This past week was not necessarily a fun one.  Lily was sick... again!  Thankfully there was no ear infection this time so the tubes are apparently working.  Today she is having her hearing rechecked, as she failed the last 2 hearing tests before she got her tubes.  I am hopeful for a positive outcome.

Despite all of that, she is finally feeling better and eating better, so we enjoyed a nice Mother's day yesterday, spending a lot of time outside - finally - after the last 3 weekends of rain! 

I'm still struggling with insomnia.  It has gotten even worse, but I am trying to be hopeful that the cycle will break soon.

Now on to this week's menu.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Tomato Cheese Quiche, Salad
Naan Bread Pizzas
Curry Chicken Casserole - recipe below
Club Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries
Roasted Asparagus and Fingerling Potatoes, Burgers


Curry Chicken Casserole
Serves 6 @ 8 Points+ each

1 - 10 package of frozen broccoli
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2/3 cup of light mayo (we like Hellman's)
1 can of healthy request cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup of skim milk
1 Tbsp Curry powder - or less to taste
salt and pepper to taste
 1 cup of reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of Stove Top stuffing - do not prepare, just dry


In 9 x 13 greased casserole dish, distribute broccoli evenly.  Top with shredded chicken

In separate bowl combine the mayo, soup, lemon juice, milk, curry and salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Pour over chicken and broccoli.  Top with the shredded cheese.  Top with the Stove Top stuffing.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until bubbly and broccoli is done.

Its hard to believe that another month is gone.  Onward and forward to May!
I am hoping and praying that this is a month of less sickies for my baby girl, who was on antibiotics for almost the entire month of April!

I'll admit that I'm having a sort of burn out with meal planning right now.  I'm just uninspired, and since formula is costing us almost $200/month right now (Lily can only stomach ready to feed formula and now we have to add extra calories by mixing some powder in too), this week I was really trying to use up some things we have in the freezer and in the cupboards to save money.  Sound familiar to anyone?  My cupboards aren't too packed but the freezer...it's pretty packed.  So this menu is geared towards using what we have on hand.

Another question for you guys.  Would you like to see me add a printable shopping list that goes along with an entire week of menus?  Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment.  Thanks!

Ranch Pork Chops (recipe below), Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus
Hamburgers on the Grill, Caprese Pasta Salad, Sun Chips
Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken and Rice
Spaghetti Pie, Cucumber/Tomato/Onion Salad
Naan Bread Pizzas - leftover salads from above
Fish and Chips (Breaded Cod from Costco and Baked Sweet Potato Fries), Peas

OK, I'm not even sure this qualifies as a recipe, because it is so easy!
I needed to use up cream of chicken soup and pork chops - did a Pinterest search and found this.  Honestly I was skeptical that this would be good, but it was delicious!

Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
Serves 5 @ 4 Points+ each

1 pound of boneless pork loin chops
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 can of healthy request cream of chicken soup

Dump everything into a crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

This makes into a gravy with the pork chops.  I roasted Yukon gold fingerlings and served alongside, but it would also be great with mashed potatoes!

I don't really have any new and fun recipes for you today, but I will post some links to some yummy things instead!

This week is going to be somewhat of a neurotic whirlwind unfortunately.  Last week Lily battled her fourth ear infection in less than 2 months.  She had only been off her previous antibiotic for 4 days!  UGH!  So... we went from pediatrician on Tuesday to ENT on Thursday to pre op appointment this Wednesday, Occupational Therapy this Thursday, and surgery to place tubes in her ears this Friday!  Add in 2 parents that need to actually work through all of that, and that my folks is one scary, stressful week. 

Am I nervous about her surgery?  Its "just" tubes after all.  Ummm... I'm almost embarrassed about saying... HECK YEAH ... given the number of friends I know that have had to send their little ones and babies in for heart surgeries at some really young ages!  Lily isn't even 12 pounds yet... so her size worries me, but this is the right thing to do for her.  Girls with Turner Syndrome often have eustachian tube disfunction, and often need multiple sets of tubes, and we know she isn't hearing well either as she's failed 2 hearing tests in the last month.  We need to get her off this vicious cycle of ear infections and antibiotics.  It isn't doing her stomach any favors, that's for sure!  And so... Friday morning at 8:30 am I will take my baby to the hospital and hand her over to a surgeon, and pray it is all fast and uncomplicated as its supposed to be.  So... you can now see why that our meals for this week will be easy favorites

Sloppy Joes for a Potluck we attended for the Turner Syndrome Soceity over the weekend
Pizza Lasagna - one for me and one for Liz who's hubby is recovering from surgery, Joy the Baker's low-fat Banana Bread (and now you wish you also lived in my neighborhood don't you?)
Jack Daniels Chicken and Baked Fries
Beef and Bean Burritos
Eggs Benedict - cheater style with the powdered hollandaise, which I almost eliminate the butter from to make less "bad", fruit
Skinny Fettucine Alfredo, Salad

Oh, and if you don't follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then you'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out about my 5k race!

