Cold Week = Warm Meals

Even though the groundhog didn't see his shadow (which, you know, is totally the most accurate way to get your weather forecast), it's still winter here in Northern Virginia. The predicted storms for the week look like they might miss us again (we've been in the "snow hole" all winter - everyone north and south gets snow while we get nothing), but it's going to be a cold week ahead. So warm dinners - like soup - are a must.

A quick follow-up from last week. I posted that we were going to try Rachael Ray's spinach, artichoke, & chicken penne. I made it. I hated it. I don't know why. I usually love Rachael Ray recipes, and she has another version of this in her Express Lane cook book that we love. But this one? This one we didn't like at all. I picked at mine a little, my husband said it was edible so he finished his plate, and my daughter threw hers on the floor (and demanded to be served oranges for dinner instead). We compared the two recipes, and there are only a few differences, but the few ingredients we added made a huge difference. Might be making the other version soon, but this recipe went right in the trash. Bummer.

SO...our meal plan for this week:
Monday: mushroom strudel (Let's Dish dinner), salad, early bedtime. :) My husband is from Wisconsin, so we were up late celebrating the Packers' Super Bowl win, so it's a quick dinner and early bed time for us tonight. That, and the fact that my daughter has suddenly decided that sleeping is optional. Lovely. This is also why our menu is very heavy on Let's Dish dinners this week - neither of us is really awake enough to cook from scratch
Tuesday: prosciutto-wrapped chicken, egg noodles, green beans
Wednesday: Tuscan herb chicken soup (Let's Dish), rolls
Thursday: beef roulade (Let's Dish), baked potatoes, some sort of green veggies
Friday: baked potato soup. This sounds fancy, but it's not. It's from a mix. We have found that Bear Creek soup mixes are really quite tasty, and they're good for a fast dinner on night's like tonight when we will be running around.
Saturday: baked ziti. Finally, a night where we'll be cooking from scratch. We're going to give this recipe from Food Network a try; I'm going to use Italian turkey sausage to make it a little healthier. I find that turkey sausage and regular Italian sausage are NOT interchangeable when you're eating them plain, but when they're baked into something they are. So there you go.
Sunday: Peruvian chicken, potatoes, green beans. This is such an easy recipe, my husband and daughter both like it, and it's super healthy since the marinade has no oil in it and there's no sauce or gravy on the chicken. It's just super flavorful chicken (and I'll eat the leftovers all week - YUM).

For more menu planning ideas, check out Menu Plan Mondays at orgjunkie.com