Meal plan: Week of 12/14-12/20

Weekly Meals: December 14th - 20th

Sunday: Crab-stuffed salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts
Monday: One-pot cheesy turkey taco chili mac (substituted ground chicken)
Tuesday: Orange brown sugar chicken with peas and baked potatoes
Wednesday: Chicken sausage with green peppers & onions
Thursday: (Out to Mezzo)
Friday: Brussels sprouts, cranberry & quinoa salad
Saturday: Leftovers

Meal plan: Week of 12/7-12/13

Weekly Meals: December 7th - 13th

Sunday: Hummus-crusted chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts & potatoes
Monday: Wild rice & bean casserole with guacamole
Tuesday: Pasta with chicken meatballs, artichokes & homemade marinara
Wednesday: (Out to Piper's Pub)
Thursday: Crab cakes, baked potato, steamed broccoli & cauliflower
Friday: 5-ingredient Crock Pot ham & navy bean soup
Saturday: Spiral-cut ham, green bean casserole, corn pudding

Meal plan: Week of 11/30-12/6

Weekly Meals: November 30th - December 6th

Sunday: Asian broccoli salad with peanut sauce
Monday: Parmesan-crusted pork chops with balsamic roasted cauliflower
Tuesday: Thai pork burgers with Sriracha aioli
Wednesday: Chicken, sweet potato & pecan salad
Thursday: (Out to Il Pizzaolo with girls)
Friday: Crock Pot shredded beef enchiladas (from the freezer)
Saturday: (Out to Caliente Pizza)

Meal plan: Week of 11/16-11/22

Weekly Meals: November 16th - 22nd

Sunday: Salmon burgers with roasted green beans
Monday: (Out to Butterjoint)
Tuesday: Grilled chicken with baked sweet potato & steamed broccoli
Wednesday: (Out to Mad Mex)
Thursday: Pasta with chicken, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes & spinach
Friday: Slow cooker beef stew with biscuits
Saturday: (Tailgating)

Meal plan: Week of 11/9-11/15

Weekly Meals: November 2nd - 8th

Sunday: Chicken parmesan baked penne
Monday: Tuscan white bean & garlic soup
Tuesday: Garlic rosemary pork chops with leftover soup
Wednesday: Slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches with peas
Thursday: Grilled sea bass with rosemary garlic roasted mushrooms
Friday: English muffin pizzas and roasted broccoli
Saturday: (Out to Taj Mahal)

Meal plan: Week of 11/2-11/8

Weekly Meals: November 2nd - 8th

Sunday: Five spice chicken with bacon-wrapped potato wedges
Monday: (Out to The Road Toad)
Tuesday: Black bean burgers with roasted cauliflower
Wednesday: Asian farro medley with salmon (subbed quinoa for farro)
Thursday: Pumpkin blueberry pancakes and bacon
Friday: Shredded beef enchiladas (from the freezer!)
Saturday: Crab cakes with roasted broccoli

Meal plan: Week of 10/26-11/1

Hello and here we go, friends!  Ready for another week?

We had a pretty great weekend around these parts.  The cold/rainy/windy weather on Friday night put a damper on the guys' plan to turn the garage into a quarantine unit, but we still had a blast hanging out on the front porch and handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.  When we could no longer feel our fingers and toes, we headed inside for Crock Pot French dip sandwiches and a Catchphrase tournament (don't ask about the winner...).  After an overtime Pitt football loss on Saturday, Matt and I headed out for dinner and a movie; he liked Birdman, while I didn't care for it one bit.  Sunday turned into Funday, thanks to a little shopping and lunch date after church.  We ended the weekend in my favorite way: homecooked dinner followed by couch time and some TV.

November is upon us, which means Thanksgiving is less than a month away and Christmas is just around the corner.  I'll be ramping up my baking and sharing a few recipes for inventive side dishes in the coming weeks.  If there's anything in particular you want to see, please speak up!  'Tis the season to be thankful and giving, so I want to give ya what you want.

See ya tomorrow! :)


Weekly Meals: October 26th - November 1st

Sunday: (Pizza from Gianilli's II)
Monday: Garlic salmon with garlic roasted broccoli & brown rice
Tuesday: Chicken stew with butternut squash & quinoa
Wednesday: Balsamic burgers with steamed cauliflower
Thursday: Proscuitto-wrapped pear & brie stuffed chicken breasts with roasted Brussels sprouts
Friday: (Halloween party at friends' house)
Saturday: (Out to Kaleidoscope Cafe)

Meal plan + 5th blogging birthday!

