Friday, June 29

Onera Giveaway Winners!

It's Friday, which means it's time to announce the winners for the Onera Spice Set Giveaway!


Our two winners are...drumroll...

illiya, who said: "Pick Me, Pick Me!!" (she got her wish!)

and

jmccowan (lynn), who said: "I am trying again. Love to try new seasonings and this one would be no exception." (now's her chance!)

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your spices as much as I do! And to everyone else, be sure to visit Onera's website to buy the spices or request free samples! (You can even pretend you "won" the samples if that makes you feel better.) A special thank you to Onera for a great giveaway! (Oh, and thanks to everyone for all your nice blog compliments when entering the contest!)

illiya and lynn - please email weeklydinners@gmail.com

Wednesday, June 27

Don't Forget! Onera Spices Free Giveaway!

You have still have a little time to enter the random drawing for the Onera Spices! Just post a comment, any comment, HERE. Deadline is Friday morning 8 AM PT. Good luck!

Tuesday, June 26

Featured Recipe: Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

This weekend was Nate's birthday and boy did we celebrate...in fact, this poor pregnant lady is still recovering. Red Sox-Padres Friday night (we had to stand the whole game, but the sox won so it was worth it!), San Diego Zoo Saturday morning, and a "party" with the three of us Saturday night. It was lots of fun and Cate was WAY into all the preparations, including making the birthday cake!


Nate's Grammy McCarthy is a great cook and has lots of yummy recipes. One of our favorites is her "Deep Dark Chocolate Cake" (click to link to recipe). It's a bundt cake that is moist and chocolatey and yum-yum. I have a few similar recipes to this one, but this is by far my favorite. Thanks, Grammy!!!

(As you can see from the picture, Cate couldn't keep her hands out of the cake before the party started...and she picked out and placed the candles as well. Gotta love the 2-year-old touch, although she did go timeout the 5th time she stuck her hands in the cake.)

Sunday, June 24

Week 22 Menu

This week there are a lot of "cravings" popping up on my menu. Kinda funny...I never think I have them when I'm pregnant, but here they are all over my menu! I gotta say, if I didn't have medicine to help with my sickness, none of these cravings would be possible. Thank goodness for modern medicine b/c I ate the yummiest ribs ever last night...Nate wanted to go to Phil's BBQ for his birthday, and boy am I glad he did. But now all I can do is think about going back and eating more RIBS!! So, I think we're going to have to...and I'll do a nice Phil's post later this week!

PS - Only 2 menus posted last week...come on people, do your homework! Share your menus! :)

MONDAY:
- Orange chicken (it's like the Trader Joe's frozen mandarin chicken, but from Costco...will let you know how it is!)
- Egg rolls

TUESDAY:
- Chicken Marsala (TJ's simmer sauce - Nate's sick of this, but it sounds alright to me right now and I have it in the cupboard...so, too bad!)
- Pasta
- Veggie

WEDNESDAY:
- Phil's BBQ! Bring on the ribs and unhealthy side dishes!!

THURSDAY:
- Beef Stroganoff
- Egg noodles (I want egg noodles! That's craving #2 of the week)


FRIDAY:
- Leftovers

SATURDAY:
- ????

SUNDAY:
- Main dish TBD...all I know is I want...
- TWICE BAKED POTATOES...I don't care what we have with them. That makes craving #3! :)

Friday, June 22

Free Giveaway! Complete Onera Spice Set

Happy Friday! I'm happy to announce a free giveaway to end your week off right!

Remember my post about Onera Original Spice, with accompanying giveaway? Well, believe it or not, you have a second chance at getting this awesome spice in your cupboard!


The prize: A complete set of Onera Spices - Original, Mesquite, Southwest and Cajun. The big bottles to boot! I have 2 sets, so there will be two lucky winners! Thank you, Onera Blended Spices!

To enter the contest: Simply add a comment, any comment, to this post by 8 AM PT Friday, 6/29. I will announce the two winners next Friday, 6/29!

As a quick follow up, there was some question as to whether the company found at www.onerablendedspices.com was the same as the spice I've been buying all these years. They ARE the same company - new owners, new label, SAME SPICE. Yea! Also, if you visit their website, you can request samples of the spices - they offer a generous 1-oz. sample of each spice. Great spices, great company!

Good luck on the giveaway!

Wednesday, June 20

RECIPES: Meatloaf

Here are all your wonderful meatloaf recipes, compiled into one place!

MEATLOAF TIP
From Adrianne's Mom
After placing in loaf pan, place half strips of bacon on top, so each piece is cut and defined by its own piece of bacon. It looks and tastes good.


