of ham.  Let everyone add olive oil, salt & pepper to taste.  This is so good and healthy.

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Monday:  Hormel Natural Choice Deli Ham sauteed in olive oil (2/3 pkg), Black-Eyed Peas, baby carrot sticks
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Tuesday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup (didn’t have it last week after all)

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Wednesday: Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Thursday:  Italian Chicken Pasta
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Friday: Pizza

December is almost here and just 27 days until Christmas! If you’re needing some special recipes, check out my Recipe Index at the top of my home page.  For this week, here is a completely different menu which will surprise a few of you since I have three brand new recipes, thanks to Allrecipes.com.

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Monday:   Turkey Waldorf Pita  (This recipe is nostalgic to me because it sounds just like what my grandmother and my mother would make after we had a turkey, only minus the pita bread.)
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Tuesday:  Turkey Hash

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Wednesday:  Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Thursday:  Leftover Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Friday:  Salmon Chowder