You guys.  You guys!  Do you know what today is?

It's Monday.

Which is the first work day after the weekend.
 
And Matt's new night off from coaching .

It's also one of two nights out of the week that we eat at the dining room table (gulp).

It's Gotham night on TV.

And formerly Gossip Girl night (still love Blair Waldorf after all this time)

It can't possibly be the beginning of the last week of October... but it is.

Oh, and how could I forget?  It's my little blog's 5th birthday! :)  (You should make this cake to celebrate.)

Five years ago today, I stumbled around the interwebs, looking for an easy program to start what the kids were calling a "blog."  Five years ago today, I had zero followers, minimal skill, a hunger (both literal and figurative) to become a better baker and cook.  Five years ago today, I (a bit nervously) started sharing my adventures, successes, and mishaps.  Five years ago, I met you!

You wonderful people who have become my friends, cheerleaders, testers, critics, and supporters.  Thank you for reading, eating, and laughing along with me.  You've made this more fun than I ever could've imagined.

From the bottom of my heart (and stomach), thank you! :)

Here's last week's dinner menu.  Be sure to check back tomorrow for one more sweet Halloween treat!


Weekly Meals: October 19th - 25th

Sunday: Garlic, parsley & panko-crusted cod with corn & carrots
Monday: Burgers with sweet potato fries
Tuesday: Tomato basil chicken with pasta and roasted broccoli
Wednesday: Maple dijon roasted potatoes, apples & chicken sausage (recipe coming this week!)
Thursday: Garlic & rosemary pork chops with brown rice & green beans
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: (Tailgating - hot dogs & toppings bar, baked beans)

Meal plan: Week of 10/12-10/18

Weekly Meals: October 5th - 11th

Sunday: Pumpkin & bean enchiladas
Monday: Slow cooker creamy pork chops with roasted Brussels sprouts
Tuesday: Sausage-stuffed acorn squash
Wednesday: Lemon chicken wild rice soup
Thursday: Slow cooker shredded beef sandwiches & the world's best macaroni and cheese
Friday: Pizza spaghetti squash
Saturday: Garlic-crusted salmon with tomato-basil relish and roasted broccoli

Meal plan: Week of 10/5-10/11

Weekly Meals: October 5th - 11th

Sunday: Sun-dried tomato parmesan salmon with steamed broccoli
Monday: Harvest apple chicken burgers with cranberry Stilton cheese & roasted green beans
Tuesday: Spaghetti, green beans & corn, cheesy garlic bread
Wednesday: Shredded beef & bean enchiladas
Thursday: Pasta with shrimp, peas & pesto
Friday: (Out to Butterjoint)
Saturday: Three bean & beef chili with cornbread

Meal plan: Week of 9/28-10/4

Welcome!  Hope you had a terrific weekend.  Mine was full of all sorts of fun adventures that seemed connected thanks to a numerical theme.  Here's what I've been up to, by the numbers:

• 2 episodes into Gotham and I can say I'm hooked.  For those watching, how awesome is Jada Smith?!
• 949 steps over 2.6 miles covered on this year's StepTrek.  Did you know that Pittsburgh has the most steps of any city in the United States?
• 1 hail storm during aforementioned StepTrek.  It may have halted us for a few minutes, but we marched on.  HAIL, you guys!
• 4 different kinds of meatballs sampled in 1 hour.  We celebrated a friend's 30th birthday on Saturday night at a local meatball-themed restaurant.  Thankfully, it's a great place for sharing plates.  My favorite meatball + sauce combo was (surprisingly) the vegetarian (made up of cauliflower, mushrooms, and white beans) with spinach-almond pesto.  TDF!
• 750 cents, which bought two warm falll-themed drinks from Starbucks, for a fun afternoon getting to know my new church friend.  I was invited to be a mentor to a young member of this year's confirmation class.  After just one meeting, I can already tell that I"m going to love spending time with her.  She's sweet, dynamic, and a pretty talented photographer -- I'm hoping I can learn a thing or two from her.
• 22 pounds of apples and 2 pumpkins purchased at a local orchard yesterday.  Get ready for loooots of new apple recipes.  I've got some great ideas up my sleeve.
• 4 sticks of butter used and 4 pie crusts made yesterday in under 30 minutes.  The first apple recipe is a no-brainer.

