On our way home and the Weekly Menu

We had a great time on our Cozumel trip.  Our final dive of the trip marked #300 for Frank.  What a lot of good memories we have from so many amazing trips.

Curried Chicken Muffins #FoodnFlix #MuffinMonday

These incredible muffins are chock full of flavorful chicken curry and sauteed onions.  They are perfect for in the lunch box or as an after school snack to stave off the Hangries until dinner time.

I was inspired to make these for Muffin Monday after watching the film Nina's Heavenly Delights.

Charleston Shrimp Pie #FishFridayFoodies

Life doesn't get much easier or much more delicious than this easy peasy Charleston Shrimp Pie.

It's time for Fish Friday Foodies..........

Orange Poppy Seed Muffin Bundt #BundtBakers

These wonderful little Bundt Muffins are flavored with orange zest and juice and then given a wonderful crunch with the poppy seeds.

Join the Bundt Bakers as we celebrate National Muffin Day.......

Red Velvet Cookie Bars #FantasticalFoodFight

Red Velvet Cookie Dough studded with M&M candies and baked up in a pan.  The result?  Fudge like brownie bars....YUM.

We are having our final round of Fantastical Food Fight this month with Red Velvet recipes.....

Southwest Meatloaf and a Book Review

This meatloaf is made with crushed tortilla chips and salsa instead of breadcrumbs and ketchup giving it an amazing southwest flavor.

I was inspired to make this meatloaf after reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli for our Lit Happens Book Club.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot #MultiCookerMonday

These hard boiled eggs are made in the Instant Pot using the 5/5/5 method.  Guaranteed to turn out perfectly every time.  The shells just slip right off.

It is just one reason why I LOVE my Instant Pot.  Of course, I also love my slow cooker and air fryer.  In fact I love all my kitchen gadgets which is why I'm happy to invite you to check out a new group that I joined called Multi Cooker Monday.

Taco Stuffed Shells and the Weekly Menu #OurFamilyTable

Enjoy Pasta next Taco Tuesday!!!  Jumbo shells filled with taco meat and tomatoes and then sprinkled with more tomatoes and shredded cheese.  A perfect combination.

The From Our Dinner Table Group is sharing Pasta Recipes today......

Green Gumbo #SoupSaturdaySwappers

This Green Gumbo is made with assorted fresh greens instead of okra and is served with trinity rice for a filling, nutritious one dish meal that will have your family requesting seconds.

Welcome to this month's edition of Soup Saturday Swappers.......

A Special Wine for A Special Night #Winophiles

Happy Valentine Day.  Do you go out for dinner or make a special dinner at home for your love?  I much prefer spending Valentine's Day in and avoiding the crowds.  If your are with me then I have just the meal for you.

To be completely honest with you, this was not the meal I had planned to pair with the wine I chose for our French Winophiles event this month but life with a Teen is unpredictable......

Be My Valentine Margarita #NationalMargaritaWeekend

Invite your Love to be your Valentine with this gorgeous and delicious Margarita.  It is sure to be the start of a wonderful evening.

The Festive Foodies are celebrating National Margarita Weekend.....

Polish Potato Pancakes #ImprovCookingChallenge

I got the recipe for these potato pancakes from the Polish Village Restaurant in Hamtramck, Michigan.  This restaurant has been around since the Polish Immigrants first settled in Michigan.  My husband's parents had their wedding shower there in 1942.  Guests paid a quarter and got hot dogs and beer.  It was a fun story that Mom would share with us when we would take her out there for dinner.

It is the perfect recipe to share during the Improv Cooking Challenge this month where the theme is Potatoes and Eggs.

Pannekaker and a Book Review #BreadBakers

These thin, crepe like pancakes are commonly served in Norway for breakfast topped with your favorite jam.

We are celebrating Scandinavian Breads this month with our Bread Bakers group and as luck would have it I was reading a fun little book set partially in Norway......

Tepsi Baytinjan #EattheWorld

This traditional Iraqi casserole is cooked up in a skillet before transferring to a casserole. Layer fried eggplant, potatoes, and onions.  Top with tomatoes and sauce then nestle meatballs on top and in between before moving it to the oven for a final bake. Serve it with steamed rice.

Join us as we travel to Iraq and Eat the World........