The 16th of the month... again... and with it brings another month of sweet, precious, amazing life for my Lily. 

It is hard to believe that it was 7 months ago today that Lily made her miraculous appearance into this world.  It has been an amazing, frightening, frustrating, and always blessed 7 months for sure.  Our tiny princess lights up our life, and keeps life interesting every moment.  Love you baby girl!

My Easter Lily!

And while I know many of you are wondering about things like my weight loss, my trip with Lily to North Carolina, and how my running is going, I promise I have posts coming on all those things this week, but for now, because we all have to eat...what's for dinner this week?  Well... a few weeks ago my mom bought me the new Pioneer Woman cookbook for my birthday, and I've been trying 1-2 recipes a week from it.  If you already know PW, you'll know that she is not known for her... well... let's just called it Weight Watcher's friendliness.  So... I've been adapting the recipes as best as I can to keep them points friendly and healthy, yet tasty for me and my family. 

This past weekend we tried the Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken - definitely a hit!  I've shared my adapted and more Weight Watcher friendly version of the recipe below.  PWs... uses a chicken legs, and a lot more butter, oil, whiskey, well... just a lot  more of everything!

In addition to the Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken we are having:

Jack Daniels chicken (Costco) on rolls, Sweet Potato Fries, Salad
Beef and Bean Burritos with Homemade Pico De Gallo
Chili Lime Tortilla crusted Tilapia (find in the frozen section at Costco), rice pilaf, and a veggie
Chicken Ravioli with Butter and Parmesan Cheese, Tomato Salad

Healthier Version of PWs Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken
4 servings @ 8 Points+ each

4 Bone In Chicken Breasts - remove the skin
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 cup whiskey
1 cup BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1/3 cup of peach preserves (I used E.D. Smiths Peach Mango All fruit jam)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
2 peaches sliced or a can of peaches drained and rinsed (peaches are not really good right now in MN)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
melt butter and olive oil in a heavy, ovenproof skillet, Brown chicken on all sides over medium high heat, about 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan.  Turn pan down to medium and add the onions, and cook about 3 minutes.  Add the whiskey and cook about 3 more minutes to burn off the alcohol.  Take a couple swigs out of the bottle while you are waiting (Shhh... don't tell anybody). 

Add the BBQ sauce, peach preserves, Worcestershire sauce, water and peaches.
Return chicken to the pan, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 1-1/2 hours.

PW serves with mashed potatoes, but we served with rice and some veggies to keep it a little healthier.

Do you Pinterest?
I do.
Initially, I really didn't see what the appeal was, but then as I followed more and more people, I saw amazing things... amazing recipes!  Even though I've been pinning recipes for months, it wasn't until this weekend that I actually tried a recipe that I had pinned.

The results?  O.  M.  G.  Delicious!  The kind of delicious where your husband states that he could eat it that for dinner every single week! 

So...enjoy this recipe that I pinned, and adapted to make Weight Watchers friendly. using less cheese and sour cream and a little more sauce.

And here is what's for dinner this week:
Chicken Enchilada Pasta (via Pinterest and lightened... below) - Strawberry Butter Lettuce Salad
Grilled Mojo Pork Chops with Fruit Salsa, Rice and Beans
BLTs
Tacos and Spanish Rice
Chicken Ravioli (Costco) with Parmesan and Butter, Salad, Garlic Pull Apart Bread

Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Makes 10 servings (about 1.5 cups each) at 8 Points+ each

3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken (how easy is that?) Costco = $5!
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 medium onion, diced
1 pepper diced, I used an orange one
4 oz can of diced green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 - 10 oz cans of green enchilada sauce - I used market pantry brand from Target
1 - 10 oz can of red enchilada sauce - again market pantry brand
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound cooked penne pasta

Toppings - all optional and not included in the Points+ value:
Avocado diced
Green Onions
Black Olives
Tomatoes
More Cheese
Sour Cream

First of all - you have until tonight at 9 pm central to enter my Anolon skillet giveaway!  This is an amazing pan, so make sure to go on over and leave a comment on that post (not this one) to enter!  It's easy, it's fast, and it will be worth it!