Whatever your weekend tally, I hope it added up (see what I did there?) to a good time.  Have a great Monday!


Weekly Meals: September 28th - October 4th

Sunday: (Out to OTB Cafe)
Monday: Superfood salad with salmon
Tuesday: Slow cooker chicken enchilada soup
Wednesday: (Out to Butcher & the Rye)
Thursday: Garlic brown sugar chicken with parmesan kale & broccoli
Friday: Roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches
Saturday: (Out to Sienna Mercato)

Meal plan: Week of 9/21-9/27

How are ya, sunshine?  What a fantastic summer weekend we had around here!  What's that?  It's fall?  Could've fooled me.

The sun was out and the temps hovered near 80 most of the time, and we took full advantage of it.  A Pitt football game Tailgating (let's not talk about it), batting cages, dinner & drinks lakeside at OTB, brunch with visiting cousins, the Great Race, and even more ice cream (can't stop, won't stop) kept us busy until the customary Sunday evening couch crash.

I'm looking forward to a week peppered with exciting and overdue, if I may say, celebrations.  Birthdays, babies, and new jobs -- there's so much to be thankful for.  Oh, and here's something for you to look forward to around the blog: it's chocolate chip week!  Two new recipes coming your way, plus a collection of my favorites at week's end.  Hope your Monday is as least Monday as possible :)


Weekly Meals: September 21st-27th

Sunday: 5-ingredient Pesto chicken & bean soup
Monday: Slow cooker orange balsamic beef roast & potatoes
Tuesday: Five spice salmon with green beans
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Parmesan pepper chicken with roasted Brussels sprouts & sweet potatoes
Friday: Pasta with shrimp, mushrooms & garlic
Saturday: (Tailgating)

Meal plan: Week of 9/14-9/20

Whirlwind wedding weekend!  (Say that three times fast.)  So much love, family, fun, and dancing... but very little time for pictures.  At least I managed to get two great shots: one of Matt and his brother, Chris, heading to the wedding in style; and the other of the beautiful bride and handsome groom cutting their oh-so-delicious cake.  Congratulations, Chris and Jess! :)


Weekly Meals: September 14th-20th

Sunday: Parmesan-crusted pork chops with roasted onions & Brussels sprouts
Monday: Taco chicken with green beans & peas
Tuesday: Chocolate chip peanut butter pancakes with
Wednesday: Chicken, broccoli, corn & avocado skillet
Thursday: Shrimp fried rice
Friday: (Traveling - rehearsal dinner)
Saturday: (Traveling - wedding)

Meal plan: Week of 9/7-9/13

Weekly Meals: September 7th-13th

Sunday: Zucchini "spaghetti" with shrimp & homemade marinara sauce
Monday: Slow cooker black bean soup with jalapeno cheddar corn bread
Tuesday: Chili & cocoa-dusted pork chops with green beans
Wednesday: Pumpkin pancakes & chicken sausages
Thursday: Feta & sun-dried tomato turkey meatloaf with peas
Friday: Five spice salmon with steamed broccoli & brown rice
Saturday: Leftovers (soup & meatloaf)

Meal plan: Week of 8/31-9/6

Week of August 31st - September 6th

Sunday: Cookout at parents' house
Monday: Baked cheesy tomato & mushroom chicken
Tuesday: Black bean, corn, zucchini skillet with avocado
Wednesday: Out to Monterey Bay
Thursday: Lemon feta chicken drumsticks with roasted broccoli
Friday: Five-spice salmon with steamed broccoli & brown rice
Saturday: Out to Piper's Pub (beef shepherd's pie for her)

Meal plan: Week of 8/24-30

Happy Labor Day!  So, um, whathappenedtoAugust?!  Everyone I've talked to about summer's timeline seems to agree that June and July were paced just perfectly; August, however, was on something else entirely because it flew by.

