Spaghetti and Meatballs

One of the reasons I offered a year ago to do most of the cooking is because I was tired of having the same thing every week. Spaghetti and meat sauce, steak and baked potatoes, plain baked salmon and canned asparagus... I was simply getting bored and wanted to try new things. So now, when I make spaghetti, I actually WANT spaghetti. This time I am making meatballs instead of just a meat sauce.

Spaghetti with Meatballs (adapted from a recipe by Tyler Florence)

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• Dried Parsley to taste
  
• 1 cup milk
• 4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed
• 2 pounds ground beef
  
• 1 pound ground pork
  
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• Good quality tomato sauce
  
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 pound spaghetti

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat.

-Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

-Allow the vegetables to cool

-Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak. Squeeze out the excess milk before adding it to the bowl of cooled onions.

-Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper.

-Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands until just mixed together (don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough). Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice looking meatballs.

-Heat oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes.

-Put them into a baking dish and spoon some of the tomato sauce over them. Shower with the mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil.

-Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

-Serve meatballs over spaghetti and the rest of the sauce, along with additional grated Parmesan cheese and garlic bread.

Tonight's dinner

It's snowing. It'll stop here and there and then pick up again. Roads are going to be horrible come this evening and I hope everyone gets home safe.

Cold and snow makes me think of chili, stew, or soup. However, since I can't really have tomatoes anymore, I had to find a new chili recipe.

And I found a wonderful one!

So tonight's dinner is going to be White Chicken Chili with a Cornbread Crust.

Ingredients:

Chili

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1-2 cans of navy beans (19oz)
  
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 can chicken broth (14oz)
  
• 1 can mild green chilies (4.5oz) ----> if you don't like heat, use 1/2 this
• 1 can white corn
  

Cornbread Crust

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 package cornbread mix (6oz) ----> I use Jiffy as I like the sweetness
  

Sour cream, optional, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

-In a dutch over, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup onion, garlic, green pepper, cumin, and chili powder, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

-Add the lime juice, cannellini beans, chicken, broth, and green chilies, and stir until just combined.

-Remove from the heat and set aside.

-In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the milk, butter, and cornbread mix, and blend well.

-Pour over the chicken chili in the skillet.

-Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.

-Top with sour cream if desired when serving.

Hope someone enjoys this recipe as much as I do!

The rest of the day...

So, I have posted my dinner menus for the next couple of months and thought "yay, it's done!"

Then I remembered something...

One normally eats more then a single meal in a day and I have NO ideas for breakfast or lunch. As eating breakfast and lunch is pretty important to a good, solid diet, I realized I should get some ideas for those meals as well. I also needed some ideas for healthy snacks that I can take with me to classes and out and about. This way I will be less likely to go down to the vending machines for a snack.

My biggest issue though is that I get bored. I can not have the same things over and over again. I start the resent the diet at that point and usually end up eating something I shouldn't. So, I need to have a good selection that I can make easily and change up easily.

Some breakfast ideas:
- Oatmeal
+ Brown Sugar and Apples
+ Peanut Butter, bananas, and almonds
+ Brown Sugar and Peaches
+ Strawberries and Milk
+ Blueberries and Milk
- Baked Eggs
+ Spinach, mushrooms, and ham
+ Tomato Sauce, onions, bell peppers, and Parmesan cheese
+ Chicken, salsa, and feta cheese
- Homemade Breads and Muffins
- Omelets
+ Left over meats, veggies, and cheese
- Egg, Bacon, and Cheese Sandwich
- Pancakes, Waffles, or French Toast with fruit toppings
- Smoothies

Some lunch ideas:
- Leftovers from dinner
- Salads
+ Lettuce: Spinach, Romaine, Mixed Greens
+ Protein: Chicken, Tuna, Steak, Hard Boiled Eggs, Deli Meats
+ Veggies: Red Onion, Cucumber, Tomato, Bell Peppers, Avocado
+ Add Ons: Beans, Toasted Nuts, Croutons, Crumbled Cheese, Crumbled Bacon, Olives
+ Dressings: Homemade Ranch, Balsamic, Oil and Vinegar
- Sandwiches
+ Bread: Whole Wheat, Sourdough, English Muffins, Pitas, Rye
+ Fillings: Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Bacon, Grilled Chicken, Grilled Veggies, Tuna
+ Avocado, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Onions, Cheese
+ Hummus, Olive Oil Mayo, Mustard, Dijon, Oil and Vinegar

Some snack ideas:
- Fruit Leather
- Fresh Fruit
- Nuts
- Chips and Salsa
- Veggies and hummus
- Popcorn
- Fruit Bars
- Pretzels
- Cheese and Crackers
- Greek Yogurt and fruit
- Homemade trailmix

Resolutions

I have already made two posts on New Years Resolutions so you are most likely wondering why another one. Well, it's because I forgot to post my #1 cooking resolution for this year!

So, drum roll please...

I am going to finally get up the nerve to make my own yeast bread. This is also going to expand into the idea that I am going to bake more. Fresh yeast breads, breakfast breads, muffins, ect. I think this would really save me money and be healthier for the household.