Spring has really sprung here in Minnesota.  With temperatures way above normal for the past several weeks, our grass is completely green and already needs mowing, and our lilac bush is leafing out (last year it didn't bloom until Memorial Day).

One of the veggies I think of most when I think of spring is asparagus .  I think asparagus is my all-time favorite vegetable!  I never used to like it... mostly because it was always served steamed, with a side of some sort of gloppy sauce... yuck!

But then, I started to prepare it for myself and roast it in the oven instead, and I found it was amazing!  You'll have to check out the link to the method I use below.

Now on to this week's menu:

Pioneer Woman's Rigatoni and Meatballs (from her new cookbook that my mom got me for my birthday!, Caprese Salad
Marinated Steak, Roasted Asparagus (recipe below), Baked Potatoes
Jack Daniels Chicken on Buns (ala Costco), Sweet Potato Fries
Tomato Cheese Quiche, Fresh Fruit
Chicken Ravioli with Parmesan butter sauce, Salad

Finally, the recipe I'm going to share with you this week is a dessert recipe.  Yep... I don't make formal desserts very often, but I definitely have a sweet tooth - which is probably why I don't.... I'd eat it all.  I made 2 of these this afternoon and shared one with a (now) very happy friend.  It's super easy and takes just minutes to throw together.

Banana Bread Pie
8 servings @  6 Points+ each

2 really ripe bananas mashed
1/2 cup reduced-fat Bisquick mix
2 eggs
1 can (14 oz) fat free sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Mix all except the chocolate chips together with a mixer until combined well.
Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased pie pan.
Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes.

I'm really excited for Monday this week.  2 reasons:  #1 - Its my birthday week, and #2 - in honor of my birthday week I'm giving a present to you.  And its a GOOD one!

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of trying out 2 different Anolon skillets.  Now, you guys know that I love to cook, so I was thrilled to try these pans.

I received these 2 beauties

Anolon Nouvelle Copper Non-stick 12" Skillet

Anolon Nouvelle Copper Stainless Steel 12" Skillet

Even as I lifted them out of the box, I was immediately in LOVE.  They are so incredibly heavy and well constructed.  A bit of drool might have actually escaped my lips as I quickly thought of what I should cook with them.

I decided on a sesame shrimp stir fry in the stainless skillet.

Sesame Shrimp
Serves 5 @ 5 Points+ each



Add to skillet and heat to just simmering.  Cook 1-2 minutes until thick.

Serve with steamed rice and maybe an egg roll for good measure!  Just remember to count the extra points.

The results?  Delicious and nutritious!  The skillet is absolutely as drool-worthy as I thought it would be at first glance.  Its heavy, and heated both quickly and evenly on my gas stove.  The skillet is large and can accommodate a lot of food, without stuff spilling out the side or getting goop all over your stove top.

I've also since used the non-stick skillet for everything from french toast to grilled cheese sandwiches, and it heats evenly and needs no oil!  I can honestly say it is the best non-stick skillet I've ever used!  Oh, and I almost forgot... one of the best things about the non-stick skillet is that it is metal utensil safe!  No more cheap plastic flippers melted to the side of your pan.  Oh?  I'm the only one that does that?  OK... that's a bit embarrassing.

So... lucky you on my birthday week.  One of you is going to win your choice of either the non-stick or the stainless steel skillets from above!  So listen up, here's what you have to do to win:

1) Mandatory (which means you have to do this before you can enter any of the other ways):  Subscribe to my blog - either via Google Friend Connect or RSS Feed.  Then, visit Anolon's website and leave me a comment on this post, telling me what other piece of cookware you are drooling over?

2) "Like" Fat Little Legs on facebook.  Like Anolon too!  In fact, I have a link to their page from mine.  You must leave me a comment on this post letting me know you did this for a second entry.

3) Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway:  I entered @fatlittlelegs @Anolon cookware giveaway: http://tinyurl.com/7fsdmsy You should too!  Leave me a comment telling me you tweeted.

Contest open to residents of the U.S. only.  Contest will run until next Monday, 3/26 at 9:00 pm Central Time and the winner will be chosen randomly from all comments received and announced on Tuesday 3/27.

