Going Grocery Shopping....

lvnspoonful

First off - I am NOT a chef!!! I make ALL of my meals, pretty much, from recipes I find online or in one of my many, many, many cookbooks. I am a wife and mother of two boys, ages 7 and 10 months - so I always have to keep them in mind when deciding on what to cook.

However, it seems like I keep making/eating the same things over and over....I need some ideas!

What is on your menu this week? What are some of your favorite go-to meals? What is your absolute favorite thing to eat? What are some of your family-approved favorites?

Please include the recipe or a link to where I can find the recipe online. Thank you so much!!!!

megansoriano

I love the website www.ourbestbites.com. The White Chicken Chili is by far the best recipe I have ever made!!

lvnspoonful

Thanks - that's one website I haven't heard of!

garlic7girl

Ok just let you know what I made this week, baked chicken parmesan, quesadills, fritatta, hot chocolate (real), crumble, pot roast and my favorite homemade hamburgars! If you want recipes hit me back.

mem50

The menu for the week...

Whales in a tarp is my DH fav. Just a smoked sausage wrapped in a flattened roll.
Taco Salad. Box of taco shells smashed up, 1 pound of ground beef with taco seasoning, shredded lettuce and cheese
chicken pot pie Pillsbury pie crust, 3 chicken breast cubed and boiled, can of sweet peas, can of corn, 2 to 3 potatoes cubed and cooked, chicken gravy. lay down one crust in pie plate add every thing, cover with second crust. bake in 325 oven till crust is brown.
The Mess Mashed potatoes, 1 pound of ground beef cooked, can of sweet peas or corn...sometimes both....mix all this together and put in 13 x 9 pan. I put about half a can of refried beans on top of this then add shredded cheese to cover. place in oven at 425 till cheese melts.
sloppy joes ground beef cooked till done, add in ketchup and mustard to taste and it all holds together Serve with sweet potato chips. I fry my own.

mnwalkingqueen

My favorite thing to eat is an egg white omelete with multi grain toast. My favorite thing for on the go is swiss cheese with hummus spread on it wih ham on top rolled up like a sandwich with fruit.

lvnspoonful

The menu for the week...

Whales in a tarp is my DH fav. Just a smoked sausage wrapped in a flattened roll.
Taco Salad. Box of taco shells smashed up, 1 pound of ground beef with taco seasoning, shredded lettuce and cheese
chicken pot pie Pillsbury pie crust, 3 chicken breast cubed and boiled, can of sweet peas, can of corn, 2 to 3 potatoes cubed and cooked, chicken gravy. lay down one crust in pie plate add every thing, cover with second crust. bake in 325 oven till crust is brown.
The Mess Mashed potatoes, 1 pound of ground beef cooked, can of sweet peas or corn...sometimes both....mix all this together and put in 13 x 9 pan. I put about half a can of refried beans on top of this then add shredded cheese to cover. place in oven at 425 till cheese melts.
sloppy joes ground beef cooked till done, add in ketchup and mustard to taste and it all holds together Serve with sweet potato chips. I fry my own.


Sounds yummy!!! Thank you for some good ideas!

lvnspoonful

Ok just let you know what I made this week, baked chicken parmesan, quesadills, fritatta, hot chocolate (real), crumble, pot roast and my favorite homemade hamburgars! If you want recipes hit me back.

Thank you! Sounds alot like what we have too! I love quesadillas and hamburgers!!!!

mem50

Forgot....With the whales in a tarp I usually serve baked beans.

Spaghetti with sauce. Can of tomato sauce, usually Hunts, Mix in olive oil, garlic, brown sugar, ( reduces acid and makes a sweeter sauce) toss in fried hamburg or sauteed shrimp or like me BOTH! When friends come over it's always requested.

garlic7girl

I love the website www.ourbestbites.com. The White Chicken Chili is by far the best recipe I have ever made!!

I just chked out website...wonderful!!!!!!

eellis2000

bump for chicken pot pie recipie

muffintopminx

I'm making these tomorrow (just the meatloaf part not the mashed potatoes).

