Menu Monday: Holiday Teas at Trader Joe's

My post today was supposed to be homemade pumpkin pie but the pumpkin I was set to use luckily didn't cooperate very well. (remember: Operation Pumpkin Clean-Up?)

So, I'll tell you about two more Trader Joe's holiday offerings! 

(What am I going to do in January?)

First up is their Vanilla & Cinnamon Black Tea and it's just as advertised...the perfect mix of, well, cinnamon and vanilla. I think I almost like aroma more than the tea it smells that good. So cozy to wake up to.  It's black tea, so of course caffeinated.  It's replaced my usual English Breakfast for the foreseeable future.

Next up is the Candy Can Green Tea.  Just saw this one today for the first time.  Wow, it smells JUST like a candy cane, go figure.  It's kinda like those Jelly Bellys...I always wonder how they get them to smell/taste just like the food they are mimicking.  Actually, no I don't...that's mostly artificial flavoring...but

this here's the real deal folks. Nothing artificial. Peppermint Leaf is the first ingredient. You know what else I love about this tea, it's decaffeinated, so I can enjoy it all afternoon/evening. And you must know the health benefits of green tea by now...so sip away, get your candy cane fix for "free" (no calories) and get your fill of antioxidants, too.

I've had 2 cups already today.

But as expected with Trader Joe's, better stock up now...in January these newest offerings are sure to be history. 

Coming up soon:

- {finally}Finished Wainscoting in Master Bathroom

- A homemade Christmas Stocking craft idea (linking up to Centsational Girl's linky party)

- All sorts of things I'm spray painting (picture frames, lamps, hinges, door knobs, a wall mirror to name a few)

Happy Holiday Decorating! Have a beautiful week!

Menu Monday: BBQ Chicken 3 ways

I know we're heading into turkey land for a while, but here's some food for thought for next week when you have had your fill of turkey for a while. Or if you are entirely sick of poultry all together, you could do this whole thing with a 5 pound pork butt.

You see, I'm still getting this cooking for 5 down. I know I've had a long time to practice now, but it still doesn't always work out perfectly for me.  I usually manage to make enough for us all for one night. I rarely have enough left overs to ever call a meal again...which is why I usually eat them for lunch  let them sit around long enough in the refrigerator to the point where I can finally am forced to toss them since they've gone bad.  Trouble with this plan is that I 

*shhhh* have to hide them under other things in the trash so DH doesn't see that I've thrown food out.  I know, I know, I feel badly and I know there are starving children in Africa...there's starving children here too for that matter...but sometimes it's hard to have left-overs for one when there's 5 in a family.  And if I wait 5 days for them to accumulate, well, there's just something about 5-day old left overs that isn't too appealing.

Ok, I DO have a point here! 

And if you skipped the whole first 2 paragraphs to get to this point,

you haven't missed anything yet.

I am always so shocked excited when something I cook ACCIDENTALLY

makes enough for 2 fulls meals..........LET ALONE 3! 

But this one, folks, did just that. 

It served my family of 5 three full times.

And the best part, it was SO easy peasy.

Here's my BBQ Chicken 3 ways:

At 9 am put into crock pot:

• approx. 4 pounds of frozen boneless chicken (I used breasts and thighs)
• 1 1/2 bottles (or just make it an even 2) of BBQ sauce
• some honey, maybe 1/4 cup, optional

Turn crock pot on LOW for 8+ hours.

After 8 hours, remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Mix chicken back into the cooking juices, using maybe 2/3 -3/4 of the juices, whatever starts to look the right consistency to you.

Notes:

I use Trader Joe's BBQ sauce. They carry 2 types, they are similar, both yummy,

neither contain high fructose corn syrup (MOST BBQ sauces do, hard to find one that doesn't) and I usually mix the two. And yes, you read that right:

FROZEN chicken!  That's one of the greatest things about this, you don't have to thaw your chicken.  You don't have to think about this meal ahead of time!  Ok, but if your chicken is fresh, then just reduce the cooking time by 2 hours.  Or cook on high 3-4 hours.

OK, finally, ahem, here's the 3 meals you'll get:

1. Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandos

I like to use the Challah dinner rolls at Trader Joe's for the buns. Just sweet enough, and kinda small like sliders.  Kids can eat 1, maybe 2, I can eat 2 and DH 2 (or 3 on a night he didn't eat lunch.)  You could also use Hoagie Rolls (above)

2.  BBQ Chicken Pizza

The next night I made pizza with the left over chicken.  I started with Trader Joe's uncooked whole wheat pizza dough. It says you can bake it once with the toppings on, but that never works for me.  I bake it first, alone, on the pizza stone but with parchment paper beneath (after MANY times of trial and error) for about 12 min. on 425 degrees.  Then I put on my toppings and bake again for another 12 min. or so.  The second time around it doesn't need the parchment paper and goes directly on the pizza stone. 

