Weekly Eats

It's Monday again and my menu is ready for the week. It was a lovely Spring weekend here and Mark and I enjoyed Saturday lunch at a new Greek cafe in our little college town. This should explain the two nights of Greek inspiration that we have on this week's menu. If I wasn't Italian, I do believe that based on food, I would choose to be Greek.

Monday- Greek lamburgers with tzatziki and greek salad (Bachelor finale night calls for an extra glass of wine!!)

Tuesday- Roasted pork tenderloin, mashed sweet potatoes & stuffed mushrooms (because I have a container of baby bellas that have to be eaten up)

Wednesday- Grilled Italian sausage with peppers & onions and salad

Thursday- Greek chicken lettuce wraps with tzatziki

Friday- Baked Tilapia and salad with greens, strawberries, pistachios, goat cheese, and balsamic

Saturday- Happy St. Patrick's Day! Must find dinner out and a green brew.

Sunday- Steamed artichokes, steaks on the grill and Caesar salad

Having a meal plan is nice, but we don't always stick to it 100%. My goal is to plan out our meals so that I only have to go to the store one time each week. Tuesday may be a day that I have to go into the office instead of working from home. If that is the case, I'll find a slow cooker pork recipe that I can leave cook all day while we're at work. My market usually has ground lamb but if they are out or if the price is outrageous, I'll use the ground turkey that I already have in the freezer. I frequently swap meals, too depending on what we're in the mood to eat. The point is that with somewhat of a plan, a week's worth of groceries and a well stocked pantry makes a huge difference. I just shop and plan according to what works for us and I tell others the same.

For those of you that e-mailed me last week in regards to the menu planner/grocery list template that I use, it's from The Project Girl and can be downloaded HERE.

Don't forget to link your menu up with Molly today! If you don't have your menu ready, check out the comments section of her Weekly Eats post to get some great ideas and kitchen inspiration!!

DIY: Burlap Ruffle Wreath

Our front door has a little something new for Spring! I'm getting a little out of hand with my front door decor- Mark thinks I'm on the verge of opening up my own wreath shop. Alas, nothing says welcome like a little happy hanging on the front door.

Molly posted this darling idea a few weeks ago and I have been smitten ever since. I already had a foam wreath on hand waiting to be used so all I had to pick up was about 2 yards of cream burlap and flat head pins from Hobby Lobby. Molly's tutorial is great so head on over to her blog for the how-to details. This project couldn't be simpler! The only thing I tweaked was using larger squares of burlap because I wanted larger ruffles. The burlap squares measured around 5x5". Best of all, since I already had a foam wreath in my craft closet, I spend under $10!

I hope everyone had a dreamy weekend!

Keep Calm and Carry On

Ever since my muffin love Crystal and I stumbled upon this many summers ago, we embraced it as our way of life. For anyone that doesn't know, there is a real meaning behind this iconic poster! Watch this 3 minute video for a little snippet of history.



Lovely weekend wishes to all!

Grilled Peaches & Cinnamon Roasted Almond Salad

Salads find their way on our dinner plates more nights than not. It's so easy to throw together some baby greens with creative ingredients for a flavorful and fresh side dish. I picked up some peaches at the market this week that were on sale and instead of reserving them for Greek yogurt and protein smoothies in the morning, I set one aside for a baby greens salad. Grilling fruit is one of my new favorite things and it doesn't have to be grilling season to enjoy it. I just heat up my grill pan and leave the fruit on the heat for a sweet and tasty bite. I paired this salad with a simple oven baked Cajun salmon and a glass of wine.

Grilled Peach & Cinnamon Roasted Almond Salad

(serves 2)

Salad:

Mixed baby greens, about 4 cups

1 peach, cut in quarters

Handful raw almonds

A few shakes of cinnamon

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced

Champagne Vinaigrette:

4 Tbsp. olive oil

4 Tbsp. champagne or white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. raw honey

pinch of salt to taste

cracked pepper

Mix all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl, minus the peaches and almonds.

To grill the peaches, heat grill pan on medium-high heat. Grill for 10 minutes on each side, or until the sugars of the peach start to caramelize and nice grill marks appear.

While the peaches are grilling, pour a quick drizzle of olive oil into a small pan with the almonds. Toast on medium heat for about 5 minutes, adding some cinnamon at the very end. When the almonds have cooled, give them a rough chop.