Disclosure:  Thank you to Anolon, who provided me with both skillets free in return for my review and giveaway.  And aren't you excited they are going to give you one too?

Did you miss me?  Ah... yes... that's what I thought!

This week I had the pleasure of finding FRESH Alaskan Cod at a nicer grocery store near my house.  Now maybe finding fresh ocean fish might not be a big deal to you, but remember I live in the smack dab of the country as far away from most of the oceans as you can get.  Frozen fish abounds, but good fresh fish - especially found at a regular grocery store - doesn't always happen.  We made it on Saturday night for dinner and it was delicious, plus we got 2 filets for $7.99, which seemed like a steal to me.

This week we are busy!  So a couple of nights won't be spent eating at home, thus the abbreviated menu plan for this week.

The recipe I'm sharing with you this week is Pizza Lasagna.  When Lily was a baby, a coworker brought a Pizza Lasagna to us.  It was delicious.  This is my adaptation of a couple of recipes I found, rolled into one in a try to recreate the deliciousness!  Make one for yourself, and freeze one, or bring to a friend with a new baby - which is actually what I'll be doing this week - my way of paying it forward!

Lemon Butter Cod, Butternut Squash Risotto (made from a box), roasted veggies
Pizza Lasagna, Bread, Salad - Recipe below
Paninis with Mozzarella, Tomatoes and Pesto, Caesar Salad
BBQ Chicken Pizzas on Naan Bread, fresh fruit
Fish and Chips (made from frozen fish, and Alexia Sweet Potato Fries)

Pizza Lasagna
Makes 8 servings @ 10 Points+ each

9 no cook Lasagna Noodles (I used Barilla)
15 oz can of pizza sauce (I used Ragu)
15 oz can of diced tomatoes with Italian Seasoning
8 oz Italian Sausage, browned and drained
1 pillow pack of Hormel turkey pepperoni
4 oz cut up mushrooms
small can of sliced olives
1 green pepper, diced
15 oz container part skim ricotta
1 tsp Penzey's pizza seasoning (or your favorite Italian seasoning)
1 tsp Penzey's granulated garlic (or garlic powder of your choice)
2 cups part skim, shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix Together the pizza sauce and diced tomatoes.
Mix Together Ricotta, garlic, and pizza seasoning.

In a 9 x 13 pan spread 1/4 cup of the sauce mixture, top with noodles, top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 cup of the cheese, 1 cup of the sauce, 1/2 of the Italian sausage, 1/3 of the pepperoni, 1/2 of the mushrooms, olives and peppers.  Repeat.  Top the last layer with the final 3 noodles, the rest of the pepperoni, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese, sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until bubbly!  Let stand for about 8-10 minutes before cutting and devouring!

What's your favorite meal to share with a friend?

This week calls for trying a new recipe from the latest Food Network magazine - Ropa Vieja - if its good I'll make sure to post the recipe to it in the near future.  An old favorite, Manicotti, is making a comeback this week.  I made this almost every other weekend when I was newly pregnant last year.  It lasted for 2-3 meals and it didn't make me sick!  I think I got so tired of it though, that its been on a year-long hiatus.

Manicotti, Salad - Recipe Below
BBQ Chicken Pizza, Salad
BLTs, Chips and Salsa
Omelets, Fresh Fruit
Ropa Vieja (a type of crock pot roast) over rice, Roasted Veggies
Pasta with Pesto and Tomatoes, Caesar Salad

Manicotti
13 servings at 6 Points+ each


1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu 7 herb tomato)
13 Manicotti Shells - come in packages of 14 and 1 is bound to break :-)

Filling:
1/2 onion, chopped
12 oz chicken Italian sausage (I used Archer Farms brand)
4 oz fresh mushrooms, washed/roughly chopped
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese

White Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1-1/2 cups fat free half and half
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook manicotti according to package directions.  Drain and Rinse

combine Italian sausage, onions and mushrooms in a skillet, cook until sausage is browned and veggies are soft.  Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.  Mix in cheese and the 2 egg yolks.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan melt butter.  Add the flour and whisk over medium-low heat for a minute or so.  Add half and half, and gently bring just to a simmer.  Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.  Set Aside.

In the bottom of at 9x13" pan put 1/2 the spaghetti sauce and 1/2 the white sauce.  Stuff each manicotti with an even amount of filling and plan in the pan.  Top with remaining sauces.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until bubbly.