Menus

School starts on Thursday. Not sure if I am excited about it or dreading it. Since I knew classes were coming up I decided to work on a menu for February so that I was ahead. I currently use the website Say Mmm to help lay out my menus and it works really well. However, to help myself and those who might actually read this, I am also going to post my monthly menus here on my blog. I also mean to post recipes that I find that we really enjoy... we will see how long that lasts!

So, here is my menu for today until the end of the month of January:

1/5 Chicago Style Pizza
1/7 Fajitas and Spanish Rice
1/8 Beef and Broccoli, Eggrolls
1/9 Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Casserole, Corn bread
1/11 White Chicken chili with a Corn Bread Crust
1/12 Honey Mustard Pork Chops, Angle Hair Pasta, Glazed Carrots
1/14 Spaghetti and Meatballs, Garlic Bread
1/16 Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Corn Fritter Casserole, Rolls
1/17 Minestrone Soup (crockpot), Fresh bread
1/19 French Toast, Sausage
1/21 Salmon with Couscous/Rice
1/23 Steak Pinwheels with Sun Dried Tomato Stuffing, Roasted Asparagus, Rolls
1/24 Teriyaki Chicken (crockpot), Salad, Rolls
1/26 Pot Roast, Carrots and Onions, Potatoes
1/28 Baked Tilapia with Dill Sauce, Rice Pilaf, Green Beans
1/30 Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce, Garlic Bread
1/31 Herb Roasted Turkey Breast (crockpot), Stuffing, Corn

Now, the menu for February:

2/2 Chicken Sausage, Pepper, and Onion fake Bake, Garlic Bread
2/4 Roasted Chicken, Cornbread Stuffing, Corn
2/6 Fish and Chips
2/7 Hamburger Soup (crockpot), Fresh Bread
2/9 Roast Pork with Maple and Mustard Glaze, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots
2/11 Fried Chicken, Biscuits with Honey Butter, Corn
2/12 Italian Sausage, Baked Beans
2/14 Chicken Noodle Soup(crockpot), Fresh Bread
2/16 Mustard Roasted Salmon, Asparagus, Rolls
2/18 ??? <--- My birthday
2/20 Ribeye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce, Roasted Potatoes, Salad
2/21 Tender and Tangy Ribs (crockpot), Mashed Potatoes, Canned Fruit
2/23 Teriyaki Chicken Noodles, Egg Rolls
2/25 French Onion Soup
2/27 Baked BBQ Chicken, Corn Fritter Casserole, Rolls
2/28 Beef Stew, Fresh Bread

And because my grocery shopping trips would run the last few February meals into the same week as the start of March:

3/2 Brunch: Amish Breakfast Casserole, Breakfast Bread
3/4 Enchiladas, Mexican Rice
3/6 French Dip Sandwiches, Fruit Salad, Broccoli Salad

The New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

So, it's a new year. The year has the potential to bring a lot of good and a lot of not as good. However, that is a part of life and something one always has to deal with.

One tradition that happens at this time of year is the idea of a New Years resolution. I don't normally make resolutions because I never seem to keep them past the first few weeks. However, this year, I am making a pledge to myself. I refuse to think of it as a resolution so that I actually have a better chance at keeping it! I wrote about that in my previous blog (from December 6th).

I am hoping to start later this week.

My menu this week isn't the best due to a couple of traditions we have at the beginning of the year. However, it will get better!

Today: Apps and Snacks- quesadillas, artichoke and spinach dip, cheese and crackers, and brownies.

Monday: Orange Glazed Salmon, Roasted Asparagus, Rolls

Wednesday: Chicago Style Pizza and Hot dogs

Friday: Steak Fajitas, Spanish Rice

Sunday: Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Casserole

A new me...

I'm done...

I am finished with focusing on everybody else and not taking care of myself. The stress is too much, I'm exhausted, and my physical and mental health is being negatively impacted.

So, I have decided "NO MORE".

I need to start taking care of myself and put myself first. I need to do what I can to help myself. I need to get healthy, lose weight, and be happy. I am realizing that I don't have to be the person I am now for the rest of my life. I can change my path and fix it all.

So, I am making the choice to make my life better.

1. Change my diet. I need to change the way I eat and do better with my portion size. No more fast food, no more going back for multiple servings, and more home cooking of healthier meals.

2. Working out. I need to get into better shape and start walking and working out.

3. Cleaning. I need to go through all my stuff and get rid of a bunch of junk. I have too many clothes that I don't wear, too many art supplies that I don't use, and just too much STUFF. It is time to clear it all out!

4. Hobbies. I need to go back to my hobbies and doing things I enjoy. This will make my life less stressful and more fun.

5. Myself. I am going to take for time with my appearance. I will dress better, take time to do my hair and makeup, and just try to take better care of how I look.

So, yea... a lot of changes. I won't be doing it all one at a time in order to make it easier. It won't do me any good to do it all at once and then get stressed out from that! So, step by step.

Yep, step by step... to a happier and healthier me.