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Friday, June 1, 2012

Mega Menu Planning!

This whole post would have been WAY more impressive had I actually posted it when I started thinking about it...  When we were three weeks out from our June 4th C-section date, I did some major menu planning along with a massive grocery shop!  Honest, this was all put together weeks ago ;)

Before I share our list of "last" meals, I want to rant and rave about homemade microwave popcorn!!!  Josh and I had seen an episode of "Good Eats" in which Alton Brown showed how to make your own microwave popcorn.  I also saw an idea on Pinterest for something similar.  We decided to give it a try, and it took a few different trials before we found the perfect recipe.

Perfect Microwave Popcorn Recipe
1 microwave safe plate
1 brown paper lunchbag
1/4c popcorn kernels
1t vegetable oil
salt and butter to taste

Place the brown paper bag on the plate.
Add popcorn kernels and oil and shake bag to combine.
Fold over the top two inches of the paper bag.
Place plate and bag in the microwave for about 3 minutes, but stop popping once the pops become spaced out.
Empty into a bowl and add salt and butter to your taste :)

I can't remember each of the recipes we tried, but we learned that you definitely should NOT staple your bag shut as some recipes suggest and the plate keeps the oily mess off of your microwave "floor!"

There was some tweaking, but here is the original list:

Monday: Sweet and Sour Chicken with rice--this was YUMMY!
Tuesday: Italian Sausage Pizza Bake
Wednesday: Leftover chicken
Thursday: Leftover Pizza Bake
Friday: Leftovers from freezer
Saturday: Chicken Parm Bake with salad, fruit, and Chocolate Break Pudding
Sunday: Mother's Day Make-Up: Qdoba :)

Monday: Friends over after golf outing--Burgers and hotdogs on the grill with fruit, potato salad, chips, chips and salsa/guac, and Chocolate Chip Pound Cake (recipe below)
Tuesday: Leftover burgers and salad
Wednesday: Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps (I used ground beef this time, and it was quite tasty!  It will be even better next time when I remember to mix in the taco seasoning like I had planned...) with salad (I was quite proud of what I did with the salad--I bought the bag of Dole Ultimate Caesar Salad, but I added grape tomatoes and mixed salsa with the dressing--yummy!)
Thursday: Leftover Chicken Parm Bake 
Friday: Leftover Southwest Wraps
Saturday: I can't remember now--but it was probably easy ;)
Sunday: Thai Cilantro Grilled Chicken, Three Cheese Potatoes on the grill (SOOO GOOD), and fruit
Monday: Steaks on the grill, Texas Roadhouse Rolls with Honey Butter (these were REALLY good, but I wouldn't use as much honey in the butter next time), and fruit
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Meatballs with leftover rolls
Wednesday: Avocado Pasta
Thursday: Slow Cooker Orange Chicken with rice
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: BBQ at the Sacbibits'
Sunday: Last Meal before we are a family of FOUR!!!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
1 box of yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup oil (I substitute applesauce)
3/4 cup water
1t vanilla
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 bag chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients and then add chocolate chips at the end.
Pour into greased and floured bundt pan (I used a 13x9 pan because I don't have a bundt pan, and it worked fine!)
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.
Enjoy :)


There are a few recipes I have tried in the recent past that I wanted to share too:

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