Cast Iron Lamb Chops

Lamb

Happy Wednesday, ya’ll! We have officially made it through half of the week!

Today was a spectacular day; my class went on a field trip to a brand new Junior Achievement facility called BizTown. The students spent the day as executives and employees in miniature versions of stores (like Chick-fil-A, Home Depot, Wells Fargo, Holiday Inn etc.). They became citizens of BizTown; they were responsible for everything from tracking payroll to writing invoices to selling and promoting products. They had a chance to go around and buy products (donated from the companies) with debit cards loaded from the bank with their paychecks. It was amazing experience and the students were super engaged the entire time. Chick-fil-a provided free lunch for everyone; students, teachers, and volunteers!

This evening was cheer practice was for both girls. Late dinner, homework, and now they are unwinding from a long day and getting ready to go to bed.

We had this yummy lamb chop dinner tonight. I got these chops on sale in the organic meat section at Publix last week. I decided to give them a shot. My husband and I love lamb chops, but I was not sure the girls would. I kind of sold them when I said they were a cross between pork chops and steak. There was a lot of fat on them, but the meat that was there was super delicious!   I will be buying these again, but maybe from a butcher. I served them a box of couscous and a bag of steam fresh green beans. Dinner was ready in under 20 minutes.

Cast Iron Lamb Chops

Season your chops with salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil. Take your lamb chops and put them in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. Cook on the first side, about 6 minutes. Then flip it and cook for about another 4 minutes. Rest for 5-10 minutes!

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Oven Roasted Garlic Chicken with Veggies

Chicken

Hello again! I am back with tonight’s dinner. We had a couple of close friends over for dinner. Basically, they are family. The girls LOVE them! They are considered uncles =)  I  made a simple roast chicken dinner with some veggies, rice, and bread. It was a hit all around the table!

Oven Roasted Garlic Chicken with Veggies

Ingredients

2 whole chickens broken down- Much quicker cooking time! You can have the butcher cut one down for you if there isn’t one already available.
1 head of garlic- cloves all taken out of sleeves..added whole
10 carrots- cleaned and sliced in to pieces (leave skin on for nutrients and convenience)
4 small onions, quartered
2 cups liquid- I used white wine, but you can use stock or water
salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning used liberally
drizzle chicken with olive oil, melted butter, or a combo of each- about 1 1/2 cups

Directions

Place Chicken on top of veggies in a roasting pan or large casserole dish and cover with seasoning, liquid, and oil/butter. Since I had 2 chickens, I used 2 pans and divided up all the ingredients.

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Cook at 350 for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout.
Serve with rice, side of bread, salad, etc…

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Crockpot Spaghetti Squash

Crockpot /Make Ahead Meals, Girls' Night Out/In, Side dishes...veggies, Vegetarian

Evening guys! I thought I would share this amazing tip… cook spaghetti squash in your crock pot! I saw this tip the other day on TV, and I just had to test it out!

Crockpot Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
1 large spaghetti squash
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

Directions
With a sharp knife or fork, poke your spaghetti squash a few times all around.
Place the entire squash in a large slow cooker. Add your liquid and cover.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

I am going to add some butter, Parmesan cheese, and possibly some leftover veggies from tonight’s dinner (recipe coming soon) and take for lunch tomorrow!

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Here is how I did it in the oven. https://funfoodiefamily.com/2015/03/23/roasted-spaghetti-squash/

Weekly Meal Plan 9/6/15

Pasta, Weekly Meal Plans

Hey guys! I hope you all are having a great labor day weekend! We had some out-of-town company this weekend. It is so great to spend time with family that we don’t get to see very often. Tomorrow it is back to the rat race, so here is my plan for dinner this week

Sunday-

Last night I made Italian Sausage Lasagna for dinner with a side of bruschetta. It was super yummy; everyone went in for seconds, but I still have enough for leftovers to take to lunch!

Italian Suasage Lasagna and Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

Ingredients-

1 pound ground Italian Sausage
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can jarred mushrooms
1 jar of your favorite sauce- I used Classico Tomato and Basil
1 handful of chopped fresh basil, thyme, and rosemary
1 pound lasagna noodles
1 large bag of shredded mozzarella

Directions
Cook noodles according to package.
In a dutch oven or large heavy pot, cook down your onions, garlic, and sausage. When sausage is nice and brown, add in your diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and sauce. Add in your fresh herbs and mix well.
Layer your noodles, sauce, and cheese. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until your cheese starts bubble and turn brown. Once out of the oven, let it set up about 10-15 minutes. During this time, you can make the Bruchetta- layer olive oil, minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, and fresh cut basil on top of sliced of Italian loaf. 036

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Monday- Tonight! Roast Chicken of some sort. I will let you know later tonight if it is something new.

Tuesday- Tacos

Wed- Lamb Chops (didn’t eat last week)

Thursday- Leftovers/Whatever Night

Friday- Linguine and Clams

Have a great week!

Throwback Thursday- Busy Mom Edition

Misc. stuff

Hey guys! Hope everyone has had a great week so far! I know I am excited that there is a long weekend! Looking forward to spending time with the family and relaxing! I hope you get to do the same!

Here are a few ideas for a super fast weeknight meal…

Crock pot Pork- https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/07/28/back-to-the-basics-meal-planning-and-an-easy-crockpot-pork/

Easy Spaghetti https://funfoodiefamily.com/2015/07/08/cheater-cheater-spaghetti-eater/

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https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/02/11/creamy-chicken-with-mushrooms-and-onions/

I originally had lamb chops on the menu, but I had no time to research recipes. I hope to have that on next week’s menu! Tomorrow is Family night out! Going to our favorite Mexican joint! Have a great weekend!