this simple salsa...

is literally the best I've ever had. Though I may up the jalapenos next time, as it's not terribly spicy. (Yeah, I know the picture isn't making it look particularly appetizing, but I swear it even looks good in person.) And as I said, it's just as plain and simple to make as could be. Best of all, much of it came from our own garden. :)

Fresh Garden Salsa:

4-5 medium to large tomatoes, diced small
2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced (not from our garden, though I hope we end up with a good harvest this year)
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped (not from our garden)
juice from 1 lime (not from our garden, though I wish we could grow limes here)

Mix it all together. Mash lightly with fork. Stir again. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (though it gets even better after a day or two).

let's try this again

So this was supposed to be last week's menu plan. Before the awful flu-like evilness invaded, and all plans for *anything* went right down the tubes.

On the bright side, it made for very easy planning this week...just needed to do a bit of tweaking, and we were set to go. :D

Sunday:
breakfast--whatever
lunch--grilled veggie dogs, beans, watermelon
supper--easy peasy tortellini soup, Italian herb bread

Monday:
breakfast--raspberry crumb cake (I am obviously very slow in the kitchen though. They list the prep time as 20 minutes. Definitely took me longer than that! :P  But it was worth every minute--this is sooooo delicious!!!)

lunch--pizza salad, homemade butter rolls, cantalope
supper--veggie sausage sandwiches, perogies

Tuesday:
breakfast--raspberry crumb cake leftovers
lunch--cheese dreams, sunchips
supper--pumpkin waffles

Wednesday:
breakfast--frozen waffles
lunch--scrambled eggs burritoes
supper--spaghetti, Italian herb bread, key lime pie

Thursday:
breakfast--cereal
lunch--sandwiches, sunchips
supper--cheesy noodle casserole, butter rolls, broccoli

Friday:
breakfast--orange smoothies, bagels
lunch--grilled veggie burgers, fruit salad
supper--spinach lasagna roll-ups, Italian herb bread

Saturday:
breakfast--apple breakfast sandwiches

Apple Breakfast Sandwiches:
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
10 oz. tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup shredded cheddar
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into rings
2 Tbsp butter, melted
Combine first three ingredients. Set aside.
Separate biscuits and press each into a 3 inch circle. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with cheese. Top each with an apple ring. Sprinkle with sugar mixture. Drizzle with butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

lunch--cheese dreams, sunchips
supper: taco salad

Many thanks to Laura, the lovely hostess of Menu Plan Monday. For lots more ideas, check here...but be prepared to salivate heavily.

back in the saddle

Oh my...it's been like forever and an eon since I've participated in Laura's Menu Plan Monday. And honestly, I'm a total moron for ever having given up doing it on a regular basis. It is soooooo unbelievably healthy on both stress levels and on the bank account. And since I'm using this summer to get me started back on the road to organization (or at least a few steps back from complete and utter chaos), I figured this was the perfect time to get back to menu-planning.

Admittedly, this week is heavy on the super-easy type meals. But as I am just now wrapping up the school-year, I decided that was perfectly okay. (After all, I'll get in a lot more trouble from the school district for not handing in the fourth quarterly report on time than I will from my family for feeding them frozen ravioli for dinner, right?)

Monday:
*breakfast--oatmeal with brown sugar and fresh blueberries

*Lunch--sandwiches, pretzels/sunchips, cantalope
*Supper--pizza salad, veggie burgers, lemon snack cake

Pizza Salad: Cook, drain, and cool 16 oz. rotini. Add 2 large or 3 small chopped tomatoes, small bunch chopped green onions, and 8 oz. cheddar cheese cut into cubes. (The non-vegetarians in the house add sliced pepperoni to theirs.) Drizzle 1-2 Tbsps vegetable/canola/whatever oil over pasta mixture. Add 1/4-1/2 cup red wine vinegar (we use more because we prefer it tangy). Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste. Toss and serve.

Tuesday:
*Breakfast--bagels, orange smoothies

Orange Smoothies: In blender, combine 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, 1 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 20-ish ice cubes. (Original recipe called for twice the sugar, but it's totally not necessary.)

*Lunch--cheese dreams, pretzels/sunchips

Cheese Dreams: Place hamburger rolls open on broiler pan. Place slice of American cheese on each bottom. Top with 1 1/2 slices of facon. Broil on low until cheese melts, facon cooks, and bun browns. (Does not take long at all!) Top with tomato slices. Mayo or mustard works well as condiment.

*Supper--veggie chili, cornbread, watermelon, brownies (made with helper Max)

Wednesday:
*breakfast--frozen waffles
*lunch--FLTs, pretzels/sunchips, blueberry smoothies (made with helper Gray)
*supper--ravioli, homemade bread, cucumber wedges

Thursday:
*breakfast--cereal
*lunch--leftover chili, tortilla chips
*supper--stir fry, fruit salad

Friday:
*breakfast--pancakes
*lunch--veggie chicken sandwiches, leftover fruit salad

Weekend:
(We'll be leaving to go to a family reunion Friday afternoon, and will be back sometime Sunday. Will likely eat supper on the road.)
*to take--red grape salad, muesli bars, and peanut butter bars (made by Annie)

For many more menu ideas (all more exciting than mine!), check here. And many thanks to Laura, otherwise known to me as "Superwoman."