Menu for 5/6/13-5/12/13

I've had a fun week.  Bailey had her 18 month physical on Friday and she is a very healthy girl.  Nana and Grandpa bought me lunch after Bailey's appointment and I finally satisfied that craving for Chinese food (ginger chicken with broccoli and fried rice).  To make things even more awesome my birthday is Wednesday!  Tonight we celebrated with my Dad, and his girlfriend made me lemony-garlicky shrimp pasta!  Wow!  It was so delicious!  More awesomeness:  My dad ordered me a new KitchenAid stand mixer.  I cannot wait for it to get here so I can try it out.  It comes with the dough hook, the paddle, and the whisk, and also a pasta attachment.  I've never made my own pasta successfully so I'm just itching to use that.



We will be celebrating my birthday at Yaya's house on Wednesday.  I will be making chocolate cupcakes with Butterfinger buttercream frosting and Yaya is making one of my favorites, chicken veggie spaghetti pie.  My brother wants to take me to see Iron Man 3, but we'll have to see if Nana will be able to keep Bailey for a couple of hours.  For dinner on Tuesday I have decided to make foods that I love but never get to eat because Aaron doesn't like them.  I am making some Cuban-style black beans with basmati rice, oven roasted broccoli with garlic, and some kind of chicken.  I haven't decided how I want to cook my chicken yet, but I'm thinking of doing pan seared chicken cutlets with just garlic/onion powder seasoning.  The garlic in the broccoli and the Cuban spices in the beans will go well with a simply seasoned chicken breast.  I'm getting antsy.  I want to cook it right now!

I love any excuse to party/celebrate (or make cake).  That's why I love Christmas too.  I love having an opportunity to bake.  I know it sounds silly, but I love making my own cake.  And honestly, all I really ask for on my birthday is to have a haircut, especially since I haven't had it cut since January of LAST YEAR!  Nothing fancy, no highlights or coloring and I only let them style it if I'm not sure how to do it myself.  I just love the way my hair feels after a new haircut, so soft.

Okay, back to the point of the post.  Here is the entire menu for the week.

Monday:
Breakfast- yogurt and cheerios
Lunch- leftover beef stew
Dinner- lasagna with salad and garlic knots

Tuesday:
Breakfast- yogurt with raspberries
Lunch- Nana will provide lunch
Dinner- chicken with black beans and rice and roasted broccoli

Wednesday:
Breakfast- oatmeal with cranberries
Lunch- leftover lasagna
Dinner- chicken veggie spaghetti pie at Yaya's

Thursday:
Breakfast- yogurt with blackberries
Lunch- leftover lasagna
Dinner- Cracker Barrel grilled chicken tenders with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese (and okra if I can find some)

Friday:
Breakfast- oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins
Lunch- spicy sausage pasta skillet
Dinner- hot dogs and french fries

Saturday:
Breakfast- sausage, gravy, biscuits, and eggs
Lunch- leftover spicy sausage pasta skillet or hot dogs
Dinner- cheesy taco soup with honey wheat rolls

Sunday:
Breakfast- bacon, biscuits, and eggs
Lunch- probably lunch at my Aunt and Uncle's house
Dinner- with Yaya

Recipes that are coming soon because I can't wait to share them with you include honey wheat sandwich rolls, Butterfinger buttercream, and these delicious homemade raised yeast doughnuts.  As soon as I get my new mixer I'll share a recipe for homemade pasta.  I am dying to try to make ravioli or tortellini and I've got some great recipes for fillings.  I saw something on Pinterest called baked ravioli where the raviolis are layered with sauce and cheese in a baking dish and it looks phenomenal!  Can't wait, drooling!