Anniversary weekend

Well it was our 6th anniversary this weekend. We had a really nice practically kid free weekend. On Friday night it was babysitting night at our preschool. We went to dinner and then out for drinks with friends. On Sat. night we attended a birthday party, and Zach had his first sleepover with his best buddy. We stayed out until 2am together..and had a really good time. On Sunday it was a trip to Freestate Brewery for lunch, followed by a dip in the pool at our Indoor Aquatic Center. Then we grilled out some juicy pork chops that I had marinated all day...yum-o. Recipe to follow.

Sunday night marinade for pork chops:
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary
1/2 tsp salt and pepper each
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard


Place chops in bag or bowl. Whisk together ingredients. Slather all over chops and refrigerate for 5 hours. Take out 1/2 hour before grilling to bring up temp.

Monday:
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. Olive Oil
1 pound ground beef
2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. kosher salt
1 small can tomato paste
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 C. ketchup
1/2 C. water

Saute onions, peppers and garlic in olive oil until softened.
Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat.
Add all other ingredients to the ground beef mixture and cook, stirring, over low heat for a few minutes until thickened. Add more water if it gets too thick.
Serve in hamburger buns and try not to make a mess!


Tuesday:
Chicken Parmesan

4-6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 (4 oz.) pkg. sliced Mozzarella cheese
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
pasta

Cut chicken breasts in half longways. Pound until evenly flattened. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, some black and red pepper, 1/8 teaspoon sage, 1/8 teaspoon thyme. Dip chicken in egg, coat with crumb mixture and set aside to dry.
Heat oil in large skillet and brown chicken well on both sides. Place chicken in glass baking dish sprayed with Pam and pour sauce over all. Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven; add a slice of Mozzarella cheese over each piece of chicken and return to oven until cheese melts.
Put sauce over pasta and serve with chicken.

Wednesday:
Veggie stir-fry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/3 cup broccoli florets
1 1/3 cup cauliflower florets
1 1/3 cup carrot slices, cut at the diagonal
1/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth (more if needed)
1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or 1/8 teaspoon powdered)
2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water.

Heat large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil, turning the pan to coat well. Add the vegetables and saute for a minute. Add in the vegetable broth, garlic, and ginger, and toss to blend. Cook about four minutes, stirring constantly. Add more vegetable broth if more moisture is needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, push the vegetables to one side of the frying pan, and stir in the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture. Heat and stir until thickened (about a minute). Stir in the vegetables to coat with the sauce.

Thursday:
Tacos
re fried beans

Friday:
Baked Hot Chicken legs
raw veggies with dip

Chicken:
Prepare chicken legs like you were making hot wings,(I use franks hot sauce with added garlic powder and 1/2 stick of melted butter) Bake for about 45 min at 350.