Meal Planning Monday

Monday
Shrimp with Creamy Tomato-Basil Sauce (the meal my husband made me when he proposed!)

2 Cups (8 oz) Penne Pasta
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion (for 1 cup chopped)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 cups smooth marinara-style pasta sauce (I use Gorrozzos diablo sauce)
1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 lb peeled raw shrimp, fresh or frozen

Place the penne in 2 1/2 quarts of boiling water and cook until tender.

While the onions cook, rinse the basil, pat it dry with paper towels and remove the leaves from the stem. Coarsely chop. Set aside.

When the onions are soft, reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, pasta sauce adn cream to a skillet. Reduce the heat to low and stir well. If the shrimp are frozen, put them in a colander and run warm (not hot) water over them to defrost slightly, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp to the skillet. Simmer, stirring frequently to turn the shrimp, until the shrimp are pink, about 5 minutes.

When the shrimp are done, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the basil. Drain the penne and place a portion on each serving plate. Top each serving with shirmp and serve at once. Delish!



Tuesday
Mom's Tuna Casserole

Wide Egg Noodles (use about 3/4 of the smallest bag - sorry not sure what size it is)
1 can of tuna (9oz)
1 can cream of mushroom
1/4 to 1/2 cup of milk (the more milk the creamier)
1 can of peas
1 cup of celery, chopped fine
1/2 onion, chopped fine

Cook noodles. When noodles are done, drain, then add the tuna, cream of mushroom, milk, peas, celery and onion to the pan and stir. Add a dash of garlic powder and salt and pepper. Pour into baking dish.

To make topping, melt 1 cup of butter in pan that you just used. Add 1 TBSP of garlic powder to the butter. Tear up 5 pieces of bread into small pieces and add to the butter mixture. Stir until coated. Pour topping on top of the casserole.

Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. If topping is not crispy enough, broil for a few minutes.


Wednesday
BBQ Chicken w/ Mashed Potatoes

1 lb chicken breasts or chicken tenders
Favorite BBQ sauce (I like to use Gates original)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
Country Crock Mashed Potatoes (I use for simplicity. If that offends you, by all means make the real stuff.)

Thaw chicken and place in a round or 9x9 baking dish.
Pour BBQ over chicken (enough to coat chicken and be pooled around it). Spoon garlic and onions over the top of the chicken.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour.
Make mashed potatoes according to package directions.
Serve chicken and bbq sauce over mashed potatoes.



Thursday
Crockpot French Dip - My Mother-in-law's Recipe

1 chuck roast (3 lbs)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp garlic
3 or 4 peppercorns
2 cups water

Place roast in crock pot. Add water, soy sauce and seasonings.
Cook on high 5-6 hours.
Serve on crusty rolls with juice from roast.


Friday
Homemade Pizza

Find the recipe here:
http://www.superhealthykids.com/pizzacrust.html

Seven Years Together

Today is my anniversary!
I am so lucky to be married to this man!
Looking forward to many, many more!
I love you!

Fun in the Sun

We finally had a nice day on Tuesday and boy did we play outside! I was so thankful to see the sun! I am really trying to figure out my camera...here are a few shots.

And, some Easter fun...loving the M&M's...

and the bubble gun...

Easter basket luvin...

New Camera

I have always, always had an obsession with photography. Growing up I always have viewed things as how it would look through a camera lens. Not until after I had my son, did I think to really try to become a better photographer. I am really cheap and the thought of spending one thousand dollars or so on a digital SLR camera, just made me cringe. So, I have been following craigslist searching for a good deal. And, last week I finally found my good deal! I bought a Nikon D50 and have no regrets! I am loving it! Here are a few photos...

1. My dog, Schuster...



2. My two favorite boys...

So, thanks to Ken Rockwell (www.kenrockwell.com) my camera is set up and I am clicking away! And, having so much fun!

Adding Flowers to Sun Garden

I can't even believe I am thinking flowers...it is raining and snowing right now! Last weekend we got tons of snow...what is wrong with this planet?! My husband gave me the task this morning of figuring out what plants to use to spruce up our landscaping and I am on it! This summer we would like to add some color to the front of our house. The front landscaping currently consists of 2 burning bushes, 3 ewes, and some spirea.

I *heart* Dahlias!!! Love, love, love them! Look at the cool dahlias I found. And, how cool is the "Red Hot Poker"?! Don't you love the name?! Hee,hee...

1. Blue Sea Holly
2. Seattle Dinner Plate Dahlia
3. Tahiti Sunrise Dahlia
4. Magnus Coneflower
5. Red Hot Poker
6. Double Decker Coneflower


Front Garden - Full Sun by Mbruning on Polyvore.com

My Shade Garden

We landscaped around our patio last year. We had a wild 1 year old with us running all around the nursery, a not so helpful nursery guide and all that added up to picking plants quickly and not paying attention to all the details! Needless to say, this year we will be doing the whole process over...again! I am trying to get a little more prepared this year. This is what I would love to plant in the shaded portion of our backyard garden.

The details are as follows:
1. Fire and Ice Hosta
2. Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart
3. Lily-of-the-Valley
4. Lady Fern


Shade Garden by Mbruning on Polyvore.com

Spring Fashions...on a buget!

I really, really need to go shopping to update my wardrobe for Spring! I have a lot of basics, but I like to throw in a couple inexpensive "trendy" pieces to keep up to date. I always pre-plan my shopping trips, so I know what I am looking for. I like to see what the stars are wearing by going to popsugar.com. Then, I try to find similar looks in affordable stores, such as Forever 21. So, here is what I think I need for Spring...check it out. Notice a trend?? I think I am really loving the ruffles! So cute!



Forever 21 by Mbruning featuring Forever21 blouses">