Menu Plan?

You may have noticed I didn't post a menu plan for this week. Then again, you may not have. Don't tell me if it's the latter. I did spend time this weekend creating one, and Brian and I did go grocery shopping together for everything we need. (I don't want to jinx it, but we've actually enjoyed shopping together the last 2 times!) However, this week started out a little bit hectic so I I wasn't sure whether the meals would actually get made. Here's what the meal plan has turned into.

Monday - we had Bible Study and wanted to go visit the Castos so I wasn't sure there would be time for dinner, but through a team effort we cranked out a delicious pirogi served over sauerkraut with onions and mushrooms. We should have waited till Friday for that since it turned out the be a perfect meatless option. Did I get that from a magazine? I don't remember.

Tuesday - We had planned on frying up a fresh backstrap but decided to go to the rodeo at the last minute and actually got to see the Castos this day so we ate dinner out. Eating out mid-week has all but been eliminated since we have been married, but it was a great treat. We went to Fire Hut where we made our own asian style noodle bowls. Delicious! The rodeo and concert were both spectacular! We saw calf tying, team roping, a calf scramble, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding. Darius Rucker came on after and performed a wonderful mix of new, old and a few sing-along covers.

Wednesday - Last night I was so worn out that I had just about zero energy for cooking. Brian had been home most of the day telecommuting but had to deal with a sizable sailboat catastrophe and was pretty tired himself. But around 7:30 when I was ready to pass off candy and popcorn as dinner, he stepped up and made us terriyaki salmon, rice and salad. It was probably the healthiest we've eaten this month! I'm so impressed by him on a such a regular basis, I can't even tell you.

Thursday - It's my turn to make sure we get a healthy dinner. We're having French Style Chicken with Apples, more salad and crusty bread. I printed this recipe off from the CDC website years ago and found it again this weekend but the link is gone, so here is the recipe.

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Onion, sliced
1 can (10 oz.) Condensed chicken broth
3 Tbsp Apple brandy, cider, or apple juice
3 Empire apples, cored and sliced
6-8 Artichoke hearts, cut in half
Pinch of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper
Minced fresh dill and parsley

Spray a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Brown chicken breasts on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Stir in sliced onion, apples, artichokes, broth, juice and spices. Cook 3 minutes.
Spread chicken breasts in skillet; arrange apples, onion, and artichokes on top. Simmer covered, about 10 minutes or until chicken is tender and heated through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley or dill and apple slices before serving.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 188, Fat 3.6g, Calories from Fat 17%, Cholesterol 59mg, Fiber 4g, Sodium 559mg, Protein 23.7g.

Friday: Breakfast for dinner. AKA the cheapo meal. We're having Goldenrod Eggs on Toast with sauteed grape tomatoes, hash browns and grapefruit.