Yaya's Herb Roasted Potatoes

Aaron loves potatoes. He likes mashed potatoes, hash browns, french fries, you name it. I think he would be happy with a meal of just potatoes. We could have loaded potato casserole with french fries and mashed potatoes on the side and he would be in potato heaven.

Menu for 3/31/14-4/6/14

I'm sure it isn't like this for everyone, but when I'm reading a book I'm completely immersed in the world of the book. When I read Harry Potter my mind was at Hogwarts at least 16 hours a day for the entire time I was reading and up to a couple of weeks after I finished the books.

Maple Dijon Chicken

I think everyone on Pinterest has tried this recipe or has it on their short list for new recipe night. Most frequently I see the recipe titled "Man-Pleasing Chicken" and sometimes the description will say "...explosion on your taste buds." Almost every blogger I follow has posted some version of it. Who knows where the recipe originated? I certainly don't.

Yaya's Spaghetti (updated)

I was planning on posting the new recipe last night but I was so worn out I just passed out as soon as Bailey was in bed and the kitchen was clean. Plus, when I thought about it I realized that I had never done a proper post for Yaya's spaghetti recipe. The first time I posted the recipe I did not have a decent camera, only my iPod which takes terrible pictures. (Truthfully my new Windows phone takes better pictures than my Canon does).

My Crazy, Planning Obsessed Mind

I've spent nap time (and the first few hours of bed time) the past few days on Pinterest and some of my favorite blogs searching for recipes to use for new recipe night. This is a crazy thing to do because I've already planned my menu as far ahead as the end of May! And because I have over 300 recipes pinned on Pinterest that I have yet to try.

No-Knead Peasant Bread

Looking over the posts from last year I was surprised at how few bread recipes I had posted. I love to bake bread and I'm quite good at it. I have several favorite recipes. My garlic knots are excellent, the honey yeast knots/rolls are so versatile, and I have a fantastic sandwich bread recipe.

Menu for 3/24/14-3/30/14

Bailey had her first visit to the zoo this weekend. We got up early Saturday morning and met Aunt Shelia to go see the red pandas (or Tobies as Bailey calls them) and the meerkats and the prairie dogs. We spent a long time watching the river otters play and there was a chimpanzee that was showing off for us. Bailey particularly liked the meerkats who were playing a game with her, jumping out from a corner of the enclosure and startling her. Some of the other visitors were even amused with Bailey's reactions to the meerkats.

Pretzel Crusted Honey Mustard Chicken

I have rediscovered the wonderfulness that is oven-fried chicken.

I hand-picked this recipe specifically for Aaron because I know how much he enjoys fried chicken with honey mustard. The catch is that this chicken isn't actually fried. It's dredged in flour and tangy homemade honey mustard sauce and then coated in a combination of crispy panko bread crumbs and salty, chunky crushed pretzels. Then you throw it in the oven and let it bake to crunchy perfection.

Menu for 3/17/14-3/23/14

I am so tired. I have been all week. I'm having horrible bouts of insomnia. I spend all night trying to sleep, alternating between lying quietly in the dark and knitting in front of the television. By morning I'm too tired to keep my eyes open and then I hear Bailey on the monitor say, "Good morning, Mommy," and I drag myself out of bed and start the day.

Crock Pot Taco Chicken Bowls

I've found another winner from Budget Bytes. Tonight's meal was filling, satisfying, and delicious. Oh, and did I mention it was cheap? Every recipe posted on Budget Bytes shows the total cost. Once I've tried a few more of the recipes I'm thinking of having a Budget Bytes week each month, choosing cost effective meals to keep the grocery bill down.

Menu for 3/10/14-3/16/14

This has been one of those weeks where almost nothing goes right. It has a ripple effect. When something goes wrong I spend all night cleaning up the mess. When I'm busy cleaning up the mess I don't have time to cook. When I don't have time to cook I end up with a bunch of extra groceries that either go bad or end up in the freezer and when my menu doesn't go the way I planned it I get confused and don't know what to cook when I finally get the chance.

Coconut Crusted Chicken with Apricot Dijon Sauce

I have to admit, this was not a hit with the rest of the family. Aaron ate cereal last night for dinner and Bailey had a plateful of fruit and cheese. Aaron did say that he liked the sauce so it wasn't a total flop with him, but he said he would rather have it on plain fried chicken.

Menu for 3/3/14-3/9/14

Some days all I want to do is sleep and Bailey decides that she is going to wake up crying two hours earlier than usual. I find that incredibly frustrating. I know that she is just a little girl and she doesn't understand that I have hardly slept and I'm cranky and tired. Knowing that doesn't make it any easier to drag myself out of bed and be pleasant while feeding her breakfast two hours early.

Honey Butter Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite meats to work with. It always comes out juicy and tender, it absorbs flavor remarkably well making it great for rubs and marinades, and it's leaner than pork loin. Since it's on sale at the grocery store about once a month I usually buy at least three of them and keep them in the freezer until I find a good recipe to try.

Menu for 2/24/14-3/2/14

I'm sorry I had to put this off a day, but I spent all of last week thinking about nothing but the Mississippi Mud Pie and I just couldn't go to bed Sunday night without sharing it with you.

This week promises to be more easy-going. We don't have any elaborate, complicated meals planned. No holidays or birthdays come this week. We should be back to a semi-normal routine.

Mississippi Mud Pie

Mississippi mud pie... Also known as the second richest dessert I know how to make.

While this pie is complicated as a whole, the parts themselves are surprisingly simple. It starts with an easy chocolate cookie crust made of crushed oreos, followed by layers of delicate flourless chocolate cake, decadent dark chocolate pudding, and finally a mountain of fluffy whipped cream.

Menu for 2/17/14-2/23/14

It has been a great week! We got to visit Yaya and Nana without any weather difficulties, but we still got a snow day (well, Daddy got a snow day) on Thursday. Wednesday evening we had 6 inches of snow in the yard. Since we had Daddy home on Thursday morning we had some waffles to celebrate.

Chicken and Vegetable Stroganoff

My brother is a big fan of beef stroganoff, but personally I'm not all that fond of red meat. I like a good burger every now and then and I love chili, but I am perfectly happy making both with chicken or turkey instead of beef. Once in a blue moon I will crave a steak, but I like to go out for steak.

I'll admit that beef stroganoff has grown on me. Especially when I can control the ingredients. I can leave out the onions and go easy on the sour cream... and if I want to I can make it with chicken instead of beef!

Salsa Chicken Casserole

This is my second attempt at posting this recipe. The first time I made this meal it didn't work out quite right. I didn't use a big enough baking dish so it was overflowing with chicken broth. To keep it from dripping into the bottom of the oven I placed a baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drips. This turned out to be a brilliant idea in terms of cleaning and a horrible idea in terms of cooking. The baking sheet blocked the heat from the baking dish resulting in an hour long baking time being extended to two hours and even then the rice was still crunchy in the middle of the dish.

Menu for 2/10/14-2/16/14

Well, they're calling for snow again this week. 80% chance of snow on Tuesday, meaning we may not be able to visit Nana until Thursday or Friday. It'll probably turn out to be a dusting of wet snow that turns to slush but doesn't melt. Then when the temperature drops at night it will freeze on the roads and make driving nearly impossible.