Menus for next 2 weeks

Alright I finally got a chance to sit down and get these done before I have to leave to take Jasmine to the dentist. Wow I feel like I didn't breathe once during that sentence. LOL

So here it goes, remember I said I'm making portuguese food these next 2 weeks and I will post the recipes here for you, so if you try them out let me know ok?

• Wednesday 1st - Peixe de Caldeirada (Fish Stew)
• Thursday 2nd - Salsichas c/ tomate e cebola e arroz (Sausages in tomato and Onion)
• Friday 3rd - Chicken a la King
• Saturday 4th - Caril de carne (Beef Curry)
• Sunday 5th - Galinha com pimentos (Chicken with Green peppers)
• Monday 6th - Bifes de Cebolada (Portuguese Beef and Onions)
• Tuesday 7th - Pizza Caseira (Homemade Pizza)
• Wednesday 8th - Pimentos Recheados (Stuffed Green Peppers)
• Thursday 9th - Galinha a Braz (Portuguese Chicken Dish)
• Friday 10th - Carne Assada (Beef Pot Roast)
• Saturday 11th - Peitos de Galinha Recheados (Ham and Swiss Chicken Rolls)
• Sunday 12th - Bifes c/molho de Natas (Steaks in a Cream Sauce)
• Monday 13th - Filetes panados c/ arroz de tempera (Breaded fish filets with curried rice)
• Tuesday 14th - TAKE OUT

Will post the first recipe tomorrow...and believe me, even though some of the dishes may not sound appealing, because, let's face it, trying to translate something from portuguese to english is not always going to give the best translation....you will be surprised at how good these dishes are.

We have tons of stuff to do today so we're probably going to grab some Subway or KFC or something for dinner. Mmmmmm, seafood sub...I can feel my mouth watering already!

For dinner tonight I was running late and didn't have much time to cook. I did have some frying steak so what I made was Teriyaki Steak.

It's very simple and it's a recipe that Curt and I have used so many times, it's fast, it's easy and everyone enjoys it.

Not much to it.....

Cut up the steak into strips or bite size pieces.
Add half an onion, sliced.
Add sliced green pepper.
Add Teriyaki Sauce....now I just eye ball it, as much as I want to, so go with your own taste.

Toss together and then add to a skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until steak is tender. Serve with white rice.

See, it's easy and it's yummy. Not sure what is on the menu tomorrow but I have to get the menus up for the next 2 weeks so I will post that here once I have it.

Hope you all have a good night.....
God Bless. 

Oh YUMMY!!!

I have to tell you that I've been pretty lucky this week, remember I had said that I was bored with the food I was making and needed new dishes? So I had pulled out the cookbooks and old recipes etc and tried to get a bit more variety in there. This was ONE successful week, I managed to make meals that everyone loved, ate without complaining, had seconds and even asked for me to make them again. YES YES YES YES!!!

The Chicken Carbonara Risotto was delicious, oh yum. We loved it. Go ahead and give it a try and then let me know what you thought.

For today I honestly have no idea what I'm making. I have ground beef and I have frying steaks. Will have to wait until later and see what I'm in the mood for. Will let you all know!!!

Chicken Carbonara anyone?

Last night I decided to keep it simple. If you read my other blog you'll know that I got a lot done yesterday so by the time it came down to fixing dinner, I wanted to keep it simple and fast.
We had spaghetti and some garlic bread. Kids and husband eat everything, mommy is happy!!!

So for tonight, I am making Chicken Carbonara Risotto. Now I have to tell you this week has kind of been an experimental one for me, I got tired of making the same things and when it was time to write down the menus, I totally drew a blank. So, out come the cookbooks and the recipe boxes. I usually make portuguese food, cause well, that's what I know how to make well. LOL
Next week is pay day, which means I need to get my menus done. I already know I'm cooking all portuguese so it will be fun to share my recipes here. Just hope you all like them :)

Here's the recipe for tonight's dish. As always let me know if you try them and like them or not.


