Meal Plan Monday

This will be an odd meal week, since Kevin is going out of town. I don't normally cook "big" meals when he's gone. It's too much for me, and the kids rarely eat it. What I do have on the list is:

~ Chicken Spaghetti and asparagus
~ Sara's Crock Pot Ribs and corn on the cob
~ Ham with mashed potatoes with crackers on top
~ Spaghetti (This one is a cheater. The last time I made spaghetti, I froze half of the sauce, so all I have to "cook" for it is the pasta.)

On a side note, I'm so excited for regular TV to come back on this week! Monday night is especially fun for us, since How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory & Two and a Half Men all start back up - 3 of the few that both Kevin and I watch together!

Blah

Why can't moms take a sick day? Hannah & Owen both have ear infections and I feel like death-warmed-over. Luckily, Kevin is working from home this afternoon and went to pick Meg up from school, so I don't have to put on "real" clothes (I'm still in my PJs, and yes, I took her to school this morning wearing them, too). All I want is a hot drink and some chicken noodle soup.

Meal Plan Monday

My meal planning is coming along nicely. We still usually eat out at least once on the weekend, but our mid-week meals have been much less thrown together! I'm going to start trying to use my crock-pot more. On Tuesdays, the girls have gymnastics/dance until 6:30. If I don't have something already going, we'll end up getting fast food every Tuesday (like we have for the past 2 weeks since classes started).

What's on tap for this week:
~ Orange-Sesame Pork (it's been on the rotation the past 2 weeks, but I still haven't made it! I will tonight)
~ Crock Pot Brown Sugar Chicken
~ Chicken Parm with zuchini
~ Stromboli (we did "make your own pizza" night on Friday, and I have just enough pizza dough left over)

Actually cooking 4 nights of the week should give us plenty of leftovers for the other days! I sometimes (not often, but occasionally) cook at lunch, too, so we always have tons of leftovers (today I made pasta salad - Hannah's favorite)!

I Remember

Wordless Wednesday

Eat Mor Chikin

I was on The Happy Housewife blog (stop laughing now) and saw this. On Labor Day, September 7, 2009, wear your favorite sports team logo to Chick-Fil-A and receive a free chicken sandwich! From 10:30 am until 8:30 pm wear your favorite sports related apparel. Appropriate attire includes any article of clothing with a sports team logo. Anything from a Little League uniform to a favorite professional or collegiate jersey, socks, hat, t-shirt or other accessory is acceptable. You might want to check to make sure that your local Chick-Fil-A is participating - I couldn't find a list on their website saying which ones are.

http://www.chickfila.com/#pressroom

Also if you visit the site ChickenWave.com, you can sign up to become a fan and receive a free chicken sandwich. By signing up you are entering to win a $50 Chick-Fil-A gift card. They are giving away the free chicken sandwich to the first 250,000 sign ups and there are about 50,000 spots left, but they are going quickly so sign up today! The Happy Housewife posted this a few days ago, so I have no idea if there are still spots, but it sounds like a great idea. We LOVE Chick-Fil-A in this house, so I'll be trying for both!

http://www.chickenwave.com/

For fun, here's my "wave"! Can you spot me?

http://www.chickenwave.com/members/232588

Recipe Request

Since so many of you commented on the Orange-Sesame Pork, I thought I'd post the recipe here. It is really, really good and really easy to make. The recipe came from Rachael Ray's new cookbook, The Big Orange Book. It's listed as a single-person recipe, so you'll have to double, triple or quad it as necessary (for the glaze, I'd make way more than you think because it is SO GOOD). I've made the noodles with it before (the recipe with it) but I also really like white rice with the extras added in. Spoon some of the orange glaze over it, and it's a winner!

I've also made this with chicken, and it's equally yummy (my kids prefer it, but Kev and I like the pork).

Orange-Sesame Pork Chops with Teriyaki Noodles
Salt
1/4 lb. whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti
2 T. veg oil
1 (1 1/2 in. thick) boneless pork chop
Black pepper
1 rounded T. orange marmalade
5 T. teriyaki sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1 T. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When it boils, salt the water, add the pasta, and cook to al dente.

While the pasta cooks, heat 1 T. of the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chop with salt and pepper, and cook for 6 minutes on the first side, 4-5 minutes on the second.

Remove the chop to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Add the orange marmalade, a couple tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce, and a splash of water to the pan, bring the sauce to a bubble and cook for 1 minute to combine. Stir in the sesame oil and remove from the heat.

While the chop cooks, heat a second skillet with the remaining tablespoon of veg oil over medium-high heat. Add the edamame and scallions and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 T. of teriyaki sauce. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle the noodles with the sesame seeds, if using.

Slice the pork or leave the chop whole and top with the orange-sesame glaze. Serve the teriyaki noodles alongside.