Roast Chicken Shwarma #BakingBloggers

This delicious, tender, flavorful chicken Shwarma only takes 45 minutes in the oven before you are enjoying it for dinner.

Chicken Shwarma is normally cooked on a grill or rotisserie but you can enjoy it any time of the year by roasting it in your oven during the cold winter months.

I Give You My Heart Pizza #NationalPizzaDay

Surprise your family on Valentine's Day with this fun and delicious heart shaped pizza.

We are celebrating National Pizza Day with the Festive Foodies.........

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette #OurFamilyTable

Roasted squash, beets and parsnips, tossed with bacon and romaine, topped with a roasted garlic vinaigrette and sprinkled with almonds is a perfect Winter Salad.

The members of From Our Dinner Table Group are sharing Winter Salads today........

Scenes from Last Weekend's Celebration and the Weekly Menu

Last Sunday, we celebrated our Teen receiving the Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation.  She is now fully in communion with our faith.  We couldn't be prouder.

After the Mass we invited our friends and family to gather with us for a celebration.  Luckily this was early enough not to interfere with any Superbowl Plans anyone had.

A Gastronomic Visit to Savoie #WinePW

This classic dish from the Savoie area of France, located in the Alps was the perfect pairing for a bottle of Savoie Rosé for Wine Pairing Weekend this month.

This homey, comforting dish of bacon, onions and potatoes topped with melted cheese is an absolutely wonderful celebration of flavors.

Wentelteefjes and a Book Review

I was inspired to make this Dutch Style French Toast after reading the novel The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.

This wonderful, comforting breakfast was spoken of in the last section of this novel when our protagonist returned to her mother's homeland in Denmark.

This Dutch French Toast is soaked in a flavored custard for half an hour before being pan fried in a generous amount of butter and sprinkled with with a powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Mushroom and Swiss Frittata #FoodieExtravaganza

This delicious frittata is perfect for Breakfast, Brunch, or Brinner.  Filled with sauteed onions and mushrooms, sprinkled with Swiss cheese and finished in the oven it is a complete meal ready in a snap.

We are celebrating National Breakfast Month with the folks over at Foodie Extravaganza......

One Skillet Cabbage Dinner #CooktheBooks

One skillet, items normally available in your refrigerator or pantry, 20 minutes and YUM!!

I was inspired to make this dinner while reading the novel Pomegranate Soup for our Cook the Books Club.

Chicken BLT Soup #OurFamilyTable

All the wonderful flavors of your favorite sandwich in soup form.  Life is very, very good.

Join the From Our Dinner Table Group as we share Hearty Homemade Soups......

Preparing for Confirmation and the Weekly Meny

It's an exciting time in our family right now.  Tomorrow our Teen, Marissa, receives the Sacrament of Confirmation and Friday is our daughter, Nicole's, birthday. 

Some of you may recall that 2 years ago while celebrating the Mass for the students receiving this Sacrament the Holy Spirit came down upon Frank during the Bishop's homily and instructed him to bring Marissa into our family.

I wrote about that experience and how we came to adopt a teenager in this article.  Should you read this article,  you will see that we were planning on adopting two children as Marissa has a younger sister, however, that plan changed when the sister's long standing foster parents decided that they wanted to adopt the sister but not Marissa. Needless to say this is devastating for our girl.

But, she has survived yet another huge blow and is adapting very well to her new life with us.  She does well in school, she is on the bowling team and cheer team, she has a lot of friends and is starting to realize that this IS her forever home.  We are excited to help celebrate this Sacrament in which she enters fully into the Catholic faith.  We will be having a gathering with family and friends following the Mass. 

The Teen always asks for Chicken Enchiladas when we are having a celebration for her. This time is no different so I made up a Menu for tomorrow's feast and I will share some recipes and photos of the party during the week.  

In the meantime, here is our Weekly Menu....hope to see you soon.....

Saturday

Tepsi Baytinijan (Iraqi Casserole)

Sunday
See above Menu

Meatless Monday
Mushroom and Spinach Frittata

Tuesday
Tartiflette

Wednesday
Green Gumbo
Trinity Rice

Thursday
Greek Chicken Pasta

Friday
Out for Nicole's Birthday Dinner