What's for dinner at your house this week?

Happy Menu Monday!

Yesterday was spent at an NHL hockey game (MN Wild vs. the Boston Bruins) with my husband and "L".  Lily, stayed with my niece for the afternoon.  It was nice for the 3 of us to spend some time together, and probably a good little break for "L".  We were in a private box. There was food.  It was good tasting food - it was NOT good for you food.  I ate potato chips with homemade dips, nachos with chili/cheese, a small little beef brisket sandwich, and a few bites of red potato salad.  Oh yeah, and I might have had some wine too.  I should NOT have eaten that many chips.  I'm likely in for a gain this week given those stupid chips, but they tasted so dang good at the time. 

Live and move on... this is not a journey of perfection.  It is a journey of real life.  I live in a real world where hockey games with food happen.  So the rest of the week I need to make about more veggies, fruits, and lean proteins.  Things that Weight Watchers calls, "Power Foods". 

This menu is made on Friday nights, and I actually grocery shop on Saturday mornings, so I'm a little off with a few of these... mostly the baked buffalo chicken pasta, but I will work with what I have.  The Sante Fe Wraps are made with black bean burgers and lots of veggies, and I will skip the chips, and the sesame stir fry is a perfect Power Foods meal.  I will work with what I have, and modify where I can this week to undo as much damage before weigh in on Thursday that I can.

I made my choice today... now I live with it.

Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf, Steamed Broccoli, Potato Pancakes, Ann's Fruity Fluff Pie
Naan Bread Pizzas
Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Chicken Baseballs, Sweet Potatoes
Sante Fe Vegetarian Wraps, Chips/Homemade Salsa - Recipe Below
Sesame Shrimp Stir fry with rice


Sante Fe Vegetarian Wraps
6 Points+ each (if you use 3 point tortillas)

4 Flour Tortillas - my tortillas are 3 Points+ each
4 Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burgers - 1 package
2 tsps olive oil
1 sliced green pepper
1 sliced red pepper
1/2 sliced red onion
Guacamole, Salsa, and Sour Cream as desired - add the points, for whatever you add

Saute Peppers and Onions in olive oil, over medium high heat.  Top each tortilla with a heated burger - cut in half, the peppers/onions mixture, and guacamole, salsa, and sour cream as desired.

This is a delicious meal that you can throw together in 10-15 minutes, depending on how fast you can chop.

What's on your menu this week?
How do you recover from a "diet" mistake?

Happy Valentine's week!

I know a lot of people hate Valentine's Day.  Personally I'm neutral about it.  I think its stupid that men are expected to pay 3-4 times as much for roses on this day.  That isn't to say I wouldn't LOVE to get flowers (in case my husband is reading this), its just I would never expect someone to waste money like that, and I'm not really a roses kind of girl. 

Instead of buying my husband something he will likely never use, I almost always make him a nice dinner, and he loves pasta!  So... pasta it is.  I'm using the Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta, but I lightened it up by using less pasta, less oil, less butter, and fat free half and half in the place of heavy cream.  We think its delicious! 

I also wanted to make him a cheesecake, but I didn't want to have a whole cheesecake in my house because, well... honestly I'm weak!  So... I'm doing a little experiment with a Vanilla Mousse Cheesecake recipe in single serving sizes.  If it works out, I'll post the recipe later in the week.

Sirloin Steak with Whisky Cream Sauce, Baked Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli
Jack Daniels Chicken (purchased already made from Costco) and Alexia Sweet Potato Fries
Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta Lightened (recipe below), Caesar Salad, Vanilla Mousse Cheesecake - single servings
Spaghetti Pie... yes I promise we will finally eat this... it has been on my menu for 2 weeks!
Cod (from Costco) used to make "fish and chips", roasted butternut squash

Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta Lightened
Serves 5 @ 8 Points+ each

Fair Warning:  This recipe is spicy
2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 1/2 a lb), Cut Into Cubes
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix
8 oz uncooked Fettuccine
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
1/2 Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
1 cup Fat Free Chicken Broth
1/3 cup White Wine
1/2 cup fat free half and half
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Cook pasta and drain.

Happy Monday!  I'm actually glad the weekend is over.  There is something comforting about being back to the weekday routine, and winter weekends leave us with a very active 4 year old that needs to be constantly entertained!

This week we have a couple of appointments in the early evenings, so for those days I'm trying to keep it as quick and simple as possible!

