Banana Zucchini And More Muffins

So every once in a while I like to make really big batches of muffins with my kids, usually a few different varieties, and whatever we don't eat in the first day or two gets individually wrapped in plastic wrap and put into the freezer.  In the morning for breakfast the kids just take a muffin out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds and there's a yummy breakfast!  They taste awesome!  So this time I used a new recipe.  I got my inspiration from a recipe at allrecipes.com and I switched it up a bit.  Here is their link: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-zucchini-bread/detail.aspx. 

I used most of the structure of their recipe and changed it a bit.  I also doubled the recipe, then split it in half and made one half with blueberries and the other with chocolate chips!  YUMMMY! Don't these just look delish?  If you have trouble keeping both bananas and zucchini on hand at the same time do this... when your fresh bananas become browned, put them in the freezer, peels and all, and when you're ready to use them just thaw them on the counter or run warm water over them until easy to peel.  For the zucchini, you can pre-shred your zucchini and store in freezer bags.  Store 2 cups in each bag and pull it out when you're ready to use it.  This way you make muffins when your freezer is bursting with bananas and zucchini!

Breaded Tilapia and Dipping Sauce

This is quite possibly my favorite meal to make.  It's quick, easy, light and healthy.  I love Tilapia and I always want to find new ways to make it.  I got this recipe from an "Every Day With Rachael Ray" magazine that I subscribe to.  It's so tasty!  If you are any kind of fish fan at all you must try this!

Chicken Florentine Casserole

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, here is the link http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chicken-florentine-casserole/detail.aspx.  This recipe was very easy to put together and the taste was pretty good, although I would make a few changes next time.  Tonight I made the recipe exactly as directed.

60 Seconds to Chocolaty Heaven!

If you're like me and you get a sweet tooth EVERY night, you might like this one.  When the kids are in bed and the husband is downstairs playing x-box with his headphones on, it's time to bust out the blender for your moments of quiet time on the couch before bed catching up with your girly shows.  This takes just seconds to prepare and it has everything so satisfy my sweet tooth!

Milk Shake:
*1 medium Banana (frozen bananas work too)
*1 TBSP Peanut Butter
*3 TBSP Nesquik Chocolate Powder
*1 cup Milk (more or less if you want it thick or thin)
*A handful of Ice 
Throw everything in the blender, mix it up and enjoy!  

Chef Salad and Homemade Croutons

Sometimes you just want something super healthy, like salad.  But if you have a husband like mine, they think it's only dinner if there's meat in it.  That's why I only get away with salad as the entire dinner if I put plenty of meat on top.  I'm sure everyone knows how to make a salad, but I'm just showing a tasty way to put yours together.  Replace vegetables you don't like with ones that you do like.  This salad is budget friendly and healthy.  Who said you can't afford to eat healthy?

Classic Baked Ziti

Tonight's dinner is Baked Ziti.  I got this recipe from food.com.  Here is the link, http://www.food.com/recipe/classic-baked-ziti-22176, and here is what you need to make it :

Chicken Marsala

This is by far one of my favorite chicken recipes.  I can't even tell you how great it tastes, you just HAVE to try it!  I love cooking with wine, and the Marsala wine in the recipe makes it taste great!  Here is how I make it and what it costs...

Weekly Menu 8/28-9/3

This week the temperatures are supposed to drop into the 80's, so I put a few more meals in my plan that use the oven.  Running the oven when it's 98 outside is not the best idea.  So here is this week's tentative plan...

*Sunday- Chicken Marsala

*Monday- Classic Baked Ziti (New Recipe)

*Tuesday- Chef Salad & Homemade Croutons

*Wednesday- Chicken Florentine Casserole (New Recipe)

*Thursday- Breaded Tilapia with Dipping Sauce, rice and veggies

*Friday- Left Overs

*Saturday- Ground Beef Casserole (New Recipe)

Overall there are 3 new recipe I want to try this week.  Wish me luck!  Anyone have their meals planned for this week yet?

Easy Pasta Night!

So, tonight is the kind of night where cooking something new just sounds like too much work.  It's been the kind of day where my daughter has lost her art supplies, Nintendo DS, and lava lamp (due to attitude) and still tells me "no I won't do it" when I ask her to clean her room.  Not my favorite words.  So, being busy with that and having not made my list of meals for the next week, nor have I gone grocery shopping, I decided to make something easy that I already have ingredients for.  Spaghetti!!  Lets just say that Prego is my best friend tonight!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is probably the best enchilada recipe I have ever found.  I make this monthly and my husband requests it.  It's easy to make and put together and I like to make a large batch and have lunch leftovers for the next day.  I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com and I follow the recipe exactly.  Here's what you'll need,

Grilled Salmon With Ginger-Orange Mustard Glaze

This was yummy!  I am always looking for a tasty salmon recipe and I loved this one.  It was so easy to make.  I made the salmon with a side of salad and buttery bow tie pasta.  I found the salmon recipe in one of my cook books called "The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook".  

Here is how I made it:

Pulled Chicken Over Rice

I started out this day intending to make chicken enchiladas, which I love, BUT when it was 6:00 pm and my thermostat showed the temperature of my house had creeped up to 81 degrees I decided I wasn't going to turn the oven on and make it even harder for the AC to catch up.  We have had some terrible heat these last few weeks, so using the oven is not always in our best interest.  So, since I had already cooked my chicken and it was ready to shred, I searched for recipes that would include this chicken and this is what I found.  The recipe is at this link, http://www.food.com/recipe/pulled-chicken-over-rice-170028 and it was incredibly easy and tasty.  It tastes a lot like the rice and meatballs recipe I make a lot, but it has chicken instead.  I definitely recommend this for an easy summer meal when you don't want to run the oven!

Orange Balsamic Glazed Chicken & Lemon Risotto

So I have to admit I had a lot of fun with this one!  I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone to make this meal with ingredients I have never before used, and I'm glad I did it.  Before tonight I didn't know if I even liked risotto, and now I know I do.  I got both of these recipes from Rachael Ray's Look + Cook cookbook.  I love this book because it shows pictures of the cooking process.  I wanted to take more pictures for this one, but honestly, keeping up with the chicken and risotto at the same time left little time for pictures.  Here are the recipes I used:

Pork Chops in Mushroom Marsala Sauce

This is one of my easy go-to recipes that I can throw together in 30 minutes.  I created this recipe from putting my own twist on other recipes I've seen before.  Here is how I make it :

Homemade Pizza