Monday's Menu and Reviews.

I'm still a cooking fool.  I don't fear cooking and I don't even dread it.  I like it.  I think b/c my roommate and I cooked so much in college, menu planning and cooking kind of comes naturally to me now. 

So, Yahoo freaking news, my degree wasn't worthless after all.  If it hadn't been for college I might not be a cooking fool, you see.

I have also begun to "coupon".  I suppose it is a verb now thanks to that extreme couponing show that I never watched.   My spell correct would like to change the word "couponing" to coupling but I think that would turn this post in a very inappropriate direction.  Glad I caught that one.  Anyway, I have no comment about couponing b/c it wouldn't be pretty.

The Plan Stan:

• Sausage and Zattaran's Jambalaya Mix
• Lasagna w/ garlic bread
• Chicken in basil cream sauce, chopped asparagus salad, rosemary bleu potatoes, and (who am I kidding) corndogs for the mini-people who live here
•  Paula Deen's Chicken and Dumplings (using biscuits instead of making dumplings)
• Blue Mesa's painted desert soup, cornbread (cut recipe in half)
• Potatoes Etc. (from my mother inlaw..will post later)
• Aztec Burritos 
• Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers, steamed broccoli, honey rosemary carrots
• Slow Cooker Itallian Meatballs, ricotta thyme spaetzle, peas
• Tortellini Soup w/ french bread

I usually pick 10 meals to cover two weeks.  It usually works out.  Sometimes I have extra and other times I don't have enough so we just have grilled cheese sandwiches or whatever.   I do all my grocery shopping at one time and typically have to go back one time for fruit and milk. 

Even though I didn't post a menu last week I do have a review for you:

California Grilled Veggie Sandwhich:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

The only things I changed about this recipe is that I left out the onion b/c I forgot to buy one and I cooked all the veggies in a skillet and added sliced avocado.  I used Nature's Own thin sandwhich rounds.  When I told Levi it was on the menu he said (and I quote) "Great!  I will not be looking forward to that one."  It's a wonder I put up with him at all, really.  I served Kettle cooked sea salt and cracked pepper chips as a side.  The kids had corndogs and chips b/c we are just not there yet, ok?

Proof that this girl still can't photograph food.  My plates are white not yellow, thank you.   Levi, after each bite, commented on how good this sandwich was.  I unashamedly scoffed at him and rolled my eyes. 

As if he should ever doubt me.