Here's the menu for this week:
-- Bruschetta Chicken Bake (recipe below) - Lettuce Salad - This passed the 4 year old pickiness test!
-- Marinated Steaks, Baked Potatoes and Salad (We made this last night, and we actually BBQed... charcoal BBQ, in January in Minnesota! Love it!)
-- Frozen Pizza - yep... even in our house these nights happen.  We buy the thin crust Bellatoria pizzas from Costco.  They have an amazing chicken fajita pizza that is very reasonable in the calories/fat department.
-- Spaghetti Pie, Steamed Broccoli
-- Tomato Cheese Quiche, Fresh Pineapple
-- Sweet and Sour Meatball and Steamed Rice

Bruschetta Chicken Bake
(Courtesy of Kraft)
5 servings - 6 Points+ each

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained - I used the Italian style ones
2 cloves garlic, minced

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl. Add garlic, stuffing mix and water; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese. Top with stuffing mixture.

 

BAKE 30-40 minutes until chicken is cooked through

Happy Monday!

I wanted to let you know that you can now "like" Fat Little Leg on facebook!  All of my blog posts should then show up in your feed... or at least that's the idea.  Stick with me while I figure all of this out over the next few weeks.

Anyways... on to the task at hand.  What's for dinner this week!

We've passed the middle point of January, and in my mind that means hopefully only a couple more months left of winter.  Yes... sometimes I wonder why I live in Minnesota.  I am not a lover of winter that's for sure.  Looks like we'll have a little freezing rain covered with an inch or so of snow this morning.  FUN!  Has me thinking comfort food, and the Skinny Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes below is perfect comfort food!  2 thumbs up on that one from my family!

Oh, and I almost forgot... look who's sitting in her new high chair, joining us at the table now

Peanut in her new high chair!

Nope... she's not "eating" anything yet, for now she's just practicing sitting, and we are practicing getting 2 hands back to eat with!
Skinny Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Peas
Rachel Ray's Fire Roasted Cheese Enchiladas - lightened... recipe below
Chicken BLT Panini - new recipe I'm trying, review will be forthcoming and Caprese Pasta Salad
Pancakes for Dinner
Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken, Rice

What's on your menu this week?  What's your favorite comfort food.

Fire Roasted Cheese Enchiladas
Makes 13 enchiladas at 4 Points Plus each

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 14-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

Happy Monday!

What are we having for dinner this week?

Chicken Paillards with Lemon Butter Sauce (recipe below), boxed risotto, steamed veggie
Make your own naan bread pizza - I use either the frozen naan from Trader Joe's or fresh from SuperTarget's deli, add sauce, and tons of fresh veggies for fixings, usually Canadian Bacon for mine, and fresh mozzarella cheese (a must have in my opinion for amazing homemade pizza).  We did this with our friends and their kids and the kids made their pizzas on whole grain English muffins.  My son ate all of his!
Taco Salads
Bacon Tomato Cheese Quiche - adapted from this recipe, I'm just adding bacon, fresh fruit
Buffalo Chicken Pasta - using this recipe, but instead of chicken using Amy's buffalo chicken meatballs from Costco, and less cheese and some extra veggies (peppers of all colors)
Pulled Jack Daniels Chicken on Buns (Costco... I swear I don't work for them and they don't give me anything for free... consult my checkbook if you don't believe me)  this is premade and delicious!  I'll serve with waffle fries and spinach salad

Chicken Paillards with Lemon Butter Sauce
Serves 4 @ 7 points plus each

1 pound chicken breasts (this is usually around 2 breasts for me), cut in half (4 oz pieces of chicken)
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup fat free chicken broth

Pound chicken with a meat mallet until about 1/4-1/2 an inch thick.  Season with salt and pepper, and coat evenly with flour.  Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil, and 1 Tbsp of the butter in a stainless frying pan (don't use a non-stick pan).  Cook each side for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat.  Should be browned on each side.  Remove from pan, and set aside under some foil.

Add the wine to the pan, and cook for about 1 minute... scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, add garlic, saute 30 seconds more, add chicken broth and 2 Tbsp lemon juice, bring to a boil, put chicken back in the pan, and cook about 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened and reduced slightly.  Take off heat and stir in the other tablespoon of butter until melted. 

This dish is "fancy" enough for company, but also so simple, and we almost always have all of the ingredients on hand to make it.  It takes about 20-30 minutes start to finish!