We've spent this final weekend of August enjoying a mix of summer and fall activities: picnic dinner, tailgating and college football (Pitt dominated with a 62-0 victory!), family cookout, and even some browsing for new winter jackets.  The latter mission was unsuccessful, but I feel confident that I've got enough time before Old Man Winter hits western PA.  Although, snow in October isn't unheard of...

I'm a little ready for fall, can you tell?  Before I get too ahead of myself -- I blame you, Starbucks -- let's back up a bit and check out what I made for dinner last week.  A few new-to-us items, like pasta carbonara (OMG) and a twist on classic Mexican quesadillas, thanks to a few fabulous blogs around the web.  Enjoy!

Week of August 24th-30th
Sunday: Chicken meatballs with marinara & zucchini "pasta"
Monday: Roasted green beans with bacon & mushrooms
Tuesday: Garlic brown sugar chicken with grilled corn on the cob
Wednesday: Smashed white bean & kale quesadillas
Thursday: Pasta carbonara with peas
Friday: (Out - sushi for her, Chinese for him)
Saturday: Dill & garlic salmon with steamed broccoli

Meal plan: Week of 8/17-8/23

Happy Monday to all of you!  And, to some of you, happy first day of school!

Whether it's you, your kids, the neighborhood kids, or all of those rowdy college students populating what was an otherwise peaceful city this summer -- ahem -- it seems like everyone is in the spirit of things.  Matt heads back to school for teaching and coaching, and we're both looking forward to the start of college football season.  Hail to Pitt!  Speaking of, how gorgeous is this sunset and view of the Cathedral of Learning we spotted from our apartment last week?  Totally makes me nostalgic for college life.

Here is last week's meal plan featuring two Deep Creek restaurants and a new pizza recipe coming your way later this week.


Week of August 17th - 23rd
Sunday: Grilled chicken & corn on the cob
Monday: Zucchini squash & quinoa salad with goat cheese
Tuesday: Beef taco salads with chunky tomato dressing
Wednesday: Chicken sausage & broccoli pizzas
Thursday: Garlic rosemary pork chops with peas & smashed potatoes
Friday: (Traveling - Brenda's Pizzeria)
Saturday: (Traveling - Archie's BBQ)

Meal plan: Week of 8/10-8/16

Week of August 10th - 16th

Sunday: Walnut-crusted chicken with salad
Monday: Sirloin caprese burgers with baked beans
Tuesday: Rosemary & garlic salmon with broccoli
Wednesday: Salami, spinach & mozzarella calzones
Thursday: Fiesta bean salad with chips
Friday: Out to Taj Mahal
Saturday: Out to Pizza Cono (spoiler alert -- delicious novelty but won't return)

Meal plan: Week of 8/3-8/9

Now THAT was what I call a summer weekend!  How was yours?

Matt and I took full advantage of the picture-perfect weather and hopped from one fun adventure to the next.  We went to a local orchard for a peach festival, enjoyed a public art pool party, celebrated a friend's 30th birthday, kayaked on the Allegheny River, and indulged our sweet tooth with my new favorite ice cream in Pittsburgh (Antney's!).  Somewhere around 9:00 Sunday night, we both collapsed into a heap o' humans onto the couch.

As much fun as we had on vacation, it was nice to get back to our normal summertime routine, including weeknight rituals of making dinner together and taking an evening stroll around town.  Yep, you read that correctly -- I've removed the iron gate and invited Matt into the kitchen to cook with me.  It may have something to do with a new gadget I received for my birthday that has both of us bursting with excitement.  Spoiler alert: Get ready for an epic summertime burger recipe later this week ;)


Week of August 3rd - 9th

Sunday: Traveling (800 Degree Pizza in LA)
Monday: Huevos rancheros
Tuesday: Chicken meatballs with pesto & zucchini "noodles"
Wednesday: Cheddar sirloin burgers with roasted green beans
Thursday: Rosemary garlic parmesan pork chops with steamed peas & broccoli
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Out to birthday party (Steel Cactus)

Meal plan: Week of 7/13-7/19

Week of July 13th - 19th

Sunday: Traveling - out to Captain's Cove (Reading, PA)
Monday: Summer corn & zucchini chili with jalapeno cheddar corn bread (recipes this week!)
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Corn, tomato & goat cheese pizza
Thursday: Green monster smoothies
Friday: Out to swim team banquet with Matt
Saturday: Birthday "dinner" at Sarris