Last Week's Menu...

This was the week before Spring Break.  I  needed meals that felt like Spring was on it's way.   

And, let's be honest, I always go with the easiest options available.

Monday:
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, Strawberry-Blueberry Fruit Salad, Croissant Rolls, and Edamame

Grilled Chicken drumsticks are crowd-pleasers in my house.  Easy for me to make, healthy, and fun for the kids to eat (who doesn't love having an excuse to each with the fingers?).  I buy drumsticks in bulk and then freeze them until they make their way onto the menu.  Once thawed, I removed the skin, sprinkle oil on them, and rub each one with a spice blend.  (Sometimes I get creative, but most often I grab the premixed Montreal Chicken  or even the Steak seasoning spice mix blend from Aldi).  While they're cooking on the grill, I prep the strawberries and blueberries and set the table.  During the last ten minutes of grilling, I cook the edamame and bake the croissant rolls.  Easy-peasey.

Tuesday:
Meatballs, Multi-blend Quinoa, Roasted Broccoli, Cottage Cheese, and Clementines

Another easy dinner.  If I have time, I'll look up a ground turkey meatball recipe, but most often I just use the pre-made meatballs from our local grocery store.  The Harvest Sunrise Quinoa blend is an "Item of the Week" product from my husband's workplace.  (I LOVE that part of his job!).  To make the roasted broccoli, I wash, dry, and cut off the crowns of the broccoli.  I then place them in a ziplock bag and toss them with extra virgin olive oil and garlic salt.  Next, spread them out on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese.  Cottage cheese and clementines round out the color and vitamin count of the meal.

Wednesday:
Crock Pot Chicken in Burrito Bowls

My sister-in-law introduced me to this idea and it has instantly become a family favorite!  On my Thursday lunch breaks I have to pick up my son from preschool, feed him lunch, get a quick snuggle in, and then drop him off to daycare before I head back into work.  Needless to say, I don't have much time at lunch to meal-prep, but this meal is easy!  I throw 3 frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot with a packet of taco seasoning and a jar of salsa.  Set it on low and head out to work for the next 4 hours.  When I get home, I shred the chicken and let  it cook a little longer.  I make a batch of instant rice, throw a little cilantro in it (a la Qdoba!), dice up some tomatoes, onions, and avocados and make a Pinterest recipe of Queso (or grab a jar off of the shelf and heat it up!).   We each add the ingredients we love to make our own personal Burrito Bowl.

Thursday:
Grilled Pork Loin Steak, Brussel Sprouts, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Banana

For whatever reason, my picky 4-year-old LOVES Pork Loin steaks.  He may gag down a bite of chicken any other day, but when it comes to pork loin steaks, that boy will eat at least 2 full steaks!  Because of this, I put these babies ont he menu at least every other week.  In the morning, I place 8 frozen 3-ounce steaks into a zipper-lock plastic freezer bag with a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a few drips of lemon juice.  I then close up the bag and forget about it for the day.  By dinner-prep time, the steaks are marinated and thawed and ready for the grill.  For this meal, I grabbed a bag of steam-in-the-bag brussel sprouts.  After steaming them, I threw them in the oven with a little extra virgin olive oil and roasted the for 20 minutes.  The garlic mashed potatoes are my eldest son's favorite, and the banana rounds out the meal.

Friday:
Sliced Chicken Feta Spinach Sausage with Broccoli in Fettuccine

This meal has become a favorite...but was truly born out of sheer desperation from having NOTHING in the cupboard and no meal planned.  We love the Al Fresco brand chicken feta and spinach sausages!  They're great on their own, but for this meal I slice them up and brown them with a dash of extra virgin olive oil.  Once browned, I add broccoli crowns for a few minutes, and sometimes toss a handful of cherry tomatoes.  Add cooked fettuccine noodles and crumbled feta cheese and this is a fairly well-balanced meal.