I topped the pizza with:

• A mixture of BBQ sauce and chopped tomatoes (or tomato paste)
• the BBQ chicken
• sliced red onion
• blue cheese
• a little mozzarella
• cilantro

After baking, you can sprinkle a little more crumbled blue cheese, cilantro and if you are brave....more red onion. Just make sure your significant other also adds onion!

3.  BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

My family has a love affair with Mexican food (maybe that's cause 4 of the 5 people are part Mexican) and we seem to turn anything and everything into a burrito or quesadilla. 

So I just cooked up some fresh tortillas (Costco sells these great fresh tortillas that have never been cooked, they're that fresh) and added:

•  the BBQ Chicken left overs that we STILL had (I know, I couldn't believe it!)
•   Jack cheese (I snuck some Gouda in mine cause I love it so)
• chopped tomatoes

Sorry, no picture...my camera battery was dead and my troops were restless.

And there I had it, a 3rd night of left overs!

I was SO proud of myself in that I used all of the left overs and didn't let a single morsel go to waste. 

How easy was that? 

And it took about 4 minutes to put it all in the crock pot on day 1.

Please share......do you have a fave that you cook up once and lasts for 2 meals,
or better yet 3?  (And don't say Thanksgiving Turkey, I already know that one!)

From my family to yours:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
May you have safe travels, an abundance of love, food and smiles.

Menu Monday: More Trader Joe's Pumpkin, YUM!

Trader Joe's has more pumpkin yummies in stock. 

Super Premium Pumpkin Ice Cream

 (read: all the fat, but super tasty=worth it)

It was on sample today...and we were shopping at 12:30 PM...so the girls and I tried one a few. But I bought it, so that makes it ok!

 Soft Pumpkin Cream Cheese

(again read: all the fat, but super tasty=worth it)

Since they weren't sampling the cream cheese, and remember it was smack dab in the middle of lunch- always a good time to shop with two 3-year olds, we ditched the mini-shopping carts, tore into a bag of whole wheat (that makes up for the fat in the cream cheese!) bagels, used a fork from the ice cream sampling (don't ask me) to cut the bagels in half and

made our own "samples". 

(I think we were in the produce/cheese/bread aisle- that's all one aisle at our store, for seriously 25 minutes! But the rest of the shopping trip was bliss.)

They were such a hit, we had seconds at home.

And now, the kids are in bed:

 it's ICE CREAM TIME!!

Menu Monday: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Short little post today...been taking care of 2 sick babes the last few days, so not much time to blog. But we did manage to carve 3 pumpkins on Halloween, despite a couple of fevers...and we roasted the pumpkin seeds.

Have you ever done that?

Usually we toss all the pumpkin guts into the garbage (you see, canned pumpkin makes great pumpkin pie; so does Costco, for $5.99, can't beat that!)

But this time I decided to show my kids that pumpkins are actually more than just

jack-o-lanterns, they are food too!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe

Separate the pumpkin seeds from the rest of the pulp as best you can (a little pulp in there just adds flavor)

Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander.

Lay the seeds out to dry. 

Don't dry on paper towels!

 

I told you this was the first time I've done this!!  Next time try using a cookie cooling rack or wax paper to dry them on.

I tossed 1 1/4 cup dry seeds with 1 TBS olive oil and then saturated with pink salt.

Spread out in a single layer (as best you can) on a cookie sheet and bake for about 40 minutes at 300 degrees. Yum!

Other things you could use instead of salt:

• onion powder
• garlic powder
• green can of powdered parmesan cheese
• Lawry's Season Salt
• Old Bay Seasoning
• cayenne pepper
• Cajun seasoning
• OH what about cinnamon, sugar and butter (instead of olive oil)
• or better yet, what about pumpkin pie seasoning and butter?!

Ta Da!

I do have a few more pumpkins left........HUM?!

And you guys were all wondering what I'd do with it.....

Finally, I did a quick internet search for the benefits of pumpkin seeds and found many many articles on the subject. In a nut shell they include:
Prostate Protection

Improved Bladder Function

Depression Treatment

Prevention of Osteoporosis

Natural Anti-Inflammatory

Prevention of Kidney Stones

Treatment of Parasites

Great Source of Magnesium

Lower Cholesterol

Cancer Prevention

Though one other thing I read suggested that roasting them kills a lot of the valuable nutrients, best to eat them raw. Either way, they make a

healthy, yummy snack.

Now, time to go get me a

Pete's Holiday Blend Coffee!

Starbucks Christmas Blend comes out Nov. 15, gotta wait a bit longer for that one.

"May the Force Be With You"

Menu Monday: Mini-meatloaves 2 ways

Happy Monday!

It was a very rainy weekend in Northern California...which I loved!  I was able to start and actually finish sewing a Halloween costume (more on that to come) and finish a ball of yarn on my first knitting project. The end of the weekend brought the beginning of a fun week with my girls' first ballet class today- SO SWEET!

I made the last of my Rachel Ray recipes this week (gosh that week of meals seemed to last 2 weeks...guess that's what happens when you toss in a Mac-n-cheese night and a few extra burrito nights!)  Anyways, this meal was actually a great two-fer.  We had it for dinner one night and then again for lunch the next day in paninis.

Mini Meatloaves Smothered in Onions

Ingredients:1/2 cup pitted dried dates, chopped (Trader Joe's has these in the refrigerator section)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (TJ's carries, near pasta)
1 1/3 pounds ground beef (I love the organic/free range ground beef at Costco, just $4.33/pound)
3 onions, 2 thinly sliced and 1 finely chopped (this is a LOT, if you just have 2 adults use 2 total)
3 slices cooked bacon, chopped (we love bacon*, use more!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 375°. In a bowl, combine the dates and breadcrumbs, working the mixture through your fingers to separate. Mix in the beef. Mix in the chopped onion, bacon, egg, worcestershire and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 mounds and, on a baking sheet, shape into loaves. Place on the upper rack and bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, on another baking sheet, toss the sliced onions with the butter and season with salt; spread out evenly. Bake on the lower rack, stirring occasionally, until

 golden, about 30 minutes. I prepared the onions slightly differently.  I caramelized them slowly, for about 30 min., on med-low, in the pan I cooked the bacon in, without draining the bacon grease (not so healthy, but SO good!) 

Serve the meatloaves with the onions.

I served with this great frozen veggie mix from Trader Joe's: Organic Foursome (beans, peas, carrots, corn) and brown rice.

BUT...............

 the best part of this meal is yet to come!

We had left-over meatloaf AND onions........

this made one of the best paninis the next day.

For the paninis:

Sliced Sourdough (or your favorite panini bread)
meatloaf,above, sliced & heated
caramelized onions from the meatloaf, heated
freshly cooked bacon
smoked Gouda (I'm sure any cheese would be good!)

Put all the ingredients between bread and cook in panini press (my panini press is my George Foreman Grill...be creative!) for about 5 minutes.  Yum!




photo credit

  

* I tend to cook with more bacon than you might think is "healthy"...but I wanted to add a disclaimer about the bacon I buy.  It's Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon (the photo above is not mine, and is of the dry-cured package...also nitrite/nitrate free). This bacon has got to be one of the "healthiest" out there.  It contains no nitrates/nitrites.  The pigs are raised in a sustainable manner, fed only a vegetarian meal, and not given antibiotics or hormones. And of course, it is available at Trader Joe's!



Menu Monday

This week I did a few Rachel Ray meals from her weekly menu planer.  She has a new feature on her grocery list that allows you to pick which of the 7 meals you'd like to make and it will give you a grocery list for only the ingredients needed for those dinners.  So I picked 4 meals and it made me a shopping list in seconds, with everything I need to make 4 dinners; I printed it out and headed to Trader Joe's...where I found everything I needed.

Monday: Chicken in a Pot with Garlic(Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

One 4 1/2-pound chicken

2 halved lemons

35 unpeeled cloves garlic

4 chopped sprigs rosemary

4 slices crusty bread

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°.

In a large dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add one 4½-pound chicken, breast side down, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Turn, then squeeze 2 halved lemons over the bird before stuffing into the cavity; drizzle 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper. Cover and roast for 30 minutes. Scatter 35 unpeeled cloves garlic and 4 chopped sprigs rosemary around the chicken, cover and roast for 30 minutes more. Uncover the pot, increase the oven temperature to 375° and roast until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter; using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to the platter as well. Dip 4 slices crusty bread into the pan juices, then toast until crisp. Serve with the chicken and roasted garlic.

Tuesday: Out!  Baja Fresh
With DH out for the evening and a late soccer practice, we went out for burritos!


Wednesday: Gnocchi with Butternut Squash Sauce



To Go



Sauce: Costco Gnocchi: Trader Joe's



I was babysitting tonight, so I went with something easy. I served my kids and then brought food to the kids I babysat. I served it with some green beans.



Thursday: Orange Pork with Roasted Beets Salad  (Rachel Ray) 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 pounds medium beets, trimmed (I bought pre-steamed/peeled beets from TJs)

5 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons vegetable oil salt and pepper

2 bone-in pork chops (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2/3 head red-leaf lettuce, torn

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
I added crumbled feta on top

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Wrap the beets in foil and roast until fork-tender, about 45 minutes; let cool slightly. Using your fingers, peel the beets under running water.  I got to skip this step since I bought pre-steamed/peeled!

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar and mustard. Slowly whisk in the oil; season with salt and pepper. Place the pork chops and half of the orange vinaigrette in a resealable plastic bag and marinate for 1 hour.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Let rest slightly, remove the bones and thinly slice. 4. Meanwhile, halve the beets lengthwise, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. In a medium bowl, toss the beets with half of the remaining vinaigrette. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the remaining vinaigrette. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates and top with the pork and beets. Sprinkle with the almonds.

 Friday: Zucchini Onion Pizza (Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

2 pounds grated zucchini

1 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
1 pound prepared pizza dough



I heart pizza!



Directions:

Position an inverted baking sheet (I used a pizza stone) in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450°. Toss 2 pounds grated zucchini with 3/4 teaspoon salt in a colander. Let stand for 20 minutes, then squeeze dry. In a large skillet, cook the zucchini and 1 finely chopped onion in 1 tablespoon extra- virgin olive oil until softened, about 7 minutes; transfer to a large bowl, season with pepper and freeze for 15 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup (I used about 3/4 cup of each cheese) each grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and grated cheese. Divide 1 pound (I used 2 Trader Joe's pizza dough packages, 1 pound each) prepared pizza dough in half. On a parchment-lined (I used parchment to cook my dough for about 10 minutes before putting toppings on) rimless or inverted baking sheet, stretch out 1 piece of dough to a 12-inch round whatever shape you end up with; brush with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle half of the zucchini mixture on top (I added bacon, too!) leaving a 1/2 inch border, and slide onto the hot baking sheet. Bake until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes (I bake for about 10 since I already baked the crust). Repeat with 2nd pizza.

And I just had to share these!  My friend, Erin, brought these over to share with the kids at playschool this week.  Our theme was spiders, how cute are these?

Saturday: Trader Joe's Asian Trio

We went on a family bike ride and realized at 6:15pm as we were passing Trader Joe's that we were going to get home at 6:30 with 3 hungry kids and no food on the table.  So we popped into TJ's and picked up some fast and easy things: "Bool Kogi" marinated shortribs, frozen vegetable fried rice, and frozen vegetable goya (pot stickers).  The shortribs BBQ up in a few short minutes, the rice and goya cook up in a little olive oil in a few minutes as well.  A little Asian meal on the table in under 10 minutes.

Sunday: Raviolis, Tortellini, Broccoli
Another busy day, with dinner creeping up on me waaaay too fast.  What's fast?  Made 1 package of raviolis and 1 package of tortellini (it was all I had of each!) and cooked up some broccoli.  The broccoli always gets gobbled down fast when I cook it like this:  TONS of olive oil in frying pan, cook broccoli on med-low for 15-20 minutes, sprinkle with salt.  No pic tonight, sorry.

Monday:  Cheesy Corn and Corn Chip Salad (Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:


2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded (I used spinach)
8 ears corn, cooked, kernels sliced off the cob (I used a package of TJ's organic sweet frozen corn)
2 red or orange bell peppers, chopped
2 chopped jalapeño chiles (skipped -em this time)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley (cilantro!)
Salt and pepper

3 cups corn chips (Rachel suggests Fritos, but I suggest TJ's organic corn chips, SO GOOD!  DH thought they were Fritos until he saw me pull the bag out for a photo op)

Try -um



Directions:

In a large bowl, mix the cheese, lettuce, corn, bell peppers, jalapeños, onion, mayonnaise and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Put into individual plastic serving containers, cover with a lid and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (I added chopped chicken)  Just before serving, top the salad with the corn chips.

As many of my meals do, this meal got a huge groan from my 6 year old as I served it.  As he started to use the chips as scoopers and actually tasted it, he loved it!  It was also a hit for the younger crowd as well.  The chip scooping was super exciting.  And I will note, it took about 10 minutes total to prepare. This we'll for sure be having again soon.  I wonder if it will taste as good with Greek yogurt instead of the mayo?

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Wow, I can't believe it's Monday already.  I didn't even finish my Rachel Ray meals for the week!  Stay tuned for the final meal of that series, Mini Meatloaves Smothered with Onions, tomorrow.