cookin good

Being a newlywed, I've been asked what I'm cooking or how I like being a new wife/household chef. I have a terrible memory so I can never remember what exactly I have been making! To remedy this (which will hopefully take some pressure off myself), and to appease all the mom's who want to make sure I'm doing my wifely duties and feeding my new hubby, I've decided to make a list of the dinner menu that I plan each weekend for the following week (Yeah, that's right. I'm a planner); so here's the menu of the past few weeks:

WEEK:
Mon- White Bean Fennel Soup
Tues- Date Night (shared pulled pork sand. at a local walk-up BBQ)
Wed- Lemon Garlic Tilapia
Thurs- Three Bean Salad, cheese & crackers
Fri- Artichoke & Sun-dried Tomato Chicken
Sat- PaneraBread-inspired black bean soup & fresh loaf of bread
Sun- Chicken Parmesean Casserole

And just as a side note, it's a pleasure to cook. I really enjoy it actually, and have liked it for a few years now. The fact that I come from a home that wasn't one with homemade meals doesn't mean that I don't valuing creating a home like that for us. To make it even more enjoyable, Jason has graciously been part of the culinary creations! Whether he is acting as a sous-chef or cleaning up the dishes after we've finished eating and chatting; Jason is a vital and equal part of our everyday family meals :) What a fantastic husband and an amazing life God has blessed me with!

WEEK:
Mon- Italian Sausage & Veggie Saute
Tues- Fiesta Salad (brown rice, diced bell peppers, grn onion, corn, etc.)
Wed- Date Night (shared a Panera Bread You-Pick-Two)
Thurs- Quinoa w/ Roasted Almonds & Cranberries
Fri- Revolution Church cookout! (I'm bringing my favorite, sweet treats)
Sat- breakfast quiche & grillin' steaks for din-din
Sun- Spicy Chicken Soup

Side Note 2: Usually I make sure to save some leftovers to pack in Jason's lunch for the next day. If there isn't any left after dinner, because it's just too good to have appropriate portion control, I make him a turkey/ham sandwich for his lunch the next day (along with veggies and a treat, of course!).

WEEK:
Mon- Slow Cooker Brisket
Tues- Date Night
Wed- Winter Lentil Soup
Thurs- Grilled Cheese w/ leftover soup
Fri- Veggie Pizza
Sat- Bible Study Cookout, we brought brownies with homemade frosting!
Sun- Veggie Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

In addition to these delectable dinners, I often make some kind of fun sweet treat to have after dinner. Anywhere from butterscotch brownies, rice krispie treats, roasted pear sundaes, pumpkin frozen yogurt, to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!!

It seems kind of crazy right now, but I predict that as I start working and we get into more of a routine we'll have more of a set menu/ list of things we typically eat. Right now it's just so fun to try all kinds of dishes, methods, and tons of different flavors!

WEEK:
Mon- Nutty Broccoli Slaw
Tues- Spicy Chicken Soup
Wed- Balsamic Chicken
Thurs- Spicy Pinto Beans & Cornbread
Fri- Special Wild Rice Salad
Sat- Date Night
Sun- Veggie Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Asparagus