Fruit Pizza

With tomorrow being my due date with Miss S., I wanted to make dessert for after dinner. I didn't want any kind of dessert though. I wanted something simple and delicious. I had to make a quick run to the grocery and they happened to have kiwis and blueberries on sale. The first thing I thought of was fruit pizza and I ran with it.

Menu: June 27-July 3

Since June 28th is my due date with Miss S. (can you tell that I'm getting anxious about her arrival?), I figured that I'd post the menu early. I may even end up being induced the week of this menu but won't find out until my due date. I'm definitely keeping this menu simple as I may not be home to cook it.

• Chicken Tortellini Soup and dinner rolls
• Veggie Pizza (the herbs in my garden are looking, tasting, and smelling awesome right now) - this may sound a little scary to you but, trust me, it is delicious!
• Chicken Quesadillas
• Pancakes and cheesy scrambled eggs w/sauted peppers and onions (the kids and I are huge fans of  "brinner" - breakfast for dinner)
• Chicken Alfredo, steamed veggies, and French bread

If you'd like more ideas, check out the "master" list.

Baked Eggplant and Tomato Pastry

This is a dish that we had while on our cruise and we found it absolutely delicious! It seemed like a fairly simple and yet elegant dish packed with loads of flavor. Very simply, it is a piece of puff pastry dough topped with marinara sauce, breaded eggplant and tomato slices, and fresh mozzarella.

Menu: June 20-26

Less than 2 weeks to go till Miss S. is due to arrive. Granted I generally go past my due date so I'm thinking it may be closer to 3 weeks till she actually gets here. Staying busy trying to get things ready around the house and trying to make fast and simple meals.

• Peppery Beef Sandwiches and pasta salad
• Chili dogs, homemade onion rings, and side salad
• Jambalaya
• Calzones
• Cowboy Skillet
• Roast chicken, crockpot baby red potatoes, glazed baby carrots, and dinner rolls.

Chocolate Toffee Caramel Bars

A friend posted this recipe on Facebook today and it sounded absolutely delicious. Plus, I'm always up for new "semi-homemade" recipes.

• 1 pkg of yellow cake mix (the one that has pudding in it)
• 1/3 cup of oil
• 2 eggs
• 1-12oz pkg of choc. chips
• 1 cup of toffee bits
• 1 cup of vanilla chips
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 32 caramels
• 1-14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil then spray with non-stick spray. 
2. In bowl combine cake mix, oil and eggs. Stir in chocolate chips, vanilla chips and toffee bits (mix will be thick). 
3. Press 1/2 the mix into the bottom of the foil lined pan. Bake for 10 min. 
4. While baking, in a small sauce pan combine butter, caramels and sweetened condensed milk. Stir and melt until smooth. Remove partially baked crust. Slowly pour hot caramel mixture over baked crust. 
5. Crumble remaining cake mix over caramels. Return to oven and bake for an additional 25 min. until golden brown. Cool on counter for 20 min. 
6. Refrigerate a couple of hours for caramel to harden a little and cut into bars. ~Enjoy~

Menu: June 13-19

I am trying to get menus ready for the next few weeks considering that my due date with Miss S. is fast approaching. The weather is really starting to get hot and humid so I'm also trying to stick with recipes that don't require a lot of stove-top or oven time.

• Chicken Pitas - grilled chicken (I will make up a bunch for meals throughout the week), diced cucumber, bibb lettuce, grape tomatoes, turkey bacon crumbles, feta cheese, and light Miracle Whip
• Grilled Pizza and side salad
• Taco Salad
• BLTA Sandwiches, fresh veggie tray, and fruit salad
• BBQ chicken, smoky BBQ beans, and corn on the cob

If you'd like more ideas, check out the "master" list.

Menu: June 6-12

Last week was very busy and this week should also be busy as our church is celebrating it's 50th Anniversary. The hubby is even in charge of a Men's Chili Cook-Off for the family day on Saturday.

• Spinach Tortellini Soup or pasta dish, side salad, and some homemade bread - I am going to be making this up as I go and haven't even determined what exactly I'll be putting in it at this point. I know there will be either chicken or spicy Italian sausage, 3-cheese spinach tortellini, onions, red peppers, and green peppers. If you'd like something more specific, you could try my Chicken Tortellini Soup (a twist on Chicken Noodle Soup) or Spinach Tomato Tortellini.
• Steak Fajitas
• Sub Sandwiches with homemade bread and fresh veggies (may end up having chicken salad sandwiches on croissants instead of subs)
• Hamburgers, sweet potato fries, and fresh fruit.
• Chili (if tomato bothers your stomach try some White Chicken Chili)
• A few extra "treats" we plan to make this week - blueberry banana muffins, strawberry banana mango smoothies, and fruit crisp.