MEATLOAF, ADAPTED FROM REAL SIMPLE
From Nicole Beckstrand
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 2-ounce envelope onion soup mix
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups saltines finely ground (recipe calls for saltines, I use panko bread crumbs)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup barbeque sauce (recipe calls for this - I sometimes just use ketchup)

Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine the beef, soup mix, cheese, parsley, eggs, and saltines. Add the water and combine. Transfer the meat mixture to a baking dish and form it into a 9-inch loaf. Bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes. If using barbecue sauce, remove the meat loaf from oven after 25 minutes and pour the sauce over the top. Return to oven for about 15 minutes more.

To Freeze: Wrap the uncooked meat loaf in a large sheet of aluminum foil and cover with plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 months.

To Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cook according to the recipe.
Yield
Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 630(55% from fat); FAT 38g (sat 15g); SUGAR 1g; PROTEIN 45g; CHOLESTEROL 241mg; SODIUM 1,300mg; FIBER 1g; CARBOHYDRATE 25g


MEATLOAF
From Jenn MacArthur
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 cup oatmeal
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 egg
1 cup ketchup (or BBQ sauce - I use half and half)

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Pack into bread pan and cook at 350 for 1 - 1.5 hours. To experiment with adding some hidden vegetables, the last time I made this I added shredded carrots and shredded zucchini, and it turned out really good! It stays more moist if you keep it covered for the first half of cooking, then drain off the fat near the end if necessary.


MADE-OVER MEATLOAF (Healthier)
From Kraft Food & Family, via Jenn MacArthur
- 2 cups bran flakes
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 egg whites
- 3/4 lb. extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 375. Mix cereal, 1/3 cup BBQ sauce and egg whites in a large bowl until well blended. Add meat and vegetables, mix lightly. Shape into loaf, place on broiler pan lined with foil. Brush with remaining BBQ sauce. Bake 1 hour or until cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

CAL 240, FAT 4.5g (sat 2g), CHOL 45 mg, SODIUM 640mg, CARB 32g, FIBER 5g, SUGARS 16g, PROTEIN 21g, VIT A 45%DV, VIT C 20%DV, CALCIUM 4%DV, IRON 45%DV


TERRA'S PERFECTED MEATLOAF
From Terra
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped fine
- 2 celery sticks chopped fine
- 1 egg
- 2 slices of bread (in the food processor)
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestorsire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano (fresh)
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley (fresh)
- 1 can (15 oz.)tomato sauce

Mix and bake in loaf pan at 375 for 1 hour.


MEATLOAF TWINS
From Leslie, adapted from her Grandmother's recipe
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 lb sausage (not flavored or hot)
- 1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix (this is my shortcut for not having to chop onions and add the spices)
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 box seasoned croutons (maybe — I just add them by look now. Or if the bos is almost empty I add what's left inclduing the cumbs.)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 C milk
- 1/2 C thinly sliced celery, if you have it - optional

Now if you were my grandmother, you'd dry the ends of bread loaves then cut them up and then soak them in the beaten egg and mixture. I just throw everything into my mixer and mix it together with the dough hook.

Shape into two loaves and place in a 9x13 pan. I run ketchup on the top down the center of each loaf in a squiggled line. I hate ketchup, But can almost tolerate it when it's cooked like this. Bake at 350º for about an hour. You can bake potaoes at the same time. Or increase the oven to 375º or 400º for a faster end time. I usually cut in to the center of one to check to see if the meat is cooked before removing fromt the oven. Let sit for a bit before slicing.


MINI MEATLOAVES
From Brittany Reisenberg
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup cheese, grated
- 3/4 cup oatmeal
- 1 egg
- 1/2 chopped onion

Mix all together with a little salt and pepper. Form into 8 mini loaves and place in 9 x 13 pan (I line it with foil for easy clean up).

Mix the following:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbl mustard

Spoon sauce over each loaf. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.


BBQ STOVETOP MEATLOAF
From Kathy Allen
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix, any variety
- 1 cup water
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I prefer Bulls Eye)

Mix all ingredients except 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. Shape meat into 2 oval loaves, side by side, in 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining BBQ sauce. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.


BILL'S PRETTY-CLOSE-TO-GUS' MEATLOAF
From Dottie LaPierre
- 1 1/2 lbs very lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb mildly seasoned pork sausage
- 1 1/4 c fine bread crumbs
- 1 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbs A-1 Sauce
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 c milk
- 2 cleery stalks
- 4 green onions
- 1 Tbs poultry seasoning

Place meats in a large bowl. Break in eggs and mix. In another bowl, soak breadcrumbs in the milk. VERY finely chop the veggies and garlic. Mix all together. Bake in a loaf pan uncovered at 350 degrees for about an hour. My sister-in-law, Lucie (bill's wife), claims it to be the best meatloaf west of the Mississippi.


