Eat.

Simple summer grill menu. Few ingredients, quick prep, easy clean up.

1.Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers-Use fresh garlic. It's totally what makes this work.
2.Grilled Pork Skewers-Pre-slice the tenderloin before tossing it in the marinade. Skewer the slices just like the shrimp. This also makes a great sandwich.
3.Basmati Rice and Black-Eyed Peas-Get the rice cooked even before the grill goes on, then add the peas, lemon and onion. Everything will stay warm (an require no attention from you) while your meat is cooking.
4. Grilled tortillas with hummus-We actually had a baked version, but I think if you brush a little Olive Oil on a flour tortilla and toss it (both sides) on the grill for a few minutes, the top hummus it would be awesome.

Help

If you are reading I need help. Not major my-life-is-threatened help, but food help.

We are usually participating in a supper club with our Sunday School class, so at least 4 times per year I have to come up with an appetizer to bring to dinner. This should be easy but no. Here is why...

-Most of the recipies I come up with are best served hot, or at least warm. We are always driving about 30 minutes to supper club and I am never quite sure how well things will keep thier heat.
-I am not above a good cheese tray, but sometimes feel like its a little of a cop out.
-I rarely know what is for dinner so I want to bring something fairly general that I know will work for the meal.
-Crackers and Dips are begining to bore me.
-I never know if I should do something really specific (stuffed mushrooms ect.) for some reason all of those types of appatizers seem to work best as part of a appetizer spread.

So if you are reading help. What is your go to app for situations like this? Am I over thinking this? Are crakers and dips not really that bad:)

Menu Monday

I had a very successful week of meal planning, grocery shopping only once and using coupons. So far I am off to another good start. I did shopping yesterday for the week, stuck within my budget and used about $5.00 worth of coupons.

So here us what is on tap menu wise for us this week.

Beef Stroganoff and steamed broccoli*
Baked Ziti and Salad
Filets, baked potato and salad
Baked Chicken and Sweet Potato Spears with Bacon vinaigrette

*I am also attempting to use my crock pot at least once each week for an easy dinner.

Menu Monday

In an attempt to hold myself accountable for my 2010 plan #2 (see the sidebar), I thought I would share our meal plans for the week.

Slow Cooker Green Pepper Chicken with Brown Rice and Salad.

Spicy Shrimp with Rice Noodles

Baked Ziti and Salad

Mustard Chicken Salad and wild rice

This is not quite 5 or 7 days of meals, but depending on our night schedule I plan to throw in a winter vegetable stew or frozen pizza from the freezer. I have everything I need for the meals for the week and shouldn't need to make any mid-week trips to the store.

Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic

An easy weeknight meal or something for guests.

Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary* and Garlic
1 pkg Pork Tenderloin (these usually have two in a pack)
Olive Oil
4-6 Fresh Sprigs of Rosemary
4-6 garlic cloves, diced.
Salt and Pepper

Slice each tenderloin longways, but do not cut all the way through the meat. Drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper in the incision for each tenderloin. Stuff garlic and rosemary* into each incision. Place meat with the incision facing down into an oven safe pan. Drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over meat to taste. Bake at 350^ for 30 minutes or until "pork" reading on meat thermometer.

1pkgs (2 tenderloins) easily serves 6

*This originally also called for fresh sage, but since I always have rosemary in the garden and most of the other ingredients in the house, I tend to forget I need to buy sage.