Now, tell me, what are  YOU having for dinner this week?

Welcome back Menu Monday!  I have really been slacking posting our weekly meal plans and recipes.  I must have had a baby or something.  Anyways... I plan on trying to do this every week this year. 

One of the top things I hear from people on a journey to be more healthy or lose weight is that they are stumped for what to eat.  Menu Monday is to help with that.  I share my menu plan for the week, but please help me us all out and post yours too.  Feel free to post a similar post on your own blog, and leave a link in the comments. 

My menu plans are always 100% 4 year old tested and approved, in case you are cooking for kids!

Chicken Enchiladas - Recipe Below
SkinnyTaste Baked Mac and Cheese, Roasted Broccoli
Morningstar Farms Black Bean Burgers on Light English Muffins, Baked Fries, Fresh Veggies/Hummus
Kalyn's Stuffed Cabbage Casserole - New for us... review forthcoming
Chicken Baseballs, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Steamed Veggie

Desserts:  Sugar free Butterscotch Pudding with Cool Whip
Ann's Fruity Fluff Pie

Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 12 @ 10 points plus each
(if you use 3 point tortillas... if you can find tortillas with less points, subtract appropriately)

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
2 cups light sour cream (I used Daisy brand)
1 can healthy request cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 small can green chilies
2 cups shredded Monteray Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
12 - 3 point tortillas
1 can green enchilada sauce

Mix every together in a bowl except the tortillas, enchilada sauce, and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese
fill each tortilla with an even amount of the mixture and roll up and place in a huge casserole dish (I actually split this into 2 pans and freeze half, or bring to your neighbor or friend that is a new mom!), pour enchilada sauce over.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove foil, add 1/2 cup of reserved cheddar and bake for another 10-15 minutes... until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Another week... I guess you could call it the last official week of summer, although, I know many of you have been "back to school" already for a few weeks.  In Minnesota, school doesn't start until the Tuesday after Labor Day... and I don't have a child in school yet anyways, so it really doesn't effect our family.  We are definitely savoring the last few bits of summer, although secretly I'm looking forward to fall, as it's my favorite season!  I just wish it didn't lead to months and months of winter!
Savoring the season this week for us means using lots and lots of tomatoes out of our garden.  We have 3 regular tomato plants and 1 cherry tomato, and we've been swapping tomatoes with our neighbor who grew purple tomatoes, green tomatoes (yep they are ripe), and peach tomatoes.

I made a gorgeous marinated tomato salad last night, courtesy of the airing of Pioneer Woman's new cooking show

So on to this week's menu:
Grilled Hamburgers, Marinated Tomato Salad
Pesto Mozzarella Grilled Cheese, Pasta Salad
Blueberry Pancakes
Chicken Nachos with homemade salsa
Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Pasta

Last week Annie left a comment asking me: "As the new school year approaches, I wonder, what do you do for lunches and breakfast?"

Well... I don't have any kids in school, and my son gets fed breakfast and lunch at daycare, but I can definitely share what I do for breakfast/lunches normally. 

For breakfast I often have either an English muffin or a bagel thin with peanut butter or light cream cheese, and some sort of fruit (most of the time bananas - although I have hated them throughout my pregnancy).  I also mix this up sometimes with Greek Yogurt/Granola/Berries or oatmeal in the fall/winter.

Lunches are usually some sort of leftovers, as there are only really 3 of us (and one of us is 4, and doesn't eat that much), and most recipes make a minimum of 4 servings.  Sometimes we adapt leftovers, for instance last week on the weekend we made steak, so on Monday I made a steak quesadilla with leftover steak, shredded cheese, tortillas, and salsa for my lunch.  Or, I might make meatloaf on the weekend and do a meatloaf sandwich for lunch (one of my favorites). 

I also make sure there is plenty of fruit in our house.  I usually always have bananas, grapes, and apples on hand for lunches/snacks as those are the fruits "L" will eat right now.  I personally love melons in the summer, so I have been buying either a cantaloupe, watermelon, or honeydew each week, cutting into chunks, and taking with me for part of my lunch or a snack.

I also buy Havarti (pre-sliced) and cheddar cheese at Costco about once a month to have on hand for lunches/snacks.  One of my 4 year old's favorite lunches is what we call a "lunchable" - it consists of cheese cut up into slices/chunks, turkey pepperoni, pita chips or crackers, and a fruit (usually grapes these days).  I think this would be a great idea for those that need to pack a lunch. 

