Perhaps it’s my training as a teacher, but I like to reflect on the successes and “areas for growth” of my past week’s plan   Some of my family members (well, really everyone except me!) came down with colds complete with giant coughs and runny noses.  I found that a soup sounded much better for them than grabbing the ravioli I had in the freezer.  So, instead of having ravioli, we ate homemade egg drop soup instead.

I was happy to be able to make a nice, big batch of bierocks, and I now have quite a few ready to go in the freezer.  Another bonus of making the dough is that I had some left over, and made cinnamon rolls for our next breakfast!

It’s going to be a busy week at work for me, so I hope to keep it simple.  Plus, it’s going to be cold, so soup sounds really good!!

Dinners
Buffalo Chicken Wings (took to a Super Bowl get-together!)
Spinach Calzones
Chicken Stir Fry
Vegetable Soup
Cheesy Potato Soup with some ham from the freezer
Ravioli from the freezer, Soft Breadsticks
Leftovers

What’s on your menu this week?

Here’s what you need…

Cook rice according to package directions. In fact, I have even used one of those pre-cooked packages of rice that you heat in the microwave instead of cooking rice myself.  I had a coupon for it (making the package free!) so it made this meal that much quicker.  So, if you are short on time, I definitely recommend that shortcut!

Mix the beans and rice together in a large bowl.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, or until onion is cooked and translucent.

After onion is cooked, add the tomatoes and chili powder.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Spray a 2-quart baking dish (an 8″x8″ pan works great) with cooking spray. Layer half of the rice and beans, half of the tomatoes, then half of the cheese.  Then, repeat layers.  If you are making this ahead of time, cover and refrigerate the dish until you are ready to bake.  I would say that you could safely keep this refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking.  I have never tried past 24, however!

Cover and bake for 30 minutes until heated through (about 40 minutes if baking from the refrigerator).  Uncover and bake about 5 to 10 minutes longer, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

We love to eat this dish with tortilla chips, but you can certainly serve it on its own.  It would also make a great side dish to another meal!

Cheesy Beans & Rice
Adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 16 oz can (or about 1 1/2 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 cups shredded Colby/Jack cheese (can substitute cheddar or a blend)

Cook rice according to package directions.  In a large bowl, combine the beans and rice.  In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, or until onion is cooked and translucent.  After onion is cooked, add the tomatoes and chili powder.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 2-quart baking dish (an 8″x8″ pan works great) with cooking spray.  Layer half of the rice and beans, half of the tomatoes, then half of the cheese.  Repeat layers.  If making ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes until heated through (about 40 minutes if baking from the refrigerator).  Uncover and bake about 5 to 10 minutes longer, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

However, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show your loved ones just how special they are to you.  This Valentine’s Day, try your hand at making some goodies for them.  Not only will you save a lot of money, your loved ones will know that you took the extra time to make something just for them.  Because, let’s face it, anyone can buy something at the store!

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Or, how about decorating some Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting?

You could always use the heart-shaped die for your cookie press, as well as a bit of red food dye in part of the dough, and make festive pink and white Spritz Cookies.

Did you pick up some red, pink, and white M&M’s?  They would be great in Monster Cookies, or as a substitute for chocolate chips in Audrey’s Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The cranberries and white chocolate chips in White Chocolate & Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are pretty festive, too!

Fill a cellophane bag with some Puppy Chow, and tie with some red and white ribbon.

If you are making dinner for your sweetheart, make sure that dessert is extra special.  I would recommend:

Fudgy Brownie Bites
Caramel & Rum Fondue
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
Caramel Brownie Cheesecake
Crème Brûlée

Those are just a few ideas, and hopefully they inspire you to do something sweet for all of the special people in your life.

How do you make Valentine’s Day special for the ones you love?

We have a lot of food on hand (which is a blessing!), and it’s time for it to be consumed.  Thus, I hope to spend very little on groceries this week, just some fresh veggies!  I realized that I have only really been posting the “main dish” with each meal.  So, from now on I’ll try to be better about posting the sides I have in mind, too.

Dinners
Simple Meat Lasagna, garlic bread, corn
Ravioli (from the freezer), Soft Breadsticks, green beans
Bierocks (I hope to make a big batch of these and throw a few in the freezer for quick lunches)
Lemon-Broccoli Rice with Chicken
Walnut, Cranberry & Blue Cheese Salad
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce, Crunchy Romaine Salad (recipes to come…)
Leftovers

Have you tried menu planning?  What’s on your menu this week?

Talk about a frugal soup!  If you don’t go the expensive cheese topping route, this is a very affordable dish.

Start by slicing your onions thin, but not too thin.  Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and stir well.  It may look like a lot, but they will cook down to about 1/4 their original volume.

Now, you’re going to cook the onions for quite awhile… 45 minutes to an hour…  as long as it takes for them to caramelize.  Stir them every now-and-then, so they don’t burn.

After the onions have been caramelized, add the flour and stir well.  Cook another minute or two, so the flour is no longer raw.

Add the wine to de-glaze the pan.  Make sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan.  Cook a couple more minutes, so that the wine reduces.

Next, add the garlic and beef broth.  After the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

When you are ready to serve, slice up the French bread.  Toast it lightly under the broiler in your oven.  Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn!  You can see by the picture below that my broiler isn’t very consistent   Grate some cheese to add to the tops in a minute.

Ladle soup into your serving dishes and place a piece (or two!) of French bread (toasted side down) on top of the soup.  Top with cheese, and return to the oven to broil the cheese until it’s nice and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

If you don’t want the bread to get soggy in the soup, you can turn the bread over on the pan, top with cheese and broil, then serve on the side.  Enjoy!

French Onion Soup
From your Everyday Home Cook

2 pounds yellow onions, sliced (about 4 large, or 6 small)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef broth
salt and pepper, to taste
crusty French bread (optional)
Parmesan and/or Gruyere cheese (optional)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and stir well.  Cook the onions for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally, until they have caramelized.

After the onions have been caramelized, add the flour and stir well.  Cook another minute or two.  De-glaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan.  Simmer a few minutes, until the wine reduces slightly.  Add the garlic and beef broth.  After the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving, toast the French bread lightly under the broiler in your oven.  Ladle soup into erving dishes and place French bread (toasted side down) on top of the soup.  Top with cheese, and return to the oven to broil the cheese until melted and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.