30-MIN MEAL MEATLOAF
From Rachael Ray via Megan Rich
I saw it on a 30-minute meal episode and everytime I make it everyone loves it. It looks complicated, but it's really not too hard and well worth the extra effort. Technically it's supposed to only take 30 minutes start to finish, but I always give myself an extra 10 or 15.
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, pork and veal mix from the butcher's counter (meatloaf mix)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 small white onion, grated
- 2 tablespoons golden or dark raisins, chopped
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, chopped
- 3 tablespoons grated cheese, Parmigiano or Romano
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup arugula leaves or baby spinach
- 6 slices prosciutto di Parma
- 6 slices deli sliced provolone (I use harvarti)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix meat and next 10 ingredients as if you were making meatloaf. Flatten meat out on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet into a thin layer: 1/2-inch thick, 12 inches long by 6 to 8 inches wide. Cover meat with arugula or spinach, prosciutto and cheese then roll the meat, using the waxed paper to help roll up into a large log, working across the 6 to 8-inch side, resulting in a 12-inch long log. Drizzle the log with extra-virgin olive oil to coat lightly. Roast meatroll 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch slices, 3 pieces per portion, and serve.

Tuesday, June 19

Musings: The Prettiest Fruit


Every time we have blueberries, the whole time I'm washing them, cooking with them, eating them...I can't help but notice how beautiful they are. I know, kind of cheesy, but they are seriously cool looking. That dark blue, with the matte kind of finish, know what I mean? It's hard to describe and the pictures I took don't really capture what I love about them, but I couldn't help but snap a few shots yesterday. Blueberries win the prize for prettiest fruit.

Call for Recipes: Meatloaf

Stacey requested good meatloaf recipes in the Menu comments yesterday. I was thinking this might be a fun 'Call for Recipes' and since you all responded to Corn Chowder so positively...bring on the meatloaf recipes! (Just post your recipe in the comments section - thanks!)

Sunday, June 17

Week 21 Menu

Happy Father's Day to all the millions of dads out there who read the blog. ;) We've had a nice lazy day around here, complete with drive down to the ocean. It was such a pretty day. Happy Father's Day, Nate - you're the best!

This week is a fun one...the Red Sox are playing the Padres in SD this year. We are SO EXCITED. If you don't know my history...I went to Boston University (I could literally see into Fenway Park from my sophomore year dorm) and my husband and his family are New Englanders to the core. We are a Red Sox family, much to my father-the-yankees-fan's dismay. Too bad for him. We're going Friday night to the game, then Nate's birthday is on Saturday - fun weekend and hopefully good food! Will try to remember to bring the camera along. :) Go Sox! Yankees suck! (sorry mom...I know I'm not supposed to use that word)

MONDAY:
- Waffles & Fresh Fruit
- Hashbrowns

TUESDAY:
- Nachos with chicken
- Mexican 7-Layer Dip


WEDNESDAY:
- Leftovers

THURSDAY:
- Orange Chicken
- Rice
- Veggie or Salad

FRIDAY:
- Going to see the RED SOX play the Padres! WOO-HOO! GO SOX!

SATURDAY:
- Nate's Birthday...something fun!

SUNDAY:
- Pot Roast
- Mashed Potatoes
- Veggie

Time to share your menus for the week! :)

Thursday, June 14

Yummy Easy Peasy Meals

Okay, time for you guys to do some work. ;) Are you ready?

The last 2 months have been rough for me as you all know...feeling sick, working a ton, trying to be a good member of the family. I find many nights I just need something EASY (and "homemade") to make for dinner. I'm so sick of take-out and don't like super processed foods, but cooking isn't so easy for me right now. The other night when I just didn't know what to make, I went to the store and grabbed those frozen Chicken Cordon Bleu packs, a box of Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice and a bag of carrots to steam. EASY and YUMMY. Definitely my yummy easy peasy meal.


So, time to share your most favorite, most yummy, EASY recipe or dinner idea (note, mine above is certainly not a recipe!). I've been wanting to ask you this question for days...bring on the great ideas! :)

Tuesday, June 12

The Goods: Kettle Bakes Potato Chips

I'm a weirdo. Some of you already know that. But I think this "little known fact" seals the deal: I've never eaten a flavored potato chip, dorito, cheeto, cheese puff, cheese flavored cracker, or flourescent radioactive snack ever. All I have to say is YUCK. You may wonder, how does she know they are "yuck" if she hasn't tried them? I just know it. And besides, why try them and then end up liking them...they're not good for me anyway, so may as well not like them. And no matter how much pleading, begging, tricking or commenting you do, I will not try them.

I WILL eat plain potato chips. That's it - only plain. And usually only with something...like a sandwich. Oh - and I can't really eat a sandwich without potato chips. Are you convinced yet of my weirdo-ness?

