dinner

Fall Recipe Round-Up!

Abby H.

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Thanksgiving in the US is just a few days away, and for most of us, it means cooking a HUGE feast to share with family or friends.

I wanted to share with you some of my family’s favorite fall recipes- They are all pretty tasty, and easy to make. Some are great for Thanksgiving dinner, and some are just tasty fall recipes.

It’s Souptember- Soup Recipe Round up!

Abby H.

It’s September! Cooler weather is ahead- and while it’s still hot here, I’m ready for soup. To celebrate Souptember, here are just a few of my favorite soup recipes:

Family Recipe: Albondigas (Meatball Soup)
 Veggie Cheese Tortellini Soup
Crockpot Chili Recipe 
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Colonial Chowder
Veggie Soup 
Chicken Fajitas Soup 
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Potato Cheese Soup
Hearty Veggie Soup
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Veggie Tuscan Soup
Homemade Chicken Soup
Zuppa Tuscana Soup CopyCat Recipe
Chicken Corn Chowder
Roasted Onion and Caramelized Onion Bisque
Butternut Squash Bisque
Beef Stew
Harvest Veggie Ravioli Soup

 

9/4/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis long holiday weekend has been chill. We swam, deep cleaned bedrooms, and did our weekly reset. We reset today, and the extra day off was really needed. Back to school hit us hard.

I made big batches of vegetarian chili and chicken noodle soup yesterday for this week and beyond. I put a quart of each in the freezer for later.

The freezer and fridge are organized and the meals are planned for the upcoming week and beyond.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is delivered on Mondays. It arrived about 2:30 today, and I was ready to dive in and get prepping!

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you who are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101-style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and a Cliff Bar, fruit, and bagels for the littlest kiddo. The big kid has protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch every day (The same thing every day), and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. With the rising costs of meat, we get most of our protein from using meat as an addition to our meals, not the main component. I realize this may not work for all families, but it helps us immensely.

  • Sunday: Chicken noodle soup, green salad, cheese toast
  • Monday: Chef Salad or protein shakes (big kid isn’t a big salad fan), and fruit

  • Tuesday:  blistered tomatoes w/ pasta, garlic bread (recipe forthcoming)

  • Wednesday: Vegetarian Chili, cornbread, fruit salad

  • Thursday: Protein shakes and fruit trays

  • Friday: Takeout night
  • Saturday:  Leftover night

Fresh Baked Bread Any Time!

Abby H.

I love to cook and bake. I love freshly baked bread. I’m kinda over the poppin’ fresh dough boy’s crescent rolls and Italian loaves. I don’t have time to make bread from scratch on weekdays. I recently discovered Wildgrain. I ordered our first box last week and it will be arriving soon (I’m stoked).

Wildgrain offers a monthly subscription box that’s shipped to your door and contains bake from frozen breads, artisan pastries, and even fresh pasta! When you sign up here you can score free croissants for life. 

What is exciting for my family is the ability to customize- Wildgrain’s new customizable subscription box features NEW multiple box types including:

  • A mixed box where you can pick your own delicious loaves of Wildgrain bread, pasta, and pastries.
  • A pastry only box where you are able to grab choice Wildgrain pastry options.
  • A bread only box where you can snag all your fave Wildgrain bread loaves.
  • A new Vegan bread-only box!

Wildgrain will continue to offer the same favorite seasonal and rotating add-ons they have always had. Now you can just add more of your favorites into your own customizable box!

Free Shipping- That’s right… Wildgrain orders SHIP FOR FREE? No matter where you live in the U.S. or how many “extras” (like those yummy chocolate croissants) you add on, Wildgrain boxes always ship for free! Let your audience know today!

 

To learn more or order a box yourself, check out Wildgrain here. 

San Diego, CA-Upcoming Dream Dinners Cooking Class!

Abby H.

This landed in my inbox last night, and I thought I’d share it. With Summer Break coming up, I’ll be leaning on Dream Dinners a few times a week to get us through the summer for those days we are busy.

I don’t get paid when school is out (surprise- teachers and school staff don’t draw a paycheck over the summer months unless they work summer school or opt to spread their paychecks out over 12 months- and some districts don’t offer this), so I really need to be cost-conscious over the summer. Dream Dinners is a great way to have restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of our home for 50% (or more) savings compared to restaurant prices.

And the June Dream Dinners Menu has a bunch of my family’s favorites- Mongolian Beef & Broccoli with White Rice (my fav), and Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake (The kids’ fav) were the top two on my list.

FREE* Dream Dinners Cooking Class

Thursday, June 8th at 5:30

Learn how easy it can be to make Dream Dinners at home. During the class learn how to prepare quick, easy healthy, and delicious meals. In this class, you will learn basic cooking skills you can use to make all types of different meals at home. Save time, save money, and have fun!!