Chicken Carbonara Risotto

Recipe Rating:
Prep Time: 5 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings

• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup canned or frozen peas
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 pkg. (7 oz.) MINUTE White Rice
• 1/4 cup OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits
• 1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.
ADD soup, peas and water; bring to boil. Stir in rice; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 minutes.
STIR in bacon bits and Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!!!

And mommy scores again,

See this is why it pays to try out new recipes in the search for that meal that will get them eating.

The dish we had yesterday for dinner "Sausage Broccoli Skillet", was a big hit not only with the kids but with hubby AND even myself. It was really yummy. The kids gobbled it all up and I had no complaints whatsoever.
Just thought I would let you all know. LOL

I've also decided to add another feature to this blog in which I share a recipe from Portugal or South Africa. Those 2 being the countries I've lived in and seeing that I'm portuguese and make portuguese food all the time, it was just a definite choice for me.

EDIT: It was brought to my attention that I had used the Koeksister Recipe without permission from the owner, and honestly I didn't even realize I had done that, but it teaches me to watch more closely. hehehe
So for great South African Recipes and a great cookbook I invite you to check out this site.

Afri Chef

Sausage and Broccoli Skillet

Sausage and Broccoli Skillet

Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup (regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup milk
1 bag (about 16 oz.) frozen broccoli cuts
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
6 cups hot cooked corkscrew pasta
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions:

COOK sausage in medium skillet over medium-high heat until sausage is browned, stirring to separate meat.

ADD onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until tender. Pour off fat.

ADD soup, milk, broccoli and 1/4 cup cheese. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 5 min. or until broccoli is tender, stirring occasionally.

TOSS with pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve with red pepper, if desired.

YAY they ate......

I know that sounds silly, but anytime my kids eat without fighting, is a HUGE deal for mommy.

I made the Spaghetti Pie and both kids sat at the table and ate every bite without me having to ask or bribe them to. I was sooooo pleased, they both got ice cream afterwards LOL

So for tonight I have a whole chicken to roast and will make some mashed potatoes to go with that. I don't need to post the recipe because I think we all know how to roast a chicken LOL

Tomorrow though I'm making a Sausage and Brocolli Skillet dinner. Will definitely have that recipe up for you guys. But for tonight I wanted to share this one with you. I make it a lot when I have company and the kids and hubby especially, love it. It actually tastes very similar to a Philly Steak and Cheese, at least to me.

So, enjoy!!!!

Spaghetti Pizza Pie

For dinner tonight I'm making something that the kids both love and I know will eat without fights and me having to shove (or at least try), half the food down their throats. Not literally but you know what I mean.

This is delicious and both kids and adults love it. It's a quick and easy recipe I got years ago from a Kraft Foods booklet.

Spaghetti Pizza Pie

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 50 min
Makes: 6 servings


8 oz. spaghetti, cooked, drained
1/3 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb. ground beef, cooked, drained
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
(I add some Italian Seasoning to the meat too)


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Toss spaghetti with half of the Parmesan cheese and egg.

Place in 9-inch pie plate; press onto bottom and up side to form crust.

MIX meat and spaghetti sauce; spoon into spaghetti crust.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese.  (I often substitute for provolone slices)

BAKE 30 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

Let me know how that was. :)

Kids and Food, Food and Kids.......

Ok, I decided to start this blog as an addition to my main one, Diary of a Stay at Home Mom, because they go hand in hand. When it comes to meal times, I swear, at days it's like trying to feed little monsters. They don't sit still, they fight constantly, they scream, they yell, someone is always crying.....now doesn't that sound like the perfect family meal?!?!?!?

I don't really worry about most of that, because for the most part it's pretty normal for what I've seen and read. What gets to me is the amount of food that actually makes it to their beautiful little mouths, which is actually very minimal at times.

So I decided to start a food blog too. Every day I will post a recipe and the meal we are having for dinner that day. Now some days it will be something great, other days it will be leftovers or a sandwich or one of those wonderful frozen pizzas which kids and dad's seem to love so much. BLEH!!!! Not my kind of food.

Well this is a project underway and it's my first post, so be patient while I work on getting the blog set up and the graphics and colors etc.