Menu Plan Monday: Now with recipes!

11/26/2007 Nichole

Monday: Crispy Garlic Chicken
This is a very easy recipe, and the end result is delicious. We rarely ever have it, though, because it has to marinate for at least four hours and I always forget to start it. But not today! I’m going to do it as soon as I’m finished here.

Crispy Garlic Chicken
1 egg yolk
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 chicken breast halves
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

In a glass dish, beat egg yolk with garlic. Place chicken in egg mixture, turning to coat. Cover dish and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter and pour into the bottom of a baking dish.

Mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and coat chicken with mixture.

Place coated chicken in baking dish. Pour remaining egg mixture over chicken.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink.

Tuesday: Chicken Enchilada Soup
I love Cugino’s chicken enchilada soup mix. It’s pricey, though, so I only buy it when Big Lots has it in stock.

Wednesday: Hot Dogs
Because we’re fancy.

Thursday: Sweet Potato Risotto
This is another good recipe that I don’t think I’ve shared here. I have some frozen, cubed sweet potatoes in the freezer, which will speed the prep up a bit.

Sweet Potato Risotto
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste

Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

In a large stockpot, sauté onion, garlic and sweet potato until onion is translucent. Cover, turn heat down and cook five minutes.

Turn heat to medium high and add rice to sweet potato mixture. Stir to coat rice with oil. Add a little oil if needed.

Add wine to rice and stir until it’s absorbed.

Add stock to rice a half cup at a time, stirring until absorbed with each addition. This step will take about half an hour. Do not stop stirring.

Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Friday: Pizza
Someday I’ll make something other than pepperoni-and-pineapple pizza on Friday night. But not this week.

Flotsam / Jetsam

Overwhelmed already

11/26/2007 Nichole 6 Comments

Not too long ago, in a time known as Before Three Weeks Ago, I kept a daily to-do list. It was part of my effort to be a better housekeeper. I’m not a tidy person by nature, but I do love a good list. And I think I’d been doing a fair job of getting the things on my list done. By my admittedly less-than-Martha standards, the apartment has been tolerably clean.

Today is the first day I’ve been home alone with the children. We’ve been blessed with all sorts of help — Rockford parents were here the first week, my dad and his girlfriend came down the following week, Rockford worked half days most of last week and then his parents were back for a few days of Thanksgiving festivities. With all that assistance, today is the first day since Pete arrived that I’ve made a list.

Here’s what’s on it:

Laundry (wash, fold, put away)

~~Unload/reload dishwasher~~

~~Vacuum~~

Make bed in Pete’s room*

Move bassinet back to Pete’s room*

~~Sweep kitchen~~

Clean kitchen counters

~~Empty bathroom trash cans~~

Here’s what probably should be on it:

Survive until 6 o’clock, when Rockford comes home.

Say a little prayer for me, will you?

* Pete and I tried to sleep in the master bedroom last night, but I think we’re going to have to move back to Pete’s room so Rockford can get some sleep.

Screen time