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/08/skinny-meatloaf-cupcakes-with-mashed.html

They are SOOOOOO easy, delicious and get me thru a max of 6 meals at 2 cupcakes per serving.

nickssweetheart

Menu for this week (note, sweet potatoes are on sale at Aldi, 3 lbs for 99 cents, and we are still using up a ham that I scored a great price on):

Tuesday: chicken breast with bagged stir fry veg over brown rice
Wednesday: curried sweet potato soup: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Curried-Sweet-Potato-Soup-15590 (I'll use chicken broth instead of veg because that's what I have in the house)
Thursday: ham with pineapple salsa, steamed broccoli: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1183
Friday: Chipotle Kissed Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili: http://www.krystaslifeinfood.com/2010/12/chipotle-kissed-red-bean-and-sweet.html
Saturday: Green Eggs and Ham Frittata: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/green_eggs_ham_frittata.html (I'll use frozen spinach and onions instead of leeks)

pdworkman

I've been using Big Oven. You can search or browse for recipes, put them into your meal plan, and generate a grocery list. So far I quite like it.

Pam

giggitygoo

Roasting a chicken tomorrow with some potatoes, carrots and parsnips

Then using the chicken all week for:

http://happygoodtime.com/2011/11/11/enchiladas-verdes-lightened-up-green-enchiladas-with-shredded-pork-and-spinach/
http://happygoodtime.com/2011/11/18/savory-crepes-with-apple-smoked-gouda-and-roast-chicken/http://happygoodtime.com/2011/11/17/fatty-fast-food-rant-makeover-chicken-salad-sandwich/

There will be some salad in here somewhere


I love roasting some meat and then re-purposing it through the week. It saves me so much time and energy.

lvnspoonful

Thank you guys so much!!! I read some really good ideas and some new websites that I haven't checked out yet.

I wish we had an Aldi's here, but we don't. :sad: I love Aldi's!!!!

smallermissy

Its been hectic this last few days with Christmas and all but I love to cook! I am constantly seeking new recipes and my family graciously tries them and tells me yay or nay! We always have lunch meat in the refrigerator if they are appalled by it LOL Think about things your family loves and how you can make them better for them. Like banana pudding...we all love it! I make it with reduced fat vanilla wafer, sugar free pudding, skim milk, bananas, and lite cool whip. Its actually not so bad for you and they don't know it is good for them. Does your family eat meatloaf? Try making it with ground turkey...or even halfing the meat with lean beef and turkey. My family doesn't like meatloaf. So when I make it I make it to suit myself and I cook it in a cup cake pan. I know sounds crazy!! But if you cook it in a cup cake pan then cool the little meatloaves you can freeze them and when your family wants something that wouldn't be quite as healthy for you then you can grab a baggie from the freezer with two small meatloaf balls and heat them up and you have instant healthy food in the midst of less healthy eats. www.skinnytaste.com has a ton of recipes and even includes WW points if you are on that program.
good luck!!

annabellj

bump bump

Jackie9950

Skinnytastes.com has the best lasagna rollups. I always substitue fat free cottage cheese for the fat free ricotta because my husband and I are not fans of ricotta, but they are to die for. We are also going to try the crockpot taco chicken chilli. MMM!

busyPK

I'm a fan of casseroles this time of year (and my 2 year old son loves them). Easy to make and the leftovers are just as good as the when first made. Here is one and you can alter it to your liking:

1/2 sausage roll - brown and drain (use turkey sausage for some calorie saving)
3 slices of bread - cut into small pieces
6 eggs - beat
1/2 cup milk - mix into eggs (I use whole b/c that is what my son drinks and we have on hand)
chopped spinach - as much as you'd like! I usually add 1.5cups
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

combine all and bake in a greased dish for 45 mins at 350 degrees. So yummy and not as many calories as you might think! Add some fruit on the side and it's a great meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner!)

soccer8s

Love all the ideas ladies - thanks!!!!

