Light and Lemony Chicken

Rice
  3 cups hot cooked rice

Sauce
  2/3 cup fat free chicken broth
  1 t. lite soy sauce
  1 t. grated lemon peel
  1/4 cup lemon juice
  1 T. sugar
  1 T. cornstarch
  Dash pepper

Stir-Fry
  4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized strips
  8 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
  2 cups frozen baby cut carrots

1. While rice is cooking in a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients; mix well. Set aside.
2. Spray large nonstick skillet or wok with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over high heat until hot. Add chicken and onions; cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and no longer pink.  Remove skillet from heat; place chicken and onions on a plate.
3. Spray skillet again with cooking spray. Heat over high heat about 1 minute. Add asparagus and carrots; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Return chicken and onions to skillet. Stir sauce well; pour over chicken and vegetables. Cook and stir just until sauce thickens.  Serve over rice.

Yield: 4 servings.

Menus!

I know I save money when I plan my menus out in advance, and after this post I have been trying extra hard to be organized and plan ahead!  I did my shopping today and spent about $60 less than my average bill before I was being super careful and it felt like I purchased more groceries.  Probably because I bought a LOT of fresh vegetables. 

I have also been struggling to lose this last bit of belly fat from my 9lb 6oz baby boy.  I have been blessed with a high metabolism, but apparently having a giant baby and being in my 30s has caused a bit of a problem.  So I am wanting to start eating a bit healthier and see if that does the trick.  My sister-in-law gave me a cookbook before I got married, "Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook".  I've used it a couple times over the years, but not much.  I pulled it out the other day and found a lot of yummy-looking meals that I'm going to try.  Here they are in no particular order:

Rio Grande Beef Salad

Easy Vegetable Minestrone

Light & Lemony Chicken (I can't find this one online, I'll post the recipe separately)

Chicken and Snow Pea Pasta

Presto Chicken Primavera Potatoes (we've had these before...yum!)

Glazed Chicken over Couscous Pilaf

Turkey Meatballs in Light Tomato Sauce

Easy Steak Sandwiches

Sweet 'n' Spicy Meat and Potato Loaves (we've had these before...yum!)

Hooray!  I'm excited to try these out!  Let me know if you try any of them!

Menu for the Week of 2/27/12

I wish I could be more consistent with this - but life gets in the way.  Here is my menu for the week:

Monday - Pan-Fried Tilapia
Tuesday - Tamales, spanish rice, refried beans
Wednesday - Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup (Crock pot recipe!)
Thursday -  Spaghetti w/ Meatballs
Friday we are headed up to Shaver for the weekend with friends, so I don't have to plan dinner! :-)

Busy Mom Chili

I've never been a huge fan of chili, but this recipe is yummy!  It is very mild, and more importantly, fast and easy!  I got the recipe from my sister, who got it from a book by Anita Stansfield.

Brown 1 lb. ground beef with minced onion and garlic to taste.  Drain grease and add:
1 - 28 oz. can tomatoes with liquid
1 t. celery salt (onion salt or garlic salt will also work)
1 T. chili powder
1 t. sugar
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 - 27 oz. can kidney beans, drained (I don't like kidney beans so I used red beans - yum)
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

Simmer 1 hour. 

I love barley - so I added a cup of barley to mine as well.  (if you choose to do this, follow the directions on the package and cook the barley first). I also sprinkled cheese on top of each serving and served with corn bread.  Delicious!

Chicken and Three-Cheese French Bread Pizza

This recipe is great on its own but can also be a great companion to other light meals such as soup, etc.  I just made this with my Cream of Carrot and Tomato Soup and it was perfect.  I could eat soup for dinner every night, but Eric likes to have something a little more so this was just right.

Chicken and Three-Cheese French Bread Pizza

It's quick and easy - and yummy!  I rarely add the red pepper or green onions, but it is good either way.  The recipe says "sliced french bread" - I'm not sure if that is clear...buy a big loaf of french bread (I get the Italian loaf in the bakery at Winco) and cut it in half lengthwise so you have two large slices of bread.  When you are done baking, you can slice it into serving sizes.

Cream of Carrot and Tomato Soup

Oh my yumminess.  This recipe is so delicious...you must try it. 
Cream of Carrot and Tomato Soup

A couple items to note:
*In the beginning, when you boil the carrots, use more water...put the carrots in the pot and add enough water to cover them completely.  If you only use 1/2 cup, you'll run out of water and burn the carrots!  When the carrots are finished, reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid to add to the soup later.
*Play with the red pepper content - it gives it a kick, so if you don't like your food too spicy, don't add the full amount.
*This may not be news to you, but half and half is half whipping cream and half milk.  I think on some level, I knew this...but I've sort of always used half and half / whipping cream interchangeably.  I am sure that for this recipe, you could also use just milk...it just may not be quite as thick/creamy as you'd like. 
*I cut this recipe in half for my family and it was just the right amount to have some leftovers for lunch the next day.  Ian and I shared some for lunch today.  ;-)
*Goes great with a large loaf of french bread - also goes great with Chicken and Three Cheese French Bread Pizza which I will be posting next...

YUM!

Fun With Sugar Cookies

Made these chalkboard cookies for Haylie's teacher for Back-to-School Night.  Made the fondant using this recipe - it is marshmallow fondant!  Easy to use and delicious too!!! (The idea for the cookie came from here.  Don't compare too closely!)

Had lots of fondant left over so we (my friend Erin and I) decided to have some Halloween fun too! These projects were very time-consuming and somewhat tedious, but, in my mind it was worth it - something fun to do every so often.  :-)