To dress the salad, whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Just before serving, drizzle over greens mixture and top with two peach quarters and a sprinkle of toasted almonds. Goat cheese would be an excellent addition to this salad.

Wine of the Week: Colores Del Sol Malbec

Malbec is one of my favorite types of red to sip on. I love it so much, in fact, that I purchased bottles of a Trader Joe's Malbec to put in the welcome bags that we left at all of the hotels for our wedding guests. I picked up the Colores Del Sol at my trusty market a few weeks ago and I have been pouring a glass each night this week as I cook dinner and listen to my trusty Lionel Ritchie Pandora station.

From the label on the back of the bottle:

"This memorable Malbec brims with enticing aromas and robust flavors of dark cherry, juicy blackberry, and delicate rose petals. Sweet oak and mocha notes, with hints of smoke, glider over rounded tannins for a bold, full bodied wine."

I purchased Colores Del Sol at a featured weekly special price of $7.99

Key Lime Cupcakes

My little sister Natalie made these cupcakes for one of my bridal showers two years ago and they were a giant hit. There is something refreshingly sweet about citrus flavored desserts and I was excited to whip these up this past weekend. We spent the weekend in Atlanta with great friends and I was reunited with my mini kitchen assistant! She was so excited to help me make "green cupcakes". Gabi pursed her little lips after taking a bite and was surprised by the light burst of lime, but I think they are perfect. Glazing the cupcakes prior to frosting, adds another level of fantastic delight. These cupcakes could easily be turned into a Leprechaun kissed treat for St. Patrick's Day!

Key Lime Cupcakes

recipe from Betty Crocker

Cupcakes:

1 box Betty Crocker lemon cake mix

1 box (4 serving size) lime flavored Jello

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup key lime juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2-3 drops food coloring if desired for a brighter green cupcake

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2-ish Tbsp. key lime juice

Cream Cheese Frosting:

One 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3.5 cups powdered sugar

Lime zest, for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cupcake tins with liners (about 24). In a large bowl, beat cupcake ingredients for 30 seconds on low, then on medium for another 2 minutes. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each one about 2/3 full. Bake 19-24 minutes, checking the center of the cupcake with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. After cooling for 10 minutes, pierce the top of each cupcake with a toothpick or wooden skewer several times.

In a small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lime juice until the glaze is smooth enough to drizzle. Drizzle and spread glaze over cupcakes, allowing to sit for at least 30 minutes.

When you are ready to frost, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on medium until light and fluffy. Turn it down to low, and beat in vanilla and powdered sugar, only adding one cup at a time. Beat until the frosting is nice and fluffy. Transfer frosting into a pastry bag with a large tip, or a ziploc bag with a corner cut off. Frost your cupcakes beautifully, garnish with lime zest and store in the refrigerator.

Weekly Eats

We are back from a whirlwind week in Charlotte and Atlanta and we were hit hard with reality when we woke up to a fresh blanket of snow! Maybe my blood grew thinner while I was at home because returning to 35 degree weather last night was a harsh "welcome back!" Compared to last winter's tundra like weather on an almost daily basis, this winter has been a walk in the park.

Being on vacation is always a fun excuse to indulge in extra treats but now that we are settled back at home, we're back to our regularly scheduled eating program. Lean protein, yummy salads, and lots of flavor!

Meal planning is one of my favorite things to start off a fresh week with. I have found that it works really well to plan out seven days of meals in order to minimize trips to the grocery store. I am slowly learning to enjoy my hour or so of time in the grocery store each week to ensure that we have a stocked fridge with all of the makings of a delicious week. Today, I'm linking up with sweet Molly, from Duchess of Fork, who has been sharing her weekly menus and I thought I would join in and do the same. It's always entertaining to see what everyone else in blogland is cooking up in their kitchens and it's a great way to add more recipes to my growing list!

Monday- Perfect Roast Chicken, Avocado, Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

Tuesday- Turkey Meatloaf, roasted asparagus or roasted green beans

Wednesday- Salmon, grilled peach baby greens salad

Thursday- Eat up leftovers!

Friday- Bunless burgers, sweet potato fries

Saturday- Chicken with Italian Sweet-Sour Fennel

Sunday- Lemony Sauteed Shrimp with Broccoli and Peas

Check out Molly's post for more great meal ideas and check the comments section to see what others are making as well! If you have your meals planned out, too, leave your weekly eats in my comments section below.

Happy Monday!