lvnspoonful

I'm a fan of casseroles this time of year (and my 2 year old son loves them). Easy to make and the leftovers are just as good as the when first made. Here is one and you can alter it to your liking:

1/2 sausage roll - brown and drain (use turkey sausage for some calorie saving)
3 slices of bread - cut into small pieces
6 eggs - beat
1/2 cup milk - mix into eggs (I use whole b/c that is what my son drinks and we have on hand)
chopped spinach - as much as you'd like! I usually add 1.5cups
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

combine all and bake in a greased dish for 45 mins at 350 degrees. So yummy and not as many calories as you might think! Add some fruit on the side and it's a great meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner!)

I make something similar except I add roasted red peppers and use ham instead of sausage - it is yummy and my whole family loved it! I also used egg substitute instead of regular eggs. It is surprisingly low in calories and super filling!!!

tiffanyrose519

I'm not vegan, but ohsheglows.com is a a vegan recipe blog that has some amazing recipes! Sometimes I'll add meat or just follow the recipe, but I haven't made anything on there that I haven't liked. One thing I'm making from there this week is enchiladas: http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6002015

morkiemama

There are some yummy ideas in here! I can't offer much since I don't cook, but my go to recipe is a kontos pizza crust, 1/4 cup of ragu pizza sauce, some sort of 2% cheese (usually sargento italian blend), and whatever toppings (usually mushrooms and green peppers).

lvnspoonful

I'm not vegan, but ohsheglows.com is a a vegan recipe blog that has some amazing recipes! Sometimes I'll add meat or just follow the recipe, but I haven't made anything on there that I haven't liked. One thing I'm making from there this week is enchiladas: http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?recipe_id=6002015

I just checked out the site - YUM!!!! Everything looked so good! It is hard to do vegan meals bc my hubby is totally a meat and potatoes kind of guy but I can try to sneak a few in on him.... :happy:

brendabuckeye

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes

This is a link to some Cook Yourself Thin Recipes. There are tons of options. This is my favorite one below that my 8-year-old will eat. I got him to try it by showing him there was ketchup in it - miraculous. I don't use the sherry, and you can tweak the sauce if you like it sweeter/less sour/less soy. I don't bother to marinate the meat either, just fry the vegetables, then the pork, dump it all back in together with the sauce and let it cook down a little.

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/cook-yourself-thin/recipes/sweet-and-sour-pork-chops

Happy cooking!:happy:

brendabuckeye

I hadn't heard of the skinnytastes website - thanks!

busyPK

I'm a fan of casseroles this time of year (and my 2 year old son loves them). Easy to make and the leftovers are just as good as the when first made. Here is one and you can alter it to your liking:

1/2 sausage roll - brown and drain (use turkey sausage for some calorie saving)
3 slices of bread - cut into small pieces
6 eggs - beat
1/2 cup milk - mix into eggs (I use whole b/c that is what my son drinks and we have on hand)
chopped spinach - as much as you'd like! I usually add 1.5cups
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

combine all and bake in a greased dish for 45 mins at 350 degrees. So yummy and not as many calories as you might think! Add some fruit on the side and it's a great meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner!)

I make something similar except I add roasted red peppers and use ham instead of sausage - it is yummy and my whole family loved it! I also used egg substitute instead of regular eggs. It is surprisingly low in calories and super filling!!!

I know, there are SO many options and it is pretty low in calories when I entered it into my recipes on MFP. I also make a bacon, swiss and spinach casserole and it's just as great. And you can leave out some of the bread and add any other veggies you'd like too (mushrooms are great in it).

crca7118

skinnytaste.com is awesome thank you!

CRSE1214

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole (8 servings)

1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation
1. Sauté onion and bell pepper in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.
3. Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third tortilla pieces in bottom of a 13"x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with one-third chicken mixture and one-third cheese. Repeat layers twice.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.

I believe its under 300 calories per serving (you may want to double check)

krazyforyou

Skinnytaste.com or 3 fat chicks .com are great sites.