This Month’s Featured Entrée will be the Nashville Chicken served with Summer Grilled Veggies.

Sign up for June 8th Class Here

Call/Text 619-460-6800 for more information. La Mesa Dream Dinners will begin offering a series of cooking classes each month. To stay up to date on our classes, go to lamesadreamdinners.com.

 

* No Fee for class, Minimum Purchase required – 3 meals.

Recipe: Honey chipotle chicken thighs

Abby H.

This is a recipe I recently made. I wanted chipotle chicken but with veggies and sauce.

I looked online for a recipe, however, there was nothing that fit the bill. I headed to the kitchen and started cooking.

This meal turned out AMAZING.

Chipotle Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Chipotle sauce from a small tin of adobo pepper in chipotle sauce
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 3T. Hot honey
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large bell peppers or 3 medium bell peppers, cleaned and sliced into bite-sized pieces 
  • Dash cumin
  • Dash salt and pepper
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2T. Corn starch
  • 1/3 cup water

Directions:

  1. In a crockpot, combine all ingredients but corn starch and water.
  2. Cook on low for 5 hours, or high for 3 hours.
  3. Strain sauce into a saucepan, and heat over medium until boiling. While sauce is heating, mix water and corn starch and slowly pour into boiling sauce. Stir until thickened, add back into meat and veggies.

Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas. 

If you want extra smokiness, chop 1-2 chipotle peppers and add to the sauce while it thickens on the stovetop. 

This freezes well as well- If you have leftovers.

5/7/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis weekend was so busy. Birthday Party, clothing swap, meal prep, making cookies, laundry, house cleaning, and yes… meal planning.

The freezer and fridge is organized and the meals are planned for the upcoming week and beyond.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is usually delivered on Mondays, but we’re taking a break for the next month to eat up what we’ve got. I’ve been stashing the extra fruits and veggies in the freezer over the past 2 months. When I do veggie prep each week, I make up bags of vegetables to use at a later time.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101-style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch every day, and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. Now that I’m back in the gym and the kids are both in Martial Arts, we need to fuel our bodies properly.

  • Sunday: Chicken Strips, Mac and cheese, orange and apple slices
  • Monday: Breakfast sandwiches (eggs, cheese, onions and peppers, and sausage on ciabatta rolls), fruit salad

  • Tuesday:  Cauliflower & broccoli cheese soup and rolls

  • Wednesday: Split Pea and Ham Soup, fruit salad, cheese toast

  • Thursday: Protein shakes, fruit, cheese, and crackers

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftover night

Family Recipe: Wet Burrito Casserole

Abby H.

This recipe is 100% Midwestern hotdish and 0% South of the Border. It is, however, pretty good. My brother recently texted me and asked for this recipe. It was a favorite of my dad.

Ingredients:

  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1 can of refried beans
  • 1 envelope taco seasoning 
  • 2 cups Mexican cheese
  • 8-10 taco-sized flour tortillas
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup 
  • 1 small tub sour cream

Directions:

  1. Cook ground beef per taco package directions, once cooked and seasoned, add beans and combine.
  2. Spread 1/4-1/2 cup of beans/beef inside the tortilla, top with a sprinkle of cheese, roll up and place seam side down in greased baking dish.
  3. Once the dish is full, top with a soup and sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
  4. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Serve with Spanish Rice and a Salad Kit (I like the Avocado Ranch chopped salad kit from Taylor Ranch)

May is National Salad Month!

Abby H.

May is National Salad Month and we are 100% here to celebrate.

Here are some of my family’s favorite salad recipes:

And if you are looking for an awesome salad bowl to take your creation to a potluck, this is my favorite bowl with a lid!

A few of my other salad must-haves are this lettuce knife, these salad tongs, and of course, this salad dressing bottle with recipes on the outside to help you stretch your creativity.

4/30/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThe first week of a new month and we are hitting the ground running.

I’m organizing the freezer today, and we’ve got tons of produce from last week’s jumbo CSA box we got last week.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is usually delivered on Mondays, but we’re taking a break for the next month to eat up what we’ve got. I’ve been stashing the extra fruits and veggies in the freezer over the past 2 months. When I do veggie prep each week, I make up bags of vegetables to use at a later time.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101-style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch every day, and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. Now that I’m back in the gym and the kids are both in Martial Arts, we need to fuel our bodies properly.

  • Sunday: Meaty Pasta Bake, Garlic Bread
  • Monday: Chipotle Honey Chicken thighs (Recipe will be posted this week), Jasmine Rice, Spinach Salad

  • Tuesday:  Fritatta, Fruit Salad, toast

  • Wednesday: Veggie Tuscon Soup, Cheese Toast

  • Thursday:Nuggets, mac n’ cheese, fruit, cheese, and crackers

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftover night