We had such a wonderful weekend, which is why I am late to posting this plan! It’s so good to be surrounded by family and friends. We celebrated the start of our vineyard, and most importantly, the 2nd birthday of our daughter!
It’s looking like we will hopefully have a quiet week, which is good, because we’ve got some travels coming up near the end of the month. Last week, the ham casserole was good (with my substitutions), the potato loaves were a little underdone (my fault!), and the shrimp was great! We enjoyed the leftover chipotle mayo from the shrimp with some chips 
Dinners
Italian Sausage Spaghetti, garlic bread
Chicken Pot Pie
Swedish Meatballs, noodles
Chicken Alfredo, steamed broccoli
Beef, Bean, & Cheese Taquitos, corn
Lettuce Wraps
Walnut, Cranberry & Blue Cheese Salad
What’s on your menu plan this week?
Looking for some inspiration? Check out my growing archive of weekly dinner menus.
Tender & slightly sweet, these Cream Cheese Apple Muffins are great for any time of day. The finely diced apples are a nice burst of sweetness, while whole wheat flour, wheat bran, and wheat germ help add a little nutrition and delicious texture. I love how light and not overly-sweet they are; it’s hard to eat just one, especially warm from the oven with a pat of butter!
What a week last week! Good things happened, like my son’s first school program! However, bad things happened too… We were all quite shook up when our dog got into a tangle with another dog and had to make an emergency trip to the vet! Our dog is doing much better (the other dog didn’t even have a scratch… she had about 50 lbs on ours), and we are very fortunate that he escaped with only needing two staples and no major surgery. So, I didn’t get to make everything from last week that I planned to, but I’m hoping to make one them this week!
We are hosting a “work day” this coming weekend, as we’ve got 150 grape vines headed our way! So, we are planning to have a taco bar dinner to say “thanks!” for everyone’s help.
Dinners
Honeymoon Pizza (husband’s request from last week!)
Shepherd’s Pie, rolls
Black Bean Taco Cups, lettuce salad
Ham, Potato, and Broccoli Casserole (new recipe to us! will be substituting for the “cream of” soup), Rustic Potato Loaves (new recipe to us!)
Crispy Quinoa Bake, tortilla chips
Spicy Louisiana Cajun Shrimp & Chipotle Mayonnaise (new recipe to us!), rice
Tacos, Slow-Cooker Chicken Tostadas, chips & salsa, and whatever else people bring
What’s on your menu plan this week?
Looking for some inspiration? Check out my growing archive of weekly dinner menus.
Taquitos are a fun food for appetizers, or even a main dish. They are great for the whole family, and perfect finger food for dipping in a side of salsa or cheese dip. This simple recipe is also freezer friendly. So, whip up a double batch and throw half in the freezer for a quick meal in the future!
I love gingerbread cookies. They are so much fun to cut out, decorate, and most of, eat! These molasses ginger cookies remind me of gingerbread cookies, but without the extra work of rolling out the dough and decorating. These cookies can be baked normal sized, or twice as large for you giant cookie lovers. Just roll together two balls of cookie dough and flatten slightly for an extra special treat any time of year!
I just love lettuce/spinach salads with fruit and nuts. I don’t know what it is about the combination of those things that draws me in, but I have been known to fill my plate with one of these salads even when the main dish is one of my favorites. Mandarin Orange & Almond Salad is one of those amazing combinations. The sweetness of the oranges, the crunch of the almonds, and the tang of the vinaigrette are absolutely irresistible. I could make a meal of this salad on its own.
The crispy baked ravioli that we had last week was a hit with the whole family. I made them ahead by following the recipe up until the baking step. After they were all breaded, I put the pan in the refrigerator until I was ready to bake them. This method would make them easy to serve as an appetizer at a party!
I have really missed trying new recipes over the past few weeks, so I am going to try some more this week! I think trying new recipes helps me become a better cook, and learn new techniques. Have you found any new recipes lately that you really like?
Dinners
Chicken Parmesan Casserole (new recipe to us!), peas, salad
Balsamic Glazed Steak, Crash Hot Potatoes, salad
Chinese Lemon Chicken (new recipe to us!), edamame, rice
Italian Sausage Spaghetti, garlic bread
Lentil Chili (new recipe to us!), cornbread
Cheesy Beans & Rice, tortilla chips
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken, salad
Other Recipes
Sugar Cookie Cutouts – in spring shapes!
Pretzel Dogs – at my husband and kids’ request for lunches 
What’s on your menu plan this week?
Looking for some inspiration? Check out my growing archive of weekly dinner menus.
Who doesn’t love 7 Layer Dip? While I love the flavors, I always feel like it’s a little messy to serve. So, I took some inspiration from my aunt’s sausage stars, and decided to make 7 Layer Taco Cups! They are so fun and full of flavor. Your guests are sure to be impressed, because although they look like a lot of trouble, they come together in a snap!