Good luck and happy back to school!

We have several events this week/weekend, so there was no need for lots of meals, meaning the meal plan is a little short this week.  I am trying one new recipe, passed to me by my friend Michelle and posted below.  I'll try to share a review of it later this week.  My garden tomato crop is coming on strong, so I'm trying to look for lots of recipes that use tomatoes!
Tomato Cheese Quiche
Steak Quesadillas
Chicken Salad Sandwiches for a picnic in the park - I make with mayo, celery, craisins, chicken, and seasonings.
Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto - recipe below.

Do you have a favorite tomato recipe?  If so, I'd love if you shared it with me!

PASTA WITH TOMATO AND ALMOND PESTOfrom Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4 to 6

1/4 cup slivered almonds
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
1 small pepperoncini, stemmed, seeded, and minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Table salt
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably linguine or spaghetti
1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated (about 1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

1. Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

2. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, pepperoncini, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes (if using) in food processor until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil, about 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

4. Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta. 

This past weekend we went to our local county fair. I indulged in some of those once a year foods – Vanilla Malt anyone? Overall I don’t think I ate that much junk, and I don’t think I ate anything that was fried.


I have a bunch of tomatoes to use up from Costco, and also my cherry tomatoes are coming on with a vengeance. In about 1-2 days I will have my first 2 regular size tomatoes ripe. So… to celebrate we are having a lot of tomatoes on the menu this week.

Pizza – Pesto, Tomato, with fresh mozzarella, and Canadian bacon
Marinated Steaks w/Hash browns – marinade recipe below
Blueberry Pancakes – because Tuesday nights need to be quick for us
Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce
BATs – Bacon, Avocado Tomato Sandwiches, and Pasta Salad
Tomato Quiche

My Family’s Famous (but not so secret at least anymore) Steak Marinade
1 cup ketchup
½ cup red wine – since I’m pregnant, I haven’t had wine in the house much (I know, very sad), so I use beef broth will excellent results, but the original recipe is for red wine
½ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic
Pepper
Couple of dashes of hot sauce

Mix all together and pour over meat and let sit overnight or at least 8 hours. Grill steaks as desired. I boil the excess marinade and serve alongside the steaks.

What are you planning to make this week?

Another week is here... another Monday - the last Monday of July!  Part of me hates Monday, but part of me knows it is another week closer to finally having this pregnancy over with - no I AM NOT wishing for an early end... believe me, but I am wishing for the weeks to go by quickly, as I really need some closure - which I also realize I may never get, depending on the outcome.

Anyways... that's not why I'm writing.  I'm writing because its Monday and that means here's my menu for this week!

Dilled Chicken Fricasse - Recipe Below
Pioneer Woman's meatloaf - lightened, Baked Potatoes
BLTs - except pregnancy makes me hate lettuce, so we do BATs - Bacon, Avocado, Tomato
Pancakes with blueberries
Spaghetti w/Tomato Sauce
Pita Pizzas - never got to these last week - with turkey pepperoni

Also... in response to the question about  making chicken fajitas on the grill.  Here's my method.  Season chicken breasts however you like and grill just like any other chicken.  Cut up various color peppers and onion (I use red onion) and divide among several pieces of tin foil - roll up the edges.  Place on grill for around 10 minutes, flip and keep on for about 10 minutes more.  Cut up chicken into strips once its off the grill, serve chicken and veggies with all the fixin's on tortillas.

Dilled Chicken Fricasse
Serves 4 at 8 Points Plus each
My mom's recipe - a must make if you have fresh green beans and dill - we had both from our garden this weekend.  To me this tastes like a chicken, potatoes, and gravy Sunday meal all done in one pan.  My husband doesn't like green beans and he loved this!

Mix together in a pie plate:
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika

4 (4 oz each) chicken breasts - 1 pound total
1 Tbsp olive oil
coat chicken breasts - both sides - in flour mixture and cook in oil 3 minutes per side - until golden brown on each side.

2 cups of chicken broth
4 Tbsp fresh dill, divided
10 new baby potatoes
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups fresh green beans

Add broth to hot pan, along with the remaining flour mixture, and 2 Tbsp of the dill.  Stir well, and bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes, simmer covered for 10 minutes.  Add the green beans, cover again, and cook another 10 minutes.  Add in remaining 2 Tbsp of dill and the lemon juice.