I also avoid baked chips and pringles - they too just look "yuck" to me. But I DID give these Kettle Bakes a try and I kinda liked them. They almost have the flavor of homemade french fries, which may sound weird but is good. Anyway, they're yummy. The crazy chip girl has spoken.

Sunday, June 10

Week 20 Menu

Wow - the weeks are really passing by. Can't believe it's already time for another menu! I'm super excited for Tuesday night's dinner...I've really been wanting good old fashioned Memorial Day-type food lately. Please share your menus! Remember...I don't care how good or bad your menu is, we just want ideas! :)

MONDAY:
- Baked French Toast (this recipe is SERIOUSLY good)
- Hashbrowns
- Fresh Fruit

TUESDAY:
Summer Picnic Dinner!
- Grilled hamburgers
- Potato Salad
- Watermelon
- Baked Beans


WEDNESDAY:
- Leftovers

THURSDAY:
- Chicken Masala (Trader Joe's simmer sauce)
- Rice
- Veggie

FRIDAY:
- Butternut Squash Soup (didn't do last week)

SATURDAY:
- Eat out

SUNDAY:
- Beef Stew
- Rolls

Thursday, June 7

Featured Recipe: Sweet Chex Mix

This little snack is something my pregnant self actually CAN eat nowadays (in fact, as I type I'm eating the very bowl pictured below). I LOVE this chex mix. I'm not a huge chex and snack mix fan, but this one is sweet and yum yum. Just wanted to share the recipe with you, in case you don't have it. Click here for recipe.


Note: Use a BIG bowl to mix it all together at the end. It makes a lot. I tried halving the recipe once, but I couldn't figure out the right time on the microwave and ended up burning it. Better off to just make the full amount and share with your friends!

Wednesday, June 6

Musings: Why Meal Planning RULES


You may be thinking right now, "Isn't this a food blog? Why am I looking at a flower? Has Jane gone green-thumb on us?" The answers are...Yes, Yes, and NO WAY. No plant in its right mind wants me thinking I have a green thumb. Honestly, the orchid just looked so pretty at breakfast this morning under the kitchen light. And flowers, while I may kill them, DO in fact make me happy...kind of like...(prepare for terribly cheesy segue)...meal planning!

So, I don't know why you visit my blog. Maybe you like the pictures, maybe the recipes without measurements, maybe you even like reading what I have to say (that seems unlikely!)...regardless, the whole reason I started the blog was to get myself planning my weekly menus, and getting other people's ideas is super helpful - enter blog.

I was thinking I should do a little PR for my blog and try to convince the un-converted of you out there why planning a weekly menu is so great. I don't actually enjoy the planning part, but the result is so worth it. It makes life so much less stressful. Seriously. When I don't plan, cooking is a DRAG...when I do plan, it's no big deal. I go to the store less. I spend less money (usually). It really just makes life EASIER. I'm not an organized person or some super duper chef...but meal planning helps tremendously. TRUST ME. If you aren't planning, you should give it a shot! Okay, I'm done preaching.

Sunday, June 3

Week 19 Menu

Hello everyone! Here's my menu for the week. Um, so I think I actually made two items from last week's menu...I'm making progress! We'll see how this week goes...tomorrow marks the end of the first trimester. HOPEFULLY I'll be like normal people and stop being sick, but since my "morning" sickness is anything but normal, not holding my breath. Until "normal" sets in, I can keep on planning and hoping! Please share your menus - we all need your ideas!

MONDAY:
- Hawaiian pizza (using Trader Joe's 99 cent crust)
- Salad

TUESDAY:
- Cuban Mojito simmer sauce (TJs) with chicken
- Black beans
- Rice


WEDNESDAY:
- Leftovers

THURSDAY:
- Trader Joe's Chinese night (mandarin orange chicken, veggie stir fry, chicken shu mai)

FRIDAY:
- Eat out

SATURDAY:
- Roasted Chicken ($5 at Costco!)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Veggie

SUNDAY:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Rolls

Friday, June 1

The Goods: Rhodes Bake-N-Serv

I've mentioned Rhodes rolls before, but yesterday when my good friend Emily said she'd never had them, I realized I need to do a post just on Rhodes - they are THAT good and you should all know about them!


I grew up with these rolls, and I think I even thought they were homemade when I was little. Rhodes is in the freezer section - the dough is frozen, let it rise a few hours, then bake. They are AWESOME. I've tried other brands with similar products - yuck. Rhodes - yum.

I always buy their traditional dinner rolls. I also buy the bread loaves, follow the directions to defrost and then make cinnamon rolls out of that dough. Easy and delish!

You can visit their website to see if you can get Rhodes in your area!

By the way - this is